Your (dad) coaching/instruction when you were in LL

My coach growing up would have made Earl Weaver & Billy Martin seem like Santa Claus.   He yelled & screamed at us and when we really played poorly he would get himself kicked out of games on purpose just so he could leave early.   But we loved him dearly.  Any of us would have run through a brick wall for the guy.  He taught us the fundamentals of the games and told us "if you don't hustle at least as much as Pete Rose you can sit on the bench all season long"

I have told my wife that my old coach would have lasted about 20 minutes into the 1st practice in today's world

Looking back at LL I have to laugh.  My coaches knew nothing about baseball.  They put the best athlete at SS second best in CF and the hardest thrower was our #1 pitcher...even if he had zero control lol.  I was one of the fastest kids, but I played catcher because I was the only one not afraid to catch our #1 guy....who at the time seemed to me like he was throwing gas, but after seeing my son throw when he was 12, our guy back then was nothing lol.

My father never coached me.  I always had someone else's dad.  I got virtually no instruction.  I still remember being a catcher and our pitcher (coach's son) started throwing curve balls at some point (age 11/12??) and I had to guess at what that wobbly thing was.  Finally the umpire told me.

We didn't call pitches, I never knew it was coming...whenever it did.

I learned most things from listening to my dad at home, and watching the Big Red Machine and trying to imitate what they did.  I was a pretty good player - and later a very good mens softball league player.  Oh what coulda been if I'd just had some coaching!  

Man, these stories are so familiar that it's scary.  Back in the late 60's in rural SC you stayed on the same team, year after year, from ages 9-12.  Our coach was a nice guy, but totally sucked.  Taught us absolutely nothing, and played favorites big time.  Fortunately, every summer he would go to National Guard camp and we would get a replacement, usually a college player home for the summer.  A couple of those guys were terrific.  No surprise, the team usually went on a run after the regular coach left.  One of those replacements ended up coaching HS and JUCO ball.  I learned more from him in a couple of weeks than from the regular coach in 4 years.  I doubt that my own kid would have ended up playing baseball were it not for him.

Even though most of the "coaching" sucked, I still learned several things that influenced my youth parenting and coaching years later:

1.  As a parent, don't expect too much from your kid's coach (or teacher).  Teach him yourself or hire someone to do it.  

2.  If you're gonna coach and don't know what you're doing, either educate yourself or get out.

3.  Treat all of the kids the same.  Everybody deserves a fair shot.

4.  Make it fun.  

It all sucked back then and nobody really cared - dad's weren't trying to fulfill themselves through their kids.  You also didn't have the internet with access to more information than one person can process and 150 million people wanting your money. 

I, however, am trying to live through my son.  So, I did research, figured out some stuff on pitching, and taught him.  If I'd taught him the way that naturally came to me...he'd suck AND have a sore arm.  Fortunately, his mom gave him enough athletic genes that I had a tough time messing things up.  He's doing pretty well, and I feel pretty good about myself.

I played with a dominant LL team and it was awesome...  got tons of ice cream.  The two dads that coached happened to have sons who were the two of the best pitchers in the league.  Three (usually very quick) innings each.

Memory from that long ago is a bit fuzzy but I remember those coaches being really personable and having a good eye for what players to draft.  I really can't remember how much instruction or if it was any good or not.  We played so much pick-up baseball back then, I don't think there was much need for it.  I think this was mostly a big positive but I admit, I had to learn the actual mechanics of things (that I just did naturally) much later in life when I actually had to teach others how to...  The really colorful coaches came shortly after LL.

I do remember shakin' in my cleats quite a bit as a 8 1/2 yo facing that giant 12 yo, Frank Costello, who threw harder than God and didn't necessarily know where it was going.  I remember the other 12 yo's seriously looking like grown men to me back then.  A few years later, it was much different.

JBB, I had every player's stance and swing down pat from the Big Red Machine...  Rose, Bench, Morgan, Foster, Concepcion, Perez, Geronimo, Griffey Sr...   I sure as h$!! didn't use any of it against that S0B, Frank Costello, though.  I went with more of an Eddie Gaedel.

BTW, Dad was an amazing dad but never coached any of us six kids and didn't make it to many games.  Just didn't happen for most back in those days.

RJM posted:

I was just reading an article about the LLWS. A coach talked about the advanced instruction kids get now before they become teens. He talked LL coaches having access to improved teaching concepts.

What was it like when you played LL? 

I played LL in the late 60's. Coaches were not dads. I received no instruction at all. I'm not sure my coach played baseball past LL. But he was enthusiastic, a baseball fan and a great guy. He coached a bunch of 10-12yos even though he had a 2yo and 4yo. We loved playing for him. We hung out at his house, used his pool and ate his food. His wife was great to us. 

