beware of the softball snakes

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How much gauging do you think can be made when the A, AA, and AAA typically only get 3 innings of play in against the "Major League Teams"?

when you improve during the course of the season. 2 years ago, I managed an "A" team select team. Won't name the team we faced but destroyed us 22-3. We then faced another strong team in the same tournament losing like 15-0. Well, 3 months later, that same first team run-ruled us 8-0, but it took 5 innings. Plus more girls got bat on the ball instead of the 9 up, 9 down. That second team who faced us in our last tournament didn't run-rule us.

If you trust yourself as a coach, learn from your mistakes, and you believe in your girls, you'll improve. BTW, half the girls are now playing on very good travel teams now. That's how you gauge yourself.

 

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when you improve during the course of the season. 2 years ago, I managed an "A" team select team. Won't name the team we faced but destroyed us 22-3. We then faced another strong team in the same tournament losing like 15-0. Well, 3 months later, that same first team run-ruled us 8-0, but it took 5 innings. Plus more girls got bat on the ball instead of the 9 up, 9 down. That second team who faced us in our last tournament didn't run-rule us.

If you trust yourself as a coach, learn from your mistakes, and you believe in your girls, you'll improve. BTW, half the girls are now playing on very good travel teams now. That's how you gauge yourself.

That's awesome!

I was kinda thinking of this a little differently, Why do "Major League Teams" get in tournaments with the lower level teams to only end up playing maybe 15 innings of ball for a weekend? How is this helping their game? Well, I guess they do get the hardware and post they are champions on their website.

 

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That's awesome!

I was kinda thinking of this a little differently, Why do "Major League Teams" get in tournaments with the lower level teams to only end up playing maybe 15 innings of ball for a weekend? How is this helping their game? Well, I guess they do get the hardware and post they are champions on their website.

I gotcha...I took it the other way. When you have 3 brain cells, it tends to get confusing. :lmao:

 

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That brings up another question: What is it that qualifies a coach as proven?

Is it a coach that has a team full of studs and wins or a coach that MAKES a team full of good players successful and perform as above average?

We have BINGO. Nice point

 

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its open season can't be upset with ppl doing what they feel is best for there dd... It's America!!! We fought for this freedom!!!

 

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Nice post John. The girls definitely grew over the summer and learned what travel ball was all about. As for the "major league" team that beat us, I think they learned from the season as well, and didn't enter smaller tournaments the next year.

 

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Tim, How's your summer been. i'm getting ready to take Nicol to school next week. Have you taken Britt to school yet.
With all my free time i was thinking about doing some recruiting for the summer of 2013 roadwarriors 18u. After reading all these interesting posts do you think it will be alright to bring gifts for the players i'm interested in you know like t-shirts,cleats,new gloves etc.

LOL doing great here tell Nicol we said good luck and to enjoy the ride. Britt has to be on campus by 10am cdt this sat. Mom is a mess, you would think Britt was going to the moon.

I think giving gifts to potential players or their parents is a great idea....... have I mentioned I like beer?.................


Tim

 

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But see I would look at it as one coach stealing from another coach. Once you "commit" to a team you are obligated or contracted to them for the season. You are an asset to that team. If another coach goes after your player who you have contracted they are trying to steal that asset. Doesn't matter that the player went willingly and opted to break their contract, their word. That's another issue.

For my DD, if she was recruited during a season and wanted to go I would ask the coach for a release, if not given she would stick out the year. Now there are some variables that would change that. If the team wasn't or isn't what it was sold to be due to lies or misrepresentations then I would consider the contract broken by them and would be free to move. If the team turned into an unhealthy environment we might have cause to break the contract. It's not all black and white but the general principal would be to honor thy word. I think. ?

I guess I see things a little different. If your dd makes a commitment to me to play ball it is just that not a contractual agreement. A salesman comes along and works his magic, she leaves, that shows I have not done my job correctly in either giving what was needed,or keeping my promises, doing my job as your dd and I agreed upon. It is not the coaches fault that recruited her. No one forced her to leave.

All you can control in life as well as softball is what you do. You cant control other people or their actions. Do your job, Keep your promises do what you are supposed to do when your supposed to do it Ship jumpers will always be there. Life is to short to sweat the small stuff, coach ball and enjoy it. There will always be other ball players that will come to a good coach.


Tim

 

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I'm sorry but I will just never buy the comparisons of players on a youth team to employees in the workplace or individuals buying from a salesperson. Most coaches try to put together teams where each youth player is an important piece of the team puzzle, and where there can hopefully be a good team chemistry. When selfish adults come in and mess with that puzzle and/or chemistry during the season, it's just plain wrong and it hurts all of those other youth teammates way more than it hurts the coach. One would hope the parents would know better and not let it happen, but unfortunately they're sometimes every bit as selfish as the unscrupulous coaches.

 

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All you can control in life as well as softball is what you do. You cant control other people or their actions. Do your job, Keep your promises do what you are supposed to do when your supposed to do it Ship jumpers will always be there. Life is to short to sweat the small stuff, coach ball and enjoy it. There will always be other ball players that will come to a good coach.

