NEW POLL -- If you are a non parent coach... OR do you have DD on your team?

DanMaz

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
1,480
Reaction score
917
Points
113
With all this talk lately about "watered down teams" and "watered down coaches".... I thought this might add something to the discussion. How many coaches in Ohio travel ball DO NOT have a DD on their team?

If you are a travel ball coach and DO NOT have a DD on your team... please put name org. age group here and maybe we can get a better perspective on how many teams have this "luxury".

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

probably don't need many more lines since I assume not many teams have non parent coaches. Can you be as successful as the non parent coach with a DD on your team?? How much difference does it make if your coach is a non parent coach vs. a Mom or Dad with a DD on his/ her team?


IMHO-
If you are not trying to improve your game as a COACH.... how do you expect your players to improve their game as a player? It's a two way street in my eyes. Don't be that coach that does the same thing year after year with no new strategy, no new challenges, no new ideas.... and then your game / coaching becomes vanilla and players lose interest in YOU.
 

spartansd

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
149
Reaction score
0
Points
16
I am on two sides of the fence with this topic.

In general I am not sure I am a huge fan of non-parent coaches in travel ball. And I think a few years ago I would have said that non-parents are the only way to go.

Most I have met or watched have one serious flaw. They are hired guns and are not invested in the team 100%. There are exceptions of course. Lee Pyles with the Lasers Green is definitely one of the best coaches I have watched. As a matter of fact I was surprised that he did not have a DD on the team because of the passion and commitment he shows (sorry I really like Lee, good coach and person). But I have seen or talked to many that have a very detached approach to it all. And to have good teams you need coaches that are passionate and invested IMO.

I will tell you what I have become a bigger fan of. Non-parent assistants. I actually think this is really the better solution. Most of the time I have found that the assistant coaches tend to be the worst offenders of the Daddy ball issues. The HC tends to let the assistants kids play all the time as payment for loyalty. While I think in most cases the HC is pretty fair with playing time in regards to their own children. The additional benefit to have say ex players as assistants is that they typically are younger and just starting out. So they do not have the time to commit to being the HC but are able to make it work for the weekends. And their lack of being overly invested is that they are able to be more of a mentor to the players and not task masters. How many times have we watched the HC and 2 assistants all rail on the players. It is not good. Just some food for thought.
 

wow

Active Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
836
Reaction score
53
Points
28
Location
Right over here!
The focus should be are the right "Parent Coaches" out there. Most every top tier organization have parents involved at some level coaching. Even the mighty Beverly bandits have parent coaches. I think you need to have parents coaching because they are invested 100%. Now lets not confuse the ability to coach with the opportunity to coach. Too many or unqualified coaches can be, and is the biggest problem, not simply the fact of parent coaches. If the coach is unbiased, as hard as that is, of their own kid I don't see the problem. Seems most the of the daddy ball issues come when the coaches kid is one of the weakest.

Here is the question. If the coaches kid is not very good and is not progressing, how can they, the coach, be expected to develop the rest of the team? I mean the coaches kid should be one of the best.. Right?

I would apply this to the younger ages 8-12U. At older ages 14U+, there are many non parent coaches so don't think this as much of a issue.
 
Last edited:

HITTER23

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
1,140
Reaction score
364
Points
83
Location
S.W. Ohio in lil Detroit
I am on two sides of the fence with this topic.

In general I am not sure I am a huge fan of non-parent coaches in travel ball. And I think a few years ago I would have said that non-parents are the only way to go.

Most I have met or watched have one serious flaw. They are hired guns and are not invested in the team 100%. There are exceptions of course. Lee Pyles with the Lasers Green is definitely one of the best coaches I have watched. As a matter of fact I was surprised that he did not have a DD on the team because of the passion and commitment he shows (sorry I really like Lee, good coach and person). But I have seen or talked to many that have a very detached approach to it all. And to have good teams you need coaches that are passionate and invested IMO.

I will tell you what I have become a bigger fan of. Non-parent assistants. I actually think this is really the better solution. Most of the time I have found that the assistant coaches tend to be the worst offenders of the Daddy ball issues. The HC tends to let the assistants kids play all the time as payment for loyalty. While I think in most cases the HC is pretty fair with playing time in regards to their own children. The additional benefit to have say ex players as assistants is that they typically are younger and just starting out. So they do not have the time to commit to being the HC but are able to make it work for the weekends. And their lack of being overly invested is that they are able to be more of a mentor to the players and not task masters. How many times have we watched the HC and 2 assistants all rail on the players. It is not good. Just some food for thought.