We won the league championship when I was twelve. Anything I learned was self taught from hours at the field playing pickup games and backyard whiffle ball. My stance came from whiffle ball where I hit in the stance of each Red Sox player in their lineup. Tony Conigliaro's stance felt good to me. 

The two all star coaches didn't seem to know any more than my regular season coach. The difference was they both hated my coach. They took it out on me and two teammates. We were three of the best players in the league. We batted 7, 8 and 9. I was the 3rd pitcher. My father forgot to tell me I was getting screwed and having a bad time. So I had a great time with my friends.

The only instruction I got in LL was keep my back elbow up. It was an awkward stance. I ignored the advice. It was an issue at age nine when I didn't hit well. Some of those 12yos were bringing it!  I didn't get a lick of pitching instruction until high school. A former high school pitcher was released from the minors. He became our pitching coach. I had been gripping pitches incorrectly since LL.

With all this lack of instruction before high school our 12yo LL all stars and two years of BR all stars won state championships. It wouldn't happen now.

Guess you're just a stud!

On a serious note, my LL coach was a complete stranger (possibly a homeless guy from down by the river). My dad was my biggest fan in the stands and one game I literally peed my pants while playing right field...yeah, I was that kid. First pop fly I tried to catch I took right to my eye and got a shiner. I was hooked!

Second year one of the neighbor's dad's was the coach, still didn't know him or the kid that well, we lived on a big street and apparently this kid knew enough to stay away from the right fielder who pissed himself. Anyway, I was a huge Seattle Sonics fan and started playing a lot of basketball over the winter between season 1 and season 2 of LL. My best friend was our ace pitcher. I was now our second baseman and hitting about 5-6 in the lineup. I didn't even know there was such a thing as all-stars, so no pressure there. I think we won more games than we lost, but it didn't matter because I had discovered bladder control and how to field a ground ball. I gave up baseball after this season to focus on basketball.

SanDiegoRealist posted:

RJM posted:

I was just reading an article about the LLWS. A coach talked about the advanced instruction kids get now before they become teens. He talked LL coaches having access to improved teaching concepts.

What was it like when you played LL? 

I played LL in the late 60's. Coaches were not dads. I received no instruction at all. I'm not sure my coach played baseball past LL. But he was enthusiastic, a baseball fan and a great guy. He coached a bunch of 10-12yos even though he had a 2yo and 4yo. We loved playing for him. We hung out at his house, used his pool and ate his food. His wife was great to us. 

We won the league championship when I was twelve. Anything I learned was self taught from hours at the field playing pickup games and backyard whiffle ball. My stance came from whiffle ball where I hit in the stance of each Red Sox player in their lineup. Tony Conigliaro's stance felt good to me. 

The two all star coaches didn't seem to know any more than my regular season coach. The difference was they both hated my coach. They took it out on me and two teammates. We were three of the best players in the league. We batted 7, 8 and 9. I was the 3rd pitcher. My father forgot to tell me I was getting screwed and having a bad time. So I had a great time with my friends.

The only instruction I got in LL was keep my back elbow up. It was an awkward stance. I ignored the advice. It was an issue at age nine when I didn't hit well. Some of those 12yos were bringing it!  I didn't get a lick of pitching instruction until high school. A former high school pitcher was released from the minors. He became our pitching coach. I had been gripping pitches incorrectly since LL.

With all this lack of instruction before high school our 12yo LL all stars and two years of BR all stars won state championships. It wouldn't happen now.

Guess you're just a stud!

On a serious note, my LL coach was a complete stranger (possibly a homeless guy from down by the river). My dad was my biggest fan in the stands and one game I literally peed my pants while playing right field...yeah, I was that kid. First pop fly I tried to catch I took right to my eye and got a shiner. I was hooked!

Second year one of the neighbor's dad's was the coach, still didn't know him or the kid that well, we lived on a big street and apparently this kid knew enough to stay away from the right fielder who pissed himself. Anyway, I was a huge Seattle Sonics fan and started playing a lot of basketball over the winter between season 1 and season 2 of LL. My best friend was our ace pitcher. I was now our second baseman and hitting about 5-6 in the lineup. I didn't even know there was such a thing as all-stars, so no pressure there. I think we won more games than we lost, but it didn't matter because I had discovered bladder control and how to field a ground ball. I gave up baseball after this season to focus on basketball.

My memories are that I played with some very good teammates. We were good as a team. Why the constant personal attacks directed at me? Every freak'n week! What is your bleep'n problem?  I'm not buying your passive-aggressive approach.

