When is it time to move onto...

Thanks for all of the posts.  For the record I love the program that I have took over many years ago.  I took over a program that never had a winning season and never made it to the regional tournament.  I took over a program that had zero direction and no practice regiment and no discipline.  I came in right from college baseball and began my head coaching career at 22. 

I was never the best player on the field but I was the most fierce competitor on the field.  As a coach, I am the same.  We might not be the best team on the field but we will compete to the end and give it our best shot.  I am however, realistic in what type of players I have at my school.  It is no coincidence that every team in the state playoffs have guys that throw over 90 and schools with guys that throw low 80's don't have as much of a chance. 

Yes, I want to win a state championship badly.  But I also coach because I love coaching kids and I love the game.  I have sent kids to play college baseball every year I have been a head coach.  I have seen many of my players be successful after college.  I have had winning records and district titles and multiple regional appearances, but dang it I wish I had those 90 guys to have a better chance to make it to states. lol.

 

I refuse to recruit kids.  I coach the kids that show up to my school and I coach them up. 

I believe there are below average teams, average team, above average teams and plus teams.  I would consider my team an above average team that can compete with those plus teams depending on the pitching match up.

 

I intend to stay where I am at until I am told I am not wanted anymore.  My teaching position is pretty great as well. lol.

 

Thanks again for all of the opinions.

Passion4baseball,

 

Do you have a feeder program. 90 mph guys are likely to show up anywhere.  Is there a lot of recruiting going on where you're at?

 

FWIW, You could try to put together a program for young future players that will be attending your school.  Find some guys you trust to work with these kids and teach them your system.  Get people capable of teaching them how to play and how to pitch long before you see them on your varsity.  Build a program rather than starting over every year with what you have.  Also try to get your kids facing the best possible competition in the summer and fall.  This might mean you will have to work with some of the better travel programs in your area.

 

in other words make sure your future players are prepared to play in your program.  Some coaches don't have to do this because it already happens without any effort on their part.  I think if they are ready before you get them and then you continue to improve them, you will have a chance to win big.

A lot of teams recruit around my area. I will never recruit. 

 

A feeder program is a good idea.  I have always done a jv and varsity.  Maybe adding a middle school travel team might help.

May I just ask why you are so dead against recruiting?  I just feel like if you are.proud of your program and think it would be angreat program for a kid to be in whats wrong with saying that to somebody?

In the State of Illinois, it is against the rules to recruit.  If a coach knows of a program doing so, they should turn that program in.  It isn't too hard to find teams suspended for state competition in various sports in my state who were caught recruiting.  Curious to know which states allow recruiting. 

It's against the rules in Florida, but it is still done frequently.

 

Most coaches turn a blind eye to it for a couple of reasons: First because any involved players are required to sit out a year.  Most coaches don't want to do that to a kid. Second, because they don't want to get turned in themselves.  Don't say anything about me, I won't say anything about you.

 

Florida has a rules regarding prior contact and "choice" schools.  Basically, if you attend the school you are assigned to by address - there are no recruiting considerations.  However if you are at a school by choice - charter school, private school, or public school that you have been reassigned to for any reason - then you cannot have had prior "contact" with anyone affiliated with the school's athletic program for at least a year prior to admission.

 

It creates issues with some of the travel programs that have high school coaches working for them.  My son was impacted because his HSV coach also was the coach for my son's summer team going into freshman year.  My son had received an academic reassignment before joining the summer team, but that was irrelevant. If he hadn't been injured, he would have had to sit out the past season anyway. 

 

 

I am sure things are different in different parts of the state.  I coached for years in the chicago area and if you were to turn schools in it would be nearly everybody.  Now to be fair its been a while so I don't know how much things have changed.  And its not just the catholic schools either.  There was a prominent public school basketball program near me that was famous for recruiting and kids using the address of aunts uncles grandparents etc. In order to go to that school.  So I guess thats just what I am used to.  Another family who college sports fans would definitely know actually rented an apartment in a certain school district.  And of course in the city itself it was pretty much anything goes.  But I am a big believer in freedom of choice so I just don't see an issue with recruiting.  When money starts changing hands etc then I see it as an issue.  But just promoting your program and recruiting kids?  Fine with me.

IF recruiting is allowed in your area, then you are putting yourself at a disadvantage.  In our area it is not.  Obviously boundariless private schools can take anyone, so there is some recruiting there.  I have seen parents move to new towns so their kid can play at a particular HS. 

 

I would second the travel team/feeder program idea.  Even if it is just working with and giving the younger kids some good instruction and a place to practice it would be excellent. I know if our local HS opened up its gym/field for the local kids to come in an hit, throw and be coached we would be there.  

I 100% agree with the idea of working with younger travel teams and with the local rec league.  But when I say that I'm talking about developing the kids in your own neighborhood, not pulling from outside.

 

As for recruiting, both around here and where I went to school it was not allowed, so I don't know what that would look like, but whatever it looks like, I don't believe it is necessary.  By the time they are ready to enter HS, the most influential factor in kids' decision-making is no longer their parents or teachers. It's their peers. If you build a program that dedicated players like to play for, other players will hear about it from friends, siblings, and friends  of siblings, and they will want to play too. Of course most parents don't let their kids decide what HS to attend all by themselves, but if the parents like your program, they'll also tell their friends about it.  And before you know it, all the best players want to play for you, and other coaches are saying "oh, yeah, those guys recruit."  But you don't. Your players and parents do all the recruiting without even trying.

That is true in some cases.  And it takes a long time to get to that end.  The football program where I went t o school did not have to recruit cause kids just naturally wanted to go there based on respect for a legendary coach and the success of the program.  But it took him probably at least ten years to get to that level.  And in fairness he had a reputation already in town before taking the program.  I also read an article about a kid who I coached baseball in this same high school.  He was also a great football player and spent many years in the NFL.  He is considered one of the greatest ever to play for that franchise.  Now he is coaching hs football.  He has no need to recruit kids are flocking to his school to play for him and I am sure he works hard as well.  But his program improved over night just from his reputation.  If you are just an average joe coming into a poor program in my opinion you better do some recruiting.