I Havent seen any of your "hired gun" assumptions on non parent coaches. maybe youre confusing your detached approach with a unbiased approach, with has absolutely nothing to do with ones passion for the game. If anything non parent coaches are more passionate, most i've talked to usually mention giving back to the sport they love. In my case, i played ball all my life, all my kids have grown up at the ballpark, saw them thru travel to college and i still get a adrenaline flow going at gametime.

there has to be something driving us to do it, its not the pay !

Chris Bower
Ohio Outlaws 16u Premier
non parent coach
 
Last edited:

snoman76

Active Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
391
Reaction score
57
Points
28
Location
North Canton
The problem is that some parent coaches cannot separate coach and dad/mom. If you can't pull your DD off the field when she should be then you have a problem.
 

wow

Active Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
Messages
836
Reaction score
53
Points
28
Location
Right over here!
The problem is that some parent coaches cannot separate coach and dad/mom. If you can't pull your DD off the field when she should be then you have a problem.

Or pull them MORE then any other kid.. Being overly critical is just as bad as daddy/mommy goggles..
 

FastBat

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
1,132
Reaction score
32
Points
48
Location
NEO
I don't believe it's a matter of parent coach vs. non-parent coach that makes them a good coach vs. a bad coach. It's more about the reasons they are coaching and what they want to accomplish. As parents, we should look at the goals our children are wanting to accomplish, then determine what coach would be compatible.
 
Last edited:

WWolff

"Suck A Little Less Today"
Joined
Feb 11, 2000
Messages
858
Reaction score
29
Points
28
Website
www.D1fastpitch.com
The focus should be are the right "Parent Coaches" out there. Most every top tier organization have parents involved at some level coaching. Even the mighty Beverly bandits have parent coaches. I think you need to have parents coaching because they are invested 100%. Now lets not confuse the ability to coach with the opportunity to coach. Too many or unqualified coaches can be, and is the biggest problem, not simply the fact of parent coaches. If the coach is unbiased, as hard as that is, of their own kid I don't see the problem. Seems most the of the daddy ball issues come when the coaches kid is one of the weakest.

Here is the question. If the coaches kid is not very good and is not progressing, how can they, the coach, be expected to develop the rest of the team? I mean the coaches kid should be one of the best.. Right?

I would apply this to the younger ages 8-12U. At older ages 14U+, there are many non parent coaches so don't think this as much of a issue.


The Bandits will use parents as assistants, but there Premier(Theres that nasty word) and DeMarini teams all have non-parent

Just because the coaches kid does not have God given ability does not mean the coach is not very good. Why do some kids get bad grades even though they may have the best teacher?
 

Hilliarddad3

Active Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
423
Reaction score
52
Points
28
It's a shade of grey there, I used to coach to teach the game and seeing the smiles and excitement when they got that first real hit, or made that first amazing play that gave them the springboard of holy crap I can do this!! Was more unfair to my own when I'd sit them, because I didn't want the stigma of "oh he doesn't sit his own kid" .....heard more of that issue from the wife for doing it, but not other parents. So it is a sticky wicket, but my kids turned out fine no worse for the wear or scarred for life...
 

WWolff

"Suck A Little Less Today"
Joined
Feb 11, 2000
Messages
858
Reaction score
29
Points
28
Website
www.D1fastpitch.com
I am on two sides of the fence with this topic.

In general I am not sure I am a huge fan of non-parent coaches in travel ball. And I think a few years ago I would have said that non-parents are the only way to go.

Most I have met or watched have one serious flaw. They are hired guns and are not invested in the team 100%. There are exceptions of course. Lee Pyles with the Lasers Green is definitely one of the best coaches I have watched. As a matter of fact I was surprised that he did not have a DD on the team because of the passion and commitment he shows (sorry I really like Lee, good coach and person). But I have seen or talked to many that have a very detached approach to it all. And to have good teams you need coaches that are passionate and invested IMO.