Maybe the best option is say "screw it" to this board. I don't need to come online to be harassed and attacked every week. Your "just kidding", "on a serious note" and your smileys are a bunch of f'n bullshite to back away from your attacks. I'm not buying it. It's got to a point where it's become personal. Maybe I should follow your posts and dish it out every week.

I played LL in the late 1970s.  We had dads as coaches.  Some were better than others, but I wasn't afraid of, or convinced I knew more than, any of them  I had fun, learned a few things about the game (some of them very wrong)--Little League was awesome. My dad was a farm kid who never played baseball and knew nothing about it, so he never coached.  

A few things I recall vividly:  1) Gear:  A couple of kids had their own (wood) bats that they brought to practice and let everyone use, the league supplied 3 or 4 metal bats (no such thing as composite, of course), and that was it.  You just picked one of those bats for the season.  No one had their own helmet--the team usually had 4 total (enough for bases-loaded situations).  We practiced in jeans--baseball pants were handed out as part of the uniform for game days only, and were returned to the league at the end of the season for re-use next year (holes in the knees and all).  

And 2) Water: drinking water during practice was bad for you, so we practiced in summer sun in North Carolina for a couple of hours with absolutely no hydration.  I remember being really thirsty...  No water in the dugouts on game days either.

My LL experience almost could have been the inspiration for the Bad News Bears.  Our alcoholic coach lived in a tool shed type thing near the field.  We almost never practiced and were stuck in last place.  

The coach had a 12 year old son who he didn't live with who was a heck of a player but didn't play LL.  Mid way through the year he convinced the kid to "try out" by going to a farm league practice.  The rule was anyone who played in the farm league could get "called up" by a majors team.  The kid joined our team and we started winning games.

Alas, things ended poorly as the kid grew tired of his father's trash talk and quit the team before he could lead us to the playoffs.  

RJM posted:

SanDiegoRealist posted:

RJM posted:

I was just reading an article about the LLWS. A coach talked about the advanced instruction kids get now before they become teens. He talked LL coaches having access to improved teaching concepts.

What was it like when you played LL? 

I played LL in the late 60's. Coaches were not dads. I received no instruction at all. I'm not sure my coach played baseball past LL. But he was enthusiastic, a baseball fan and a great guy. He coached a bunch of 10-12yos even though he had a 2yo and 4yo. We loved playing for him. We hung out at his house, used his pool and ate his food. His wife was great to us. 

We won the league championship when I was twelve. Anything I learned was self taught from hours at the field playing pickup games and backyard whiffle ball. My stance came from whiffle ball where I hit in the stance of each Red Sox player in their lineup. Tony Conigliaro's stance felt good to me. 

The two all star coaches didn't seem to know any more than my regular season coach. The difference was they both hated my coach. They took it out on me and two teammates. We were three of the best players in the league. We batted 7, 8 and 9. I was the 3rd pitcher. My father forgot to tell me I was getting screwed and having a bad time. So I had a great time with my friends.

The only instruction I got in LL was keep my back elbow up. It was an awkward stance. I ignored the advice. It was an issue at age nine when I didn't hit well. Some of those 12yos were bringing it!  I didn't get a lick of pitching instruction until high school. A former high school pitcher was released from the minors. He became our pitching coach. I had been gripping pitches incorrectly since LL.

With all this lack of instruction before high school our 12yo LL all stars and two years of BR all stars won state championships. It wouldn't happen now.

Guess you're just a stud!

On a serious note, my LL coach was a complete stranger (possibly a homeless guy from down by the river). My dad was my biggest fan in the stands and one game I literally peed my pants while playing right field...yeah, I was that kid. First pop fly I tried to catch I took right to my eye and got a shiner. I was hooked!

Second year one of the neighbor's dad's was the coach, still didn't know him or the kid that well, we lived on a big street and apparently this kid knew enough to stay away from the right fielder who pissed himself. Anyway, I was a huge Seattle Sonics fan and started playing a lot of basketball over the winter between season 1 and season 2 of LL. My best friend was our ace pitcher. I was now our second baseman and hitting about 5-6 in the lineup. I didn't even know there was such a thing as all-stars, so no pressure there. I think we won more games than we lost, but it didn't matter because I had discovered bladder control and how to field a ground ball. I gave up baseball after this season to focus on basketball.

My memories are that I played with some very good teammates. We were good as a team. Why the constant personal attacks directed at me? Every freak'n week! What is your bleep'n problem?  I'm not buying your passive-aggressive approach.

Maybe the best option is say "screw it" to this board. I don't need to come online to be harassed and attacked every week. Your "just kidding", "on a serious note" and your smileys are a bunch of f'n bullshite to back away from your attacks. I'm not buying it. It's got to a point where it's become personal. Maybe I should follow your posts and dish it out every week.

