Practice

I think a lot of it depends on the kids age. I coach a showcase team so naturally they are all HS age. It's hard to change them from something their HS coach is teaching, even if you think they're wrong. Often when I see something that's completely off the wall, I suggest they try it this way, or ask if they've ever done it another way. How tough a situation would it be for them if I tell them to do it my way, they then tell their HS coach that, and he polotics them to the bench? Can be a sticky situation. Last year I actually got my sons HS coach involved with the coaching staff. He blended right in. He even said he was going to change some things to the way we do it. Of course we learned from him as well, so it was a win-win situation for me.

Depends upon age & situation.

After reading many hundreds of posts here I asked these questons for a reason. I am surprsed I haven't seen more responses yet. One reason being that so many here have advocated for travel teams over high school teams and instruction. Many have written that their son's had gotten great coaching and instruction from travel team coaches even at an early age. Now the question has been put forth, I read that some don't want to step on the high school coaches toes and some feel it depends on age. Come on folks. I was hoping to read some of your experiences at all levels.

Coachric-You've brought up some interesting points here.

Because of the nature of a "traveling" team-going to different sites to play other traveling teams-and the fact that the coaches of some teams also have full
time jobs, I can understand that "practice" time may be at a minimum. However, that being said, I think most of these coaches are missing a great opportunity to
actually TEACH or INSTRUCT.

#1 There is a captive audience

#2 These players want to improve

#3 Parents are paying good $ to help their sons improve(yes, I understand that a lot of it is also about exposure)

#4 Most of these coaches are quite knowledgeable about the game

My suggestion-ask for a parent volunteer to be a team camera person and ask that
person to video individual players during warmups, bp and games. Then USE those videos during the down times at the hotels to show players how they can improve
their skills(maybe one or two players per day) and then before the team begins
their warmups before the next game take those players aside and physically show
them what you went over in the video.

I went to a local DI practice the other day and saw virtually NO individual instruction. Just repetition of drills for an hour and a half with many players
doing things(IMO) incorrectly with no correcton from the coaches. Watched BP and
saw no individual instruction-just repetition of the same swings.

I don't want to paint with a broad brush here but there are some travel coaches
in this area who haven't got a clue about about improving a player's abilities and should stick to organization only.

I may be wrong here but I think most parents would love to see their sons getting this individual attention and it would not require a whole lot of effort on the coaches' part.

Practices are fine but practicing without instruction is just warmup.

Moc1 posted:

quote:

I don't want to paint with a broad brush here but there are some travel coaches
in this area who haven't got a clue about about improving a player's abilities and should stick to organization only.

Maybe one or two..... ...

Some things to be aware of with travel teams also keep in mind that there are travel teams and there are "select" travel team)

01-- the teams in the Summer when there is no school can do things that Fall teams cannot do when school is in session. The Summer and Fall programs should be looked at with two different sets of glasses.

02-- each program is separate unto itself--we are a program that begins at the end of August so we are always dealing with players in school session-- we also have players from as many as 6 states and Canada playing with us every weekend thus weekday/nite practices are impossible

03-- things can be done without practices between weekend events--we give the players workout programs to utilize during the weekdays

04-- we find that by getting to the field at least two hours before games at weekend events we can do a lot more than most people think. We utilize cages etc for work to compliment our pregame drills. We have also been known to have breakfast skull sessions with the team before leaving for the field.

05-- we also get into a lot of dugout instruction and education during the games
The young men on our team are HS standouts so the talent is there--the mental aspect game is what needs to be fine tuned and this is a critical point-- smart players are always something a college coach wants to see.

Just a few thoughts from where we sit

"Should they practice often and teach a solid baseball approach?"
Depending on the team, a couple of practices a week is very reasonable. I don't think it needs to be treated like a school team, where they're going 5-6 days a week. But the practices need to be organized, structured, productive, and challenging. Worst practice imaginable is a 2 hour coach pitch BP session.


Do you ask your kid if he's learned anything new and what that is?
If not, you should.

Do you find it acceptable for travel coaches to use schedule and the players other activities as an excuse for not practicing?
Nope. You have your schedule, and you should be able to get a majority of your players at every practice. If parents are paying $$ to fund the team, then parents need to hold the players accountable for making it to practice.