I will tell you what I have become a bigger fan of. Non-parent assistants. I actually think this is really the better solution. Most of the time I have found that the assistant coaches tend to be the worst offenders of the Daddy ball issues. The HC tends to let the assistants kids play all the time as payment for loyalty. While I think in most cases the HC is pretty fair with playing time in regards to their own children. The additional benefit to have say ex players as assistants is that they typically are younger and just starting out. So they do not have the time to commit to being the HC but are able to make it work for the weekends. And their lack of being overly invested is that they are able to be more of a mentor to the players and not task masters. How many times have we watched the HC and 2 assistants all rail on the players. It is not good. Just some food for thought.

I'm sure Lee must have paid you dearly for this! lol
 

spartansd

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
149
Reaction score
0
Points
16
I should have said that non-parent coaches are not a guaranteed solution.

In general a good coach is a good coach regardless if they have a kid on the team or not.

And I do know quite a few really good non-parent coaches. I guess the bad ones left a mark on me.

And yes Lee sent me a few steaks for that :cool:
 

BouldersDad

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2014
Messages
275
Reaction score
18
Points
18
This works out really well now I can get business cards with a softball on it instead if a knight. And have printed have ball will travel. Heck I may even change my screen name to Paladin. Those old enough will get the connection
 

Pacerdad57

Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
835
Reaction score
18
Points
18
Location
Delaware
This works out really well now I can get business cards with a softball on it instead if a knight. And have printed have ball will travel. Heck I may even change my screen name to Paladin. Those old enough will get the connection

Sadly i am old enough, and i get the connection.
just don't like the feeling of mortality you just made me experience.....lmao
 

cobb_of_fury

Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2014
Messages
711
Reaction score
1
Points
16
Location
down Pixburgh
Sadly i am old enough, and i get the connection.
just don't like the feeling of mortality you just made me experience.....lmao
HGWT19.jpg


It's tough getting old ain't it? - but remember your alot better off than Richard Boone is today
 

Converse Kid

New Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
158
Reaction score
0
Points
0
13 responses and not one Non Parent Coach or orginization has commented. Hhhhmmmmmm? Daddy Ball at its finest!

With all this talk lately about "watered down teams" and "watered down coaches".... I thought this might add something to the discussion. How many coaches in Ohio travel ball DO NOT have a DD on their team?

If you are a travel ball coach and DO NOT have a DD on your team... please put name org. age group here and maybe we can get a better perspective on how many teams have this "luxury".

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)

probably don't need many more lines since I assume not many teams have non parent coaches. Can you be as successful as the non parent coach with a DD on your team?? How much difference does it make if your coach is a non parent coach vs. a Mom or Dad with a DD on his/ her team?


IMHO-
If you are not trying to improve your game as a COACH.... how do you expect your players to improve their game as a player? It's a two way street in my eyes. Don't be that coach that does the same thing year after year with no new strategy, no new challenges, no new ideas.... and then your game / coaching becomes vanilla and players lose interest in YOU.
 

SoCal_Dad

New Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2014
Messages
379
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
SoCal
Glen Widner coached Lasers Black the last 5 years. His DD was a coach.
 

Doom Leader

Active Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
Messages
324
Reaction score
85
Points
28
Tim Gregory Cincy Doom 16U No DD last year or this year. Maybe in 6-7 years, having twins in January. Also have to say that there is a lot of good parent coaches out there and some really bad non parent coaches.
 

MD 20/20

New Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2014
Messages
190
Reaction score
1
Points
0
I don't believe it's a matter of parent coach vs. non-parent coach that makes them a good coach vs. a bad coach. It's more about the reasons they are coaching and what they want to accomplish. As parents, we should look at the goals our children's are wanting to accomplish, then determine what coach would be compatible.



AND HERE IS OUR WINNER!!!!!!!!!


Who gives a hoot if the managers kid is on the team. Do they manage effectively or not? it's as though having a child on the team reduces your IQ by 300 points. If you do not mange well, you are not what I'm looking for in a manager, child or no child. Does a non-parent have it a little easier with the other parents with the children being friends politics? Sure, but many seem to handle it fine. As an Ex-manager, I felt the worst for my daughter. While I tried to treat her like everyone else, I was always harder on her. When I decided not to keep a teammate of hers from the prior year, it was my daughter who was blocked and unfriended on social media. She is fine and understood what was going on, but she had nothing to do with her teammates making or not making the team but she surly paid the price for me being the manager.
 

Similar threads

Top