Exactly.

 

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Are you okay with UCLA, Arizona, Tennessee, etc. to actually step on to Wittenburg's campus to try to get kids to transfer?

Len

People of character don't/wouldn't do that.

To everyone: this has been an interesting topic and alot of good points were made but no matter where you are (except the North & South Poles) there are always snakes: you can either avoid them or kill them. I prefer to avoid because in order to kill them you have to be in the same area with them.

 

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People of character don't/wouldn't do that.

Exactly. When a person is at my teams tryout or my teams tournament attempting to talk my team's parents into switching over to their buddy's newly formed team.....I have a serious problem. Now, if it's done away from MY team's time, then I don't have a problem. Do some damn leg-work if you want my players. Don't use my tryout or game time for the sake of convenience.

Len

 

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It is amazing how much effort my 00 coach put into last years team, the success they had only to have the team distroyed by the softball snake. That is the person(s) that goes around looking for talent then behind your back, steals them away. I have no problem if a girl is not happy or it's not a good fit to look elsewhere. I would only contact one that shows interest and approaches me. All I can say, we much be doing well with our instructing. Anyone can coach talent I guess. Just wanted some thoughts on this or have you been bitten too.

You guys got off on a scenario that never existed in the original post. No where did it say, this "snake" was creeping around tryouts. I took it as, they put a lot of work into the team and kids and after the season, some other org came in and scooped them up. The post was written with a past tense, so I assumed all this "snaking" happened after the season.

 

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havent been on in a few days all i have been thinking is god you have to be a snake to make in tb in the past month i have saw people do and say the most nasty things! they will lie cheat and steal only to get ahead or look better!!!
only 10u and i cant beleave it!!

 

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I go by honesty is the best policy. As I have been calling kids (i.e. parents since I'm in 10u) I've been telling them where they stand relative to the other committments (and offers) I have. Especially with pitching, at this age with many of the best athletes also being pitchers, I have said they will be great to have on the team but may not be a top 3 pitcher. Or I love their throwing, fielding, hitting, running etc. and want them on the team but I have a 2-3 others right there in the mix along with her to be my 2nd & 3rd pitchers.

 

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I think its perfectly fine to talk to kids and their parents about trying out for their team. But there is a time and place to do this. This past weekend I was approached and so was others by a coach that their team was not even in the tournament. He approached us while our team was up to bat and gave a sales pitch like trying to sell me a car. This is very disrespectful is any aspect that you can look at it. In my mind this damages this orgs reputation and I will surely pass the word on how this guy operates which may not be the orgs standards but he represents them. I also contacted the founder of this org and expressed my thoughts on this jerk. This guy was all decked out in the orgs gear with the hat and shirt so there was no mistaking that their team was not even in the weekends tournament. After this I would not allow my daughter to join this org if it was the last team in the world.

 

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All you can control in life as well as softball is what you do. You cant control other people or their actions. Do your job, Keep your promises do what you are supposed to do when your supposed to do it Ship jumpers will always be there. Life is to short to sweat the small stuff, coach ball and enjoy it. There will always be other ball players that will come to a good coach.

Tim

Agree with that. And if you lost a player after spending 3 years making them a better player then all you have done is your job as a coach. Ego may be bruised but smile and wish them well when you say good bye. They may actually be in a better situation with another team. And if they do wind up on a better team and you play against them and find yourself losing - just tell your pitcher to plunk her. This will make you feel better.

 

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:lmao::lmao::lmao:;&

Agree with that. And if you lost a player after spending 3 years making them a better player then all you have done is your job as a coach. Ego may be bruised but smile and wish them well when you say good bye. They may actually be in a better situation with another team. And if they do wind up on a better team and you play against them and find yourself losing - just tell your pitcher to plunk her. This will make you feel better.

 

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It doesn't matter the timing of the conversations that were held. Your rub is that one of the players left the team. Period.
All of the community rec teams used to complain (probably still do) that all of their players are getting 'taken' by travel ball. So now travel ball teams are complaining that other travel ball teams are stealing their players! Really??!!
Travel softball has evolved into this. It isn't going back. So anything goes. Don't blame the coach you feel is a snake. Don't blame the player for not being loyal. Don?t get upset with the timing of how it all unfolded. This is just how it is. So just field the team with the players that want to be there.

 

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anything doesn't "go" in my book. Time to talk is after the season... period. When a parent approaches me (or player), I ask does your coach know you are talking to me... that usually changes the topic pretty quick. Or more often I say I'll talk to you once your season is over and you are released from your team and please check our web site for tryout dates. I have no intention of getting into the messy drama of player snatching or instigating ship jumpers and yes we do get approached. Ethics are important to me... and I stick to them. I'm probably in the minority and I believe respect for the current season is important... stick to it and be clean. Many others could care less. Ugly ugly stuff... all comes down to how bad you wanna win and how you'll mow people down to get the victory.