What do you do?

Grin and bear it. Neanderthals don't last long.

He's an accident looking for a place, just don't be there when it happens.

I changed my tune after reading what he was doing to the players.

I NEVER get involved in how a coach conducts practices, but this is a health and safety issue that IMO needs to be addressed to the Athletic Director. You can't do anything about the demoralizing techniques...that will come back to bite him in due time. But, if he forces them to run until they throw up, I wouldn't be surprised if he pushes them too hard during hot days. At that point the school could end up having a reckless homicide lawsuit on their hands.

Just make sure you have the facts right.

Maybe he was supposed to be the track coach and arrived at the wrong field.

Your son needs to work through this. Somewhere in the remainder of his baseball experience or adult life there will be a coach/boss change he won't like. This is a life lesson. He can be a bigger person by fighting through it. Let your son deal with it. Don't get involved unless there's physical abuse involved. If that occurs don't approach the coach alone. Make sure other parents agree.

How was the team last year? Did they have players screwing off? Maybe the coach is trying to find out who really wants to be there.

What do you mean by hates select ball and showcases? Is there going to be a price paid for participating or does he just look down on it?

I'm guessing he once heard Augie Garrido made the Longhorns run until they puked after dropping a doubleheader. The story gets grosser but I'll spare you. Sometimes high school coaches who don't know what they are doing try to model themselves after a master rather than be their own coach.

I'm beginning to believe you don't varsity experience to play at the next level. The previews came out in the paper today and reading them, there was one player who hasn't pitched one inning on varsity yet and already signed an NLI based on his play in the summer league. Most likely, will pitch this year now that he drew attention. That's a first in our area that I've heard of.

The way things are today, with these travel leagues springing up making the splash and players moving from legion ball to these travel teams, summer ball is the way to get noticed anyway and if you got a kook for a coach who's doing more harm than good and the player(s) can't work out whatever it is with these coaches, it probably wouldn't be that big a deal not playing for them and making sure you get on a good summer team where there's exposure.

quote:

Originally posted by LHOUTFIELDER2011:

- When the team looses a game, he tells them "I'm going to make you run until someone quits" (5 miles on an average) -- a few good players have quit.

As a parent, what do you do?

The AD needs to stop this by tomorrow. If not, the Principal. This guy is nuts.

Sounds like a football practice to me. Don't coaches get in trouble now for that kind of thing - making kids sick - over running them to dehydration? Especially kids that are not properly conditioned.

Well let me give another take on this. Running five miles will make some kids puke. For many others it will just be a five mile run. Some players when ragged on by a coach will get discouraged and use that as a reason to have a pity party and quit. For others it will cause them to be even more determined to not let that *** beat them. Some players that have promising futures are pampered and have a wonderful baseball experience their entire baseball career. They never have to learn how to deal with a coach like this. And then something happens. That wonderful guy that recruits them that they decide to play for in college. Turns out to be a totally different person when they step on the college campus. They have never had to deal with anything like this. They are away from home for the first time living on their own with the challenges of college academics , college baseball as well and they fold like a cheap lounge chair.

If running five miles and having a coach that talks down to his players causes a kid to quit at the hs level I wonder just how tough that kid really is. I also wonder how bad he really wants to play. And I seriously question if he will have the mental toughness to play at the next level.

If my son were in hs and he had a coach like this "and there are many like this" I would tell him this. "If you want to play then you will do whatever you have to do to play. If he says your going to run five miles then run five miles. If guys puke then tell them to get in better shape and be able to run untill he gets tired of seeing you run. If he rags on you take it like a man. If your team mates b*tch and whine when they get ragged on tell them to man up and not to let him ever see them pout."

Use this situation as a way to teach your son that he will not always play for a coach that he agrees with. He will not always be in a perfect baseball world. Teach him to man up and do what he has to do.

He will have a much more promising baseball future if he learns
this.

Believe me your son is not in any situation that many players have not found themselves in before. A coach that may not know how to coach and uses conditioning as a means of attempting to motivate his players to play better. A coach that attempts to motivate by using negative means "talking down to players" etc etc. The ones that are mentally tough deal with it and come out on the other side even tougher and more determined. The ones that are not will simply quit.

Just another way to look at this situation. Good luck.

Let me add if this coach is putting kids health at risk then he needs to be removed from his posistion. How you figure out if this is the case I am not sure. Good luck

quote:

"I'm going to make you run until someone quits"

Coach May,
For me, if "quit" means quit the team, then the above statement is a clear indication of putting kid's health at risk. Basically he is pitting physical well-being against emotional resolve.

quote:

Originally posted by Coach_May:
Let me add if this coach is putting kids health at risk then he needs to be removed from his posistion. How you figure out if this is the case I am not sure. Good luck

I'm glad you added this. It wouldn't bother me if my son's coach made them run five miles. But making them run until someone quits or pukes is physical abuse. This is why I said the Dad better make sure he's got the facts right before going to the AD. If the players are being at all dishonest (he doesn't really make us run until we puke, he just makes us run) then it's just tough coaching and Dad should teach his son how to tough it out.

