A Bloomingdale/Marquette kid made a new web site that let's you rate coaches online. What do you think? www.ratemycoaches.com
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This was posted on my newspaper's message boards about a month ago. It was, and remains, perhaps the worst idea EVER.
These people have just given a voice to the most idiotic, cess-pool dwelling folks around; people who don't need to be heard.
Are there bad coaches out there, guys who swear far too much or just collect their check and call it a day? Absolutely, but they are far outnumbered by the good coaches. The guys who come early, stay late, want nothing more than to teach their kids to make positive contributions to society whether or not they win or lose.
But because Johnny Curveball isn't getting to play as much as daddy likes, that good coach can now be bashed by Daddy Curveball.
The organizers have argued, and I suspect will continue to argue, that it's also a place for positive feedback. I don't need positive feedback. I know I'm doing my job when my kids come up to thank me after our last game and they stay in touch even when they don't play for me anymore, when they call to tell me they improved their ACT score or aced a paper, when they call to tell me they just committed to the college of their choice. Or when their parents call and ask me to have a sitdown with their son because he's having a rough go.
These people have just given a voice to the most idiotic, cess-pool dwelling folks around; people who don't need to be heard.
Are there bad coaches out there, guys who swear far too much or just collect their check and call it a day? Absolutely, but they are far outnumbered by the good coaches. The guys who come early, stay late, want nothing more than to teach their kids to make positive contributions to society whether or not they win or lose.
But because Johnny Curveball isn't getting to play as much as daddy likes, that good coach can now be bashed by Daddy Curveball.
The organizers have argued, and I suspect will continue to argue, that it's also a place for positive feedback. I don't need positive feedback. I know I'm doing my job when my kids come up to thank me after our last game and they stay in touch even when they don't play for me anymore, when they call to tell me they improved their ACT score or aced a paper, when they call to tell me they just committed to the college of their choice. Or when their parents call and ask me to have a sitdown with their son because he's having a rough go.
It seems like a whole lot of energy spent by someone to maintain a website that few people will ever view. IMHO
IMO
The good ones will not be harmed by the Daddy Curveballs while this could be a nice forum for the many, many coaches with no ability other than to cash thier undeserved check.
The good ones will not be harmed by the Daddy Curveballs while this could be a nice forum for the many, many coaches with no ability other than to cash thier undeserved check.
Nole
I know MANY of those that you speak of
I know MANY of those that you speak of
This seems like a very good idea to me, could save a lot of heartache and money for a family.
I would hope that this kids site expands into tournaments. There are plenty of people or organizations that run tournaments that have no business running them. This could turn out to be a really good tool to use to help people avoid bad tournaments. Think about the amount of money that gets spent by each team on a weekly basis to travel and then you run into some tournaments that are poorly run, bad umps or a tournament director who might be a total jackass. I have been there and I'll tell you, I wish i had a board to go to to warn others not to waste their time or money.
I would hope that this kids site expands into tournaments. There are plenty of people or organizations that run tournaments that have no business running them. This could turn out to be a really good tool to use to help people avoid bad tournaments. Think about the amount of money that gets spent by each team on a weekly basis to travel and then you run into some tournaments that are poorly run, bad umps or a tournament director who might be a total jackass. I have been there and I'll tell you, I wish i had a board to go to to warn others not to waste their time or money.
Seedthrower-
Do they rate travel coachs?(I didn't look that close).
The problem I see with rating high school coaches is what are your options if the guy is a bum? Move? Pay tuition to another public or private school? For many of us that isn't really a viable economic option.
The best thing I could see out of it for most people is it might force you to communicate earlier. Usually the coach isn't going to initiate personal communication.
I just thought this rating site is a lot of work (for someone) when you can pick up a phone and get more feedback. I'm just old-school I guess.
Do they rate travel coachs?(I didn't look that close).
The problem I see with rating high school coaches is what are your options if the guy is a bum? Move? Pay tuition to another public or private school? For many of us that isn't really a viable economic option.
The best thing I could see out of it for most people is it might force you to communicate earlier. Usually the coach isn't going to initiate personal communication.
I just thought this rating site is a lot of work (for someone) when you can pick up a phone and get more feedback. I'm just old-school I guess.
nc42dad-
Not sure if they rate travel coaches, I have not seen the site. Many of us knew what to do as far as getting a good quality PERSON to coach our kids. One that had the experience, connections and knows how to act on the playing field and translate that to the kids. My son had plenty of options for travel ball. We visited with a few, even a program whose director and players just oozed cockiness and I had seen in action. They were real good players but their attitudes preceeded them not to mention the parents (kinda figured out where the kids picked up their attitudes from). There is no place in travel ball for that kind of BS because at that level you havent achieved much, just the ability to be on a good travel team.