Is it enough for some that they have talent and don't practice?
NEVER!!!! If you don't practice, then the talent won't develop.

Great stuff by all. TR, you are a credit to coaching, a genuinely concerned guy. I just keep hearing from other that their kid does all the select and travel teams, and when I ask about the coaching, they say its great, all the time. Define a great coach, is it trainng, teaching the mental approach, knowing the game enough to apply experiences to situations, or for some is it that great winning record the past 5 years?

Our travel team was associated with a year-round training facility; one that emphasized player development overwhelmingly. The travel team existed in order to put to use the skills taught by the facility's training staff.

Even though we won more than our share of games, the coaching staff continuously preached the "mantra" that player development, not winning, was the goal.

With respect to recruiting, the staff made themselves consistently available to recruiters and scouts.

At the end of their four years together, every player went on to play college or professional baseball. We'll always be grateful for the approach taken by this group's staff.

In our area, we try to practice regularly, but don't get to do so nearly often enough. Generally, we are together three or four days per week, including a practice or two. The single biggest reason we don't get to practice more is that nearly every player who participates with us also plays on his high school's summer team. For most, participation on the high school summer team is mandatory if you want to play the following year, unless you have a job that doesn't allow you to play baseball.

I have to work around the demands of a large number of high school coaches with different schedules and agendas. Some of the high school coaches really support us, some are tolerant and a few are just short of openly hostile. Most of the boys are playing baseball 4-6 days per week throughout the summer when you combine our team with the high school teams. That ends up being a lot of baseball for any teenager when you stretch it over 2 1/2-3 mnths.

What we do is different than what the high school coaches do, and to a degree we each compliment the other in terms of developing a complete player. Many of our boys come from high school's that have pretty good coaching to very good coaching. When you combine those efforts with our practices and instruction, we think we end up with a pretty well rounded player.

Good examples by both prepster and 06Dad. With that much playing and knowng that they are getting instruction, you are off the hook. How about when they are not playing as much, do you want to put your team on the field, or someone elses? We have so much good information and experiences, its not any good if we don't give it to our kids.

My son is also on a select team with a year-round facility, so there is alot of opportunity for the players to get instruction from numerous instructors, former and current college/pro players etc, not just from the coaches. You'd be foolish not to utilise them, but I know some kids don't, and some parents can't be bothered, which seems doubly foolish since they are footing the hefty bill for the kid to play. (Fortunately none of the kids on our team).

The coaches themselves have been good about practices, the current coaches run very organised practices and they get alot out of the time alotted to practices. And I'd expect that, particularly in the winter here. They make good use of the time.

However, some programs I've seen have some well-meaning, but not particularly knowledgeable dads coaching, and it shows. I'd probably not want my son to play for these teams, since he's had plenty of OK-not great coaching in Rec ball over the years. He wants to learn and work hard. Glorified LL practices with everyone standing around while a coach throws BP just don't cut it.

Our team also has dads coaching, but the facility makes sure they know what they're doing, and have above average skills and practice plans. At 14 y/o these kids benefit from everyone who cares to teach them. We've had good coaching for the several years since being involved. These guys want to win, and make a point of that, but stress that they will show the kids how to win. And then they do that.

Coachric,

Great topic.

I've always said that there are only 2 purposes for a travel team...development and exposure. At one end of the spectrum, some travel coaches do nothing but development. Their teams are generally 11U (or younger) through 14U.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are other teams who do nothing but exposure (for instance, this could be an 18U only team).

Most travel teams fall somewhere between the 2 extremes.

My guess is that many of the kids, who are good enough to play on a team only for exposure, already have had years of instruction from travel coaches and/or personal instructors. In those cases, the player isn't necessarily giving up his instruction...he's adding the exposure piece.

I am the biggest advocate of practice that you'll ever meet. I believe that baseball skills are hard to learn and even harder to re-learn once you've trained your muscles incorrectly. It takes reps and time to develop...not weeks but years.

That being said, if you never play games (and play against competition that continuously challenges you), you will be missing a huge part that can only learned by playing.

Mike F

Coach Ric

When you get a chance give me a call--I would like to to talk with you personally

Tom Rizzi
akaTRhit
800-782-3672

Most coaches here have given good examples here, and they all seem to really care about the kids they work with.
However, maybe I haven't gotten controversial enough yet.