How the hell is calling you a stud a personal attack? You are reading into this what you want, I can't control that. If you and your teams were successful in spite of a lack of instruction, maybe it was because you had innate ability, athleticism? Today we call that being a stud. I don't get you at all, RJM, and the worlds smallest violin is playing a song for you right now. I followed that with a very honest and self deprecating description of my experience, which seems to be the polar opposite of yours. We sucked as a team year one and I personally was likely the worst player in the league. Instead of seeing that in spite f that experience the game of baseball became a passion, you choose to only focus on poor little RJM being slighted by another poster.

Sorry RJM, that is simply not what I intended and I think perhaps your skin is a little too thin for even the most modest comments that at best could be construed as ambiguous.

I'm an old timer.  My coaches were 40 year-old WW2 veterans who smoked a lot (everybody smoked, even us 12 year olds every chance we got.)

The only instruction I can remember is,   "You've got to stride long to hit long."  Like Mickey Mantle, I guess.

Of course I learned to play baseball on the sandlot.  It was a real sandlot-- an abandoned gravel pit.

My first real job at age 16 was being a surveyor's assistant.  They sent us out to  survey the gravel pit so it could be turned into condominiums.  Uggh. 

FWIW, that was the first time I'd ever heard the word "condominiums."

freddy77 posted:

I'm an old timer.  My coaches were 40 year-old WW2 veterans who smoked a lot (everybody smoked, even us 12 year olds every chance we got.)

The only instruction I can remember is,   "You've got to stride long to hit long."  Like Mickey Mantle, I guess.

Of course I learned to play baseball on the sandlot.  It was a real sandlot-- an abandoned gravel pit.

My first real job at age 16 was being a surveyor's assistant.  They sent us out to  survey the gravel pit so it could be turned into condominiums.  Uggh. 

FWIW, that was the first time I'd ever heard the word "condominiums."

I've busted hundreds of miles of "Line" with a brush axe in my day. 

I grew up in a very small town and we didn't have Little League, but we played ball.  Coach was a welder by day and always wore the welders polka dotted cap to our practices and he would hit infield one handed with a cigarette in his mouth...always smoking, except during the games.  Most rode their bike to practice but if you didn't, coach would make the rounds and we'd pile in the back of his truck.  His main rule was no swimming on game days.  He would cruise by the municipal pool from time to time on game days looking for us but we could his hear his truck coming from a mile away so we would hide by the ledge closest to the street.  Unless he got out, which he never did, we were safe....lol.  I don't recall that coach ever uttering a curse word or brow beating anyone, but looking back he taught pretty good fundamentals.  His teaching wasn't as meticulous as what most kids get today but he worked situations and made us think the game a little bit, but not too much.  Mainly he just let us play.  It was a pretty good time.      

"Sorry RJM, that is simply not what I intended and I think perhaps your skin is a little too thin for even the most modest comments that at best could be construed as ambiguous."

I try not to post a lot on here but rather do more reading/listening but thought I should on this one even though its none of my business. The first thing in my mind when I read your first reply in this thread to RJM is "why is the poster constantly busting RJM's ballz?" I've noticed it is all I'm saying.

To the OP's thoughts, I heard the f-bomb the first time I can recall from my first day in "farm" league LL ball. Coach towards his own kid.

From then on, LL was only in spring(70's era...the nineteen hundred seventies). Coach's brought 4 helmets and 4 wood bats to practices/games in an old army duffle bag. No one had their own bats/helmets/bags...Coach had about 4 balls in the bag and they were beat to heck. Coachs came to practice straight from the shipyard in there work clothes and boots. There was no travel ball of course, no paid hitting/pitching coaches, there wasn't even a batting cage. NO one used a batting tee. I'm sure theres more.

Nobody practice on the field either.  It was a spot out in the middle school grounds.

freddy77 posted:

I'm an old timer.  My coaches were 40 year-old WW2 veterans who smoked a lot (everybody smoked, even us 12 year olds every chance we got.)

The only instruction I can remember is,   "You've got to stride long to hit long."  Like Mickey Mantle, I guess.

Of course I learned to play baseball on the sandlot.  It was a real sandlot-- an abandoned gravel pit.

My first real job at age 16 was being a surveyor's assistant.  They sent us out to  survey the gravel pit so it could be turned into condominiums.  Uggh. 

FWIW, that was the first time I'd ever heard the word "condominiums."

The smoking - HS basketball coach smoked in the gym during practice leaning on the front of the stage at one end.  His last name was Hart - but we called him Coach Lung behind his back.  He'd blow smoke in our faces while we ran suicides.  Those WWII and Korea guys weren't very soft on anyone.