FWIW, I suggest you all read over Coach May's post, a few times.

I don't believe in demeaning players, not sure I like his technique of motivation, but if you or your player think that running 5 miles is abusive, don't ever consider sending him to a top program in the country. What some coaches do to toughen their players may seem abusive to many. In actuality, it's meant to seperate the wheat from the chaf.

This is why most have successful programs, they push the kids like they have never been pushed in their entire lives, mentally and physically and that's in practice or sometimes whne they are not happy with the team.

I understand now why Jack Leggett has so many players that go onto the next level, son has told me that spring training is a walk in the park compared to what he had to do at Clemson.

I don't care if this is the #1 program in the country, this guy should be fired. He could be on CNN tonight, if you called them.

I'd be curious to know from high school (or former) high school coaches on this site how many of you ever had your players run five miles whether it be conditioning or discipline.

Although not a "top program" like TPM mentioned, my sons college coach has never had his athletes do a five mile run for any reason nor did his high school coach.

Personally I do not believe in running my players for any reason but if that is the way the boys coach does his thing then so be it--you live with it

My son used to return to campus from Xmas break two weeks before needed as did his team mates just to get themselves in shape for what was to come when official practice began in mid January

To me running a kid for 5 miles til he quits or pukes is not abuse--it just shows who is in shape and who isn't---as Coach May says if a kid cannot take it in HS what will he do in college or pros.

I ask why a kid in HS isn't in shape coming into practice, especially if he really wants to play at the next level.

Coach May,

I have looked at your posts in the past and have great admiration for your approach to baseball and the kids. You always seam to have a sound opinion on most of the subjects. This one may be a little off. I am all for discipline, mental & physical resolve and toughness, but 5 miles after each loss is absolutely pathetic. I ran track (sprinter) in the off season ( I was a D1 football player) and I can tell you that even the long distance guys rarely ran 5 miles. 5 miles is a long *** haul. Second, in terms of baseball, I don't see how the looming notion of running after a loss is going to loosen the kids up on the field to play carefree, errorless and with a little swagger. Lastly, baseball is a power/explosion sport. The last thing a team needs is to run 5 miles. If he wants to discipline them, have the boys run 60's or gassers, but not until you puke. Again, I have a lot of admiration for your knowledge and I understand what you are getting at, but I just see it a little differently on this one. Just my opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by TPM:
but if you or your player think that running 5 miles is abusive, don't ever consider sending him to a top program in the country. What some coaches do to toughen their players may seem abusive to many. In actuality, it's meant to seperate the wheat from the chaf.
I don't think you can "rubber stamp" a comment like that without first hand knowledge of all the elite programs, or for that matter programs at all levels throughout the country.

This is why most have successful programs, they push the kids like they have never been pushed in their entire lives, mentally and physically and that's in practice or sometimes whne they are not happy with the team.
Maybe it's also because they have better players and deeper rosters . I would go out on a limb and say most programs work their a$$ off and it is not limited by any means to the top programs

I understand now why Jack Leggett has so many players that go onto the next level, son has told me that spring training is a walk in the park compared to what he had to do at Clemson.
I'll also take any bet that most players will say that Spring Training is a cake walk compared to their college conditioning

JMO

Sprints may be the conditioning way, but, there's nothing like a long run to make a team "reflect" why they are running roads rather than the bases.

There are also a lot of coaches who believe that running distances help build endurance for pitchers,

I have known many HS pitchers who ran cross country for their HS in the off season so as to improve endurance

Keep in mind that pitchers need do different things in training than position players. I know college coaches won't allow their pitchers near a weight room--they want them to run run run

People of all shapes and sizes and condition run half marathons all the time. Those are about 13 miles and in order to do them they run about 13 miles.

I'm not saying I would ever do this as a coach but I'm with Coach May - it's not the end of the world. It will definately show who wants it and who doesn't. You never know what / where your breaking point is until you push yourself to find it.

So the coach is not the nicest guy in the world - once again not the end of the world. Whatever happened to the lesson of listening to the message and not how it's delivered? Trust me back in the day I was yelled at, insulted and dogcussed by the best of them (most of the time rightfully so) but it didn't destroy me or my emotional self worth. Yes my feelings were hurt and I was embarassed but I learned something. If I don't want to feel like that again then I better make sure I don't make the same mistake again.

The opening post talks about how his son is good and has a future. That's great but what about the rest of the team? Is the team having a successful year? Are they a great bunch of kids who respect the coach? Are they a bunch of jerks who try to get away with whatever they can under the sun?

I find it hard to believe a coach would act like this if things were going great. So this leads me to think there are some problems. Maybe this guy came in last year and faced a ton of challenging players and he has to teach them who the boss is. Maybe this guy knows he's got a bunch of jerks on the team and he wants rid of them since he inherited them. Best way to do that is run them off literally.

If their health is truly at risk then yes there is a problem and something needs to be done. But last time I checked doctors want people to run more because it leads to a healthy heart / body.....well that's what mine tells me when I tell him I have to buy new pants every so often because the old ones shrink.