Many of you have read the hundreds of posts here by parents, coaches and trainers. Is it me or does it sometimes seem that statements are wherever the wind blows.

Many here have said that their kids have played on numerous summer league, travel, elite teams etc. Some have commented that the coaches were beter than their high school coaches.
Others have said that training is too expensive or wasted dollars, of course many cannot afford either and I am not directing my comments at them.
In 30 years of coaching, and I just checked myself, I have coached 22 travel teams during 16 years. Other time was spent only at the high school, juco or mens league levels.
In recent years I turned down 6 opportunities to coach travel ball. I did take on a school fall team as an assistant.

My reasons were this: If I am going to put a team on the field, and I know I can enhance and improve their game by giving them solid practices covering all aspects of the game, then I am going to take it on.
But when parents and players commit to a team, then can't make it because of other commitments, they have to go out with their girl, mom and dad can't get them to practice and so on, then I will not coach. All teams I have coached in the past must show up for 2 weeks of practice, 10 days.
The reason is because I know what I want from them, what I can give them and how it will help shape them as ballplayers and young men. Anything less than that from a coach is not right in my book.
Now, my way is not the only way for some, but it is for me. How can any coach put a team on the field, talented or not, and then bark orders and commands, suggestions and so on, when he hasn't taken the time to instruct them on these matters.
My all time favorite is "You gotta get that".
This is from many coaches that have never taught "how to get that".

I have played against many coaches, watched many tournaments and see it more often than not.
So when you attack me, remember I said more often than not.
I have not met every coach and don't say I know what all are teaching.

But the super majority of travel coaches I have met, place great young talent on the field, let the chips fall where they may, and then get reputations as beng great coaches because they win.
Mnay have written here about good solid training programs and teams attached to facilites. I commend you guys.

From others I still ask the question, what do you consder a good coach?

Tr, Just got yours, I was busy babbling. I now have typers cramps.

This thread causes me to recall a funny story:

My son's travel team was known in our area for having particularly rigorous practices. They'd go incredibly hard at it the whole time they were there...2 or 3 times a week.

One afternoon, UNC's head recruiter, Chad Holbrook, came and watched some of their practice. When my son got home, he said, "You know, it was great that Coach Holbrook came to our practice; but, he only stayed for about 20 minutes." Knowing that recruiters and scouts frequently "make the rounds," checking out several pracitices/games when travelling, I suggested that he think nothing of it.

A year or so later, after my son had enrolled at UNC, Coach Holbrook pulled me aside. He said, "You know when I came to see that travel team practice...the time when I didn't seem to stay for very long?" "Yes," I replied. "Well, I went far enough away that they'd think I was gone, and I watched for another 30-40 minutes. I had to see if they'd revved the practice up because I was watching. They didn't!"

Like they say, "You NEVER know who...or when...someone might be watching!"

Prepster-BINGO!

When I first started coaching AAU this is what I found.

Coaches (Dads) went out and found the most talented kids they could find and put together a team. Then they traveled every weekend playing other teams that had done the same thing. They used the games as a way of developing their players.

What I noticed was this. Had talented players. Had no clue how to defend the bunt game. Had no clue how to execute the bunt game. Had no clue how to run cut plays. Had no clue how to hold runners. Had no clue how to run the bases. The fundementals were lacking and they tried to overcome it with talent. In other words they just assumed that talent was enough.

What I did was the opposite. Our focus was on using the travel ball experience as a way to instill the game of baseball. How do you sac bunt and why would you? How to bunt for a hit and why would you vs sac? The importance of first and third defense. The importance of exposing teams that did not know how to defense first and third offense. The bunt game. How to run it. Bunt defense. The importance if getting an out and how to shut it down. The importance of holding runners and how to do it. The importance of a good primary lead and the secondary lead. And why is it important? Cut plays. Keep a single a single and double a double.

Making a routine play routinely. How? By being fundementally sound in your fielding and throwing techniques. Hitting. Have a game plan at the plate before you step in the box. Understand the situation and why you would hit it backside to move a runner in one situation and would take the same pitch for a strike in another situation and wait for your pitch.

The importance of location and change of speeds as a pitcher. Understanding why you would or would not throw a change up in a certain situation to a certain hitter for example.