I really wish there was a site that people could go to to talk about college programs and their coaches freely and talk about how things really are at that school and in that program. This site definitely isnt it. There are too many people on this site that are scouts or college coaches and if you say anything derogatory it gets sent around. The school my son went to last year absolutely destroyed his confidence and when he went to his summer league he had the worst mechanics I had ever seen him have. He was the only freshman pitcher on his college team and was made to feel like it from the get go. The pitching coach/recruiter just did a good job of talking. I wish his coaching skills and ability to relate with kids were as good as his ability to talk.
In that regard I think sites that rate or rank coaches is a wonderful tool. The ones that wont like it are the ones who arent good coaches.
Not sure if they rate travel coaches, I have not seen the site. Many of us knew what to do as far as getting a good quality PERSON to coach our kids. One that had the experience, connections and knows how to act on the playing field and translate that to the kids. My son had plenty of options for travel ball. We visited with a few, even a program whose director and players just oozed cockiness and I had seen in action. They were real good players but their attitudes preceeded them not to mention the parents (kinda figured out where the kids picked up their attitudes from). There is no place in travel ball for that kind of BS because at that level you havent achieved much, just the ability to be on a good travel team.
I really wish there was a site that people could go to to talk about college programs and their coaches freely and talk about how things really are at that school and in that program. This site definitely isnt it. There are too many people on this site that are scouts or college coaches and if you say anything derogatory it gets sent around. The school my son went to last year absolutely destroyed his confidence and when he went to his summer league he had the worst mechanics I had ever seen him have. He was the only freshman pitcher on his college team and was made to feel like it from the get go. The pitching coach/recruiter just did a good job of talking. I wish his coaching skills and ability to relate with kids were as good as his ability to talk.
In that regard I think sites that rate or rank coaches is a wonderful tool. The ones that wont like it are the ones who arent good coaches.
Seedthrower-
You have a PM.
You have a PM.
Since the topic has been opened, who are the top D1 head baseball coaches in Illinois?
Please elaborate on your reasons. Thanks.
Please elaborate on your reasons. Thanks.
quote:Originally posted by SeedThrower:
nc42dad-
Not sure if they rate travel coaches, I have not seen the site. Many of us knew what to do as far as getting a good quality PERSON to coach our kids. One that had the experience, connections and knows how to act on the playing field and translate that to the kids. My son had plenty of options for travel ball. We visited with a few, even a program whose director and players just oozed cockiness and I had seen in action. They were real good players but their attitudes preceeded them not to mention the parents (kinda figured out where the kids picked up their attitudes from). There is no place in travel ball for that kind of BS because at that level you havent achieved much, just the ability to be on a good travel team.
I really wish there was a site that people could go to to talk about college programs and their coaches freely and talk about how things really are at that school and in that program. This site definitely isnt it. There are too many people on this site that are scouts or college coaches and if you say anything derogatory it gets sent around. The school my son went to last year absolutely destroyed his confidence and when he went to his summer league he had the worst mechanics I had ever seen him have. He was the only freshman pitcher on his college team and was made to feel like it from the get go. The pitching coach/recruiter just did a good job of talking. I wish his coaching skills and ability to relate with kids were as good as his ability to talk.
In that regard I think sites that rate or rank coaches is a wonderful tool. The ones that wont like it are the ones who arent good coaches.
The site lets you rate college coaches.
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ben_Diggle:
"These people have just given a voice to the most idiotic, cess-pool dwelling folks around; people who don't need to be heard." [QUOTE]
Are you talking about your players, your parents or both?
"These people have just given a voice to the most idiotic, cess-pool dwelling folks around; people who don't need to be heard." [QUOTE]
Are you talking about your players, your parents or both?
quote:Originally posted by HS888:
Originally posted by Ben_Diggle:
"These people have just given a voice to the most idiotic, cess-pool dwelling folks around; people who don't need to be heard." - Ben Diggle
Are you talking about your players, their parents or both?
UPDATE: Oh My Gosh Ben! I just saw that you're a sportswriter! A few more questions:
1. As a writer do you REALLY believe that there are people who don't deserve to have a voice? Most newspapers vehemently support free speech for ALL because once the Man starts taking free speech away from some, it's only a matter of time before he takes free speech away from you.
2. If you really do think certain voices shouldn't be heard, who gets to decide which voices should be silenced?
3. Do you see the irony of complaining about an open/anonymous forum in an open/anonymous forum?
See, I told you this was a fun topic!
HS888: Why not just advertise your agenda and move on?
Of your 5 posts, all 5 are about a website that allows anyone to say anything they want. If this "kid" spent so much time entering every HS and College across the nation - that is a kid with a lot of free time.
Let's suppose I am a coach at a private school and have been battling another coach for "recruits" -- why not go onto the site and give that other coach a bad review.
Here's another example: Coach Lyons at BR had an incident with fans in Romeoville (?) earlier this summer ... what's to stop the Romeoville "people" from pulling up Coach Lyons' "rate my coach" record and give him bad marks with no explanation?
If you don't understand why it is a bad idea, spend some time reading through all of the posts about which coaches are bad because a certain poster's son isn't getting the PT that their parents think they should be getting.
Of your 5 posts, all 5 are about a website that allows anyone to say anything they want. If this "kid" spent so much time entering every HS and College across the nation - that is a kid with a lot of free time.
Let's suppose I am a coach at a private school and have been battling another coach for "recruits" -- why not go onto the site and give that other coach a bad review.
Here's another example: Coach Lyons at BR had an incident with fans in Romeoville (?) earlier this summer ... what's to stop the Romeoville "people" from pulling up Coach Lyons' "rate my coach" record and give him bad marks with no explanation?
If you don't understand why it is a bad idea, spend some time reading through all of the posts about which coaches are bad because a certain poster's son isn't getting the PT that their parents think they should be getting.
Thanks for the feedback ratboy. My agenda is to have fun debating stuff - I always want to win a debate but I don't mean diss anyone - I value everyones' opinion.
Every single coach will get some bad ratings because every single coach gets some people mad at him. But good coaches will also get good ratings. It's unlikely bad coaches will get good ratings, therefore the system works. Good coaches will score higher than bad coaches. I suspect that's why a few people don't like the idea.
Now if you want to move on to a new topic I will be happy to debate this:
Baseball would be much more exciting if the rulemakers running it stopped clinging to outdated tradition and implemented rules changes every year like the NFL. Putting a 10 second clock on the pitcher and awarding a ball if he didn't pitch in that time would be a great place to start. What do you think?
Every single coach will get some bad ratings because every single coach gets some people mad at him. But good coaches will also get good ratings. It's unlikely bad coaches will get good ratings, therefore the system works. Good coaches will score higher than bad coaches. I suspect that's why a few people don't like the idea.
Now if you want to move on to a new topic I will be happy to debate this:
Baseball would be much more exciting if the rulemakers running it stopped clinging to outdated tradition and implemented rules changes every year like the NFL. Putting a 10 second clock on the pitcher and awarding a ball if he didn't pitch in that time would be a great place to start. What do you think?
quote:Originally posted by HS888:quote:Originally posted by HS888:
Originally posted by Ben_Diggle:
"These people have just given a voice to the most idiotic, cess-pool dwelling folks around; people who don't need to be heard." - Ben Diggle
Are you talking about your players, their parents or both?
UPDATE: Oh My Gosh Ben! I just saw that you're a sportswriter! A few more questions:
1. As a writer do you REALLY believe that there are people who don't deserve to have a voice? Most newspapers vehemently support free speech for ALL because once the Man starts taking free speech away from some, it's only a matter of time before he takes free speech away from you.
2. If you really do think certain voices shouldn't be heard, who gets to decide which voices should be silenced?
3. Do you see the irony of complaining about an open/anonymous forum in an open/anonymous forum?
See, I told you this was a fun topic!
1) I really believe that certain people shouldn't be heard. I used to have a lot of faith in my readers. However, over the years, after getting copious amounts of snail mail and e-mails of people suggesting stores about their kid because he's really good, just on a bad team or the team that "tries really hard" but is only 7-21, I've learned that most people only look out for their own. Hence the problem with your site.
2) Nobody get to silence these folks. I certainly can't. All I can do is tell you it's a bad idea and watch the world continue to go to heck in a handbasket. I'll elaborate more on that in a following post.
3) I think you will find that I hate the anonymity of these forums. I'm a firm believer in posting under my real name. I'm Ben Diggle, high-school/college sports reporter for the Peoria Journal Star and coach of the Central Illinois Outlaws. I believe these forums would look a lot different if people had to post under their real names and/or sexes.