Our focus was on teaching the game. Our focus was on learning the game and then taking this and forming a team around it. With this approach we destroyed our competition. It was a total mismatch quite honestly. Very few games went the distance. My theory was this "Boys you are 10 years old. Im not going to teach you to play baseball like your 10. Im going to teach you to play baseball like your 15. Ten year olds that play like 10 year olds dont win championships. Ten year olds that play like 15 year olds do". My goal was to give these boys something that would give them an edge down the road. A hands up on the competition when they got in HS so to speak. If your goal is to win medals and thats all you care about you are short changing the kids. Give them something that will help them down the road.

From my 10 11 12 13 year old AAU teams all but 1 is playing varsity this year. Several are outstanding players with bright futures. I talked to them about a work ethic. How they must strive everyday they are on the field to outwork the competition. Some kid somewhere is working. Make sure they do not outwork you today. JMHO

Coach May, its guys like you that make this site and baseball in general, the great game that it is. I know as a coach that we don't get many accolades, so here's to you.

As a freshman waiting for highschool tryouts coming up I wish our practices were a lot longer and harder. It seems to me just because we just started indoor practice that everybody thinks it's ok to take it easy for a bit. To me a 2 hour practice indoors in the way we do our practices doesn't really do that much. I feel our travel coach should make a more solid plan and get each player watched by other coaches so we can go back to basics and make sure all fundamentals are good to go before high school tryouts.

These are the stories that make me sad, and its what I was talking about when I brought up this subject. Just keep giving your best son, watch others who are doing it right. When you pick your next travel team, ask about practices and insist on playing for a coach who teaches.

There is no pride in being a part of something that does not push you to be your best. Kids want to be part of something special. They themselves want to be special. Son I wish you the best. Dont fall into the trap of following the others. Set yourself apart from everyone else. Ive alwasy said if you want to be average just do what everyone else is doing. If you want to be special do what no one else is willing to do. Good Luck

quote:

Originally posted by Coach May:
Our focus was on using the travel ball experience as a way to instill the game of baseball.

...Our focus was on teaching the game. Our focus was on learning the game and then taking this and forming a team around it...

...My theory was this "Boys you are 10 years old. Im not going to teach you to play baseball like your 10. Im going to teach you to play baseball like your 15"...

...Some kid somewhere is working. Make sure they do not outwork you today. JMHO

Coach May, keep teaching.

It's amazing how much capacity to learn kids have.


Mike F

If we lived nearer south I'd want my son to play for Coach May or coachric.

It's interesting, last night at practice the coach said 'everybody thinks that the southern teams are better because they have longer seasons and better weather. It's really because they PRACTICE more than we do up here.'

I'm glad we were at practice when he said it, and not in a pub somewhere or a meeting or something. It makes me think we made the right choice playing for this team.

Dad10, I am glad that you are aware of what the coach is saying and ****. Some aren't, they just believe the coach is good because they win often. Hey, there's plenty of good coaches and facilties up in mass. Enjoy the upcoming season.

Thanks, we're looking forward to it. We'll get down to Florida (Sarasota) in July for Nationals 14U. Possibly Georgia in April.

this topic is hitting home for me.

In my fairly small town here in NJ, the coaches that people think are the best are in my mind the worst. They rely on one or two very talented kids (usually their own) and ride their kids coattails. When in a a championship game against us, the coach said, "I'm not worried, I'm just handing the ball to "B" (his son Brandon). Well guess what. "B" didn't have his overpowering stuff that night, and we hit him pretty good. Lots of nickel and dime hits that his fielders had absolutely no clue how to defend. Singles into doubles, doubles into triples, passed balls, etc.
Our team was fundamentally sound and didn't make an error that game. We were prepared. David beat Goliath. Boy was that sweet, and the kids will remember it forever...

And everyone still thinks this egotistical jerk is a good coach...

Its hard to swim upstream sometimes...

I have always believed that a well prepared less talented team will play up to any more talented team that is not prepared.
I have used this one with youngsters way back and they took to it.
Why is a super hero better than the average hero, cop, dad and so on?
Preparation, he knows how to handle the situation in front of him. Its because of his CAPE.
Communication, Approach, Preparation, Execution. In the end, they must execute or they only have a Cap, and even a dunce gets to wear one of those.