I said I would elaborate more on why I believe this is a bad idea, so let me share a couple of stories. Both of these stories occurred when I was serving as a volunteer assistant basketball coach to my uncle in Southern Illinois while in college.
First, let's examine what a couple of kids with bad intentions can do.
At one of the better schools in my uncle's conference, a long-time friend of my family's was the head coach. My parents and aunts and uncles had grown up with this gentlemen. My dad and uncle played high-school football with him and his brother.
At any rate, this team was considered one of the best in the state at that time and would later produce three Division I players. And my uncle's team, which was not very good, was scheduled to play them on the road on Saturday night.
On that Wednesday before, my aunt called me and told me to put on the local news, that this family friend had been arrested. Two players had accused this family friend of sexual abuse.
So of course, this coach is arrested, removed from his position immediately, etc.
After two months of nothing but innuendo and speculation, the charges were dismissed. It turns out that two young men upset over their lack of playing time had made up this story simply to get the coach fired.
First, let's examine what a couple of kids with bad intentions can do.
At one of the better schools in my uncle's conference, a long-time friend of my family's was the head coach. My parents and aunts and uncles had grown up with this gentlemen. My dad and uncle played high-school football with him and his brother.
At any rate, this team was considered one of the best in the state at that time and would later produce three Division I players. And my uncle's team, which was not very good, was scheduled to play them on the road on Saturday night.
On that Wednesday before, my aunt called me and told me to put on the local news, that this family friend had been arrested. Two players had accused this family friend of sexual abuse.
So of course, this coach is arrested, removed from his position immediately, etc.
After two months of nothing but innuendo and speculation, the charges were dismissed. It turns out that two young men upset over their lack of playing time had made up this story simply to get the coach fired.
And here's the second story, which involves my uncle directly.
After my uncle took over at this southern Illinois school, he produced a .500 season in his first year, which was above average at this school. The second year, however, he led them to the sectional for the first time in a dozen years.
But after taking a team with seven seniors to a sectional, things got bad in a hurry. All of his talent, including a D-I basketball player and a draft pick of the Blue Jays, was gone. Despite my uncle's best efforts to coach up the remaining kids, victories were scarce. I'm talking barely 10 wins in the two years combined.
And with this return to doldrums, the people of the town got angry. It started with anonymous letters to the editor saying my uncle must go and only worsened. Threatening calls were made to my aunt and uncle's house. Bricks were thrown through windows. Their brand new Chevy was sprainted yellow. Not just vandalized, but entirely yellow. And the capper was, when my younger cousin, who was 10 at the time, was diagnosed with a brain tumor, certain people were heard to say they hoped he suffered.
Needless to say, my uncle soon resigned.
And there are more examples.
When I was covering high-school girls basketball, a coach who took his team to a supersectional with a bunch of sophomores suddenly resigned three weeks later. Off the record, it was because he was threatened in his home by a parent who threatened to kill him for not playing his daughter more, which would have surely led to a supersectional win.
Or the coach who was fired for playing his own kid too much, even though the kid was clearly the best on the team.
After my uncle took over at this southern Illinois school, he produced a .500 season in his first year, which was above average at this school. The second year, however, he led them to the sectional for the first time in a dozen years.
But after taking a team with seven seniors to a sectional, things got bad in a hurry. All of his talent, including a D-I basketball player and a draft pick of the Blue Jays, was gone. Despite my uncle's best efforts to coach up the remaining kids, victories were scarce. I'm talking barely 10 wins in the two years combined.
And with this return to doldrums, the people of the town got angry. It started with anonymous letters to the editor saying my uncle must go and only worsened. Threatening calls were made to my aunt and uncle's house. Bricks were thrown through windows. Their brand new Chevy was sprainted yellow. Not just vandalized, but entirely yellow. And the capper was, when my younger cousin, who was 10 at the time, was diagnosed with a brain tumor, certain people were heard to say they hoped he suffered.
Needless to say, my uncle soon resigned.
And there are more examples.
When I was covering high-school girls basketball, a coach who took his team to a supersectional with a bunch of sophomores suddenly resigned three weeks later. Off the record, it was because he was threatened in his home by a parent who threatened to kill him for not playing his daughter more, which would have surely led to a supersectional win.
Or the coach who was fired for playing his own kid too much, even though the kid was clearly the best on the team.
So I hope these illustrate why I have so little faith in the general public.
I can see both sides. False claims of sexual abuse are hideous but if you google "high school coach ***' you'll see that there are alot of real problems within the coaching ranks that do need to get reported.