Bunting with 2 strikes/emotional dad killing his daughters chances

[default]

I have been blessed with having several ladies over the years on each team that was a very proficient bunter and having all the ladies understand the value of getting a bunt down. Just getting the defense to move back or in even with 2 strikes while laying it down or possibly driving it through the infield with a square and swing will help generate offense.

The key is (like has been said many times on this forum) is owning the batters box...and my experience has found that the good hitters are generally good bunters...

Early on I would have to give bunt signs (like most do) once we hit 18U the ladies that have been around enough to know what they have to do with a few exceptions...

That is why (in my opinion) it is not seen as much in the upper levels or older age levels since the players more often than not get it down before they get two strikes.

I will say last year in the High School ball I seen a lot more ladies bunting on every pitch delivery. Not sure if the coach called for it or the ladies just felt it was the best chance they had of getting on...or making contact...

As far as dad going off because of bunting with two k?????

 

[default]

I hear what everyone is saying about bunting with 2 strikes, but I have been coaching and watching this game for 10 years, have seen well over 1000 games, pretty much at all age levels including college, and I haven't seen more than maybe 15-20 times that teams have even attempted to bunt with 2 strikes ... so I am not buying into any arguments that it happens all of the time.

 

[default]

If I'm the coach and I signal in to hold the bat upside down, put your top hand on the bottom and bottom hand on the top, that's what a expect the batter to do. Dad, mom, grandma, etc. can kiss my rump.

 

[default]

If I'm the coach and I signal in to hold the bat upside down, put your top hand on the bottom and bottom hand on the top, that's what a expect the batter to do. Dad, mom, grandma, etc. can kiss my rump.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. No. Bunting and basics of softball I understand. Being ridiculous, I thought my kids to ask and not to be afraid to ask. Need to check your ego and leave it at home.

 

[default]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. No. Bunting and basics of softball I understand. Being ridiculous, I thought my kids to ask and not to be afraid to ask. Need to check your ego and leave it at home.

I think WM_83 was being a bit sarcastic. If you read between the lines (and if I get what he is saying), if I tell you to bunt with 2 strikes, BUNT!

 

[default]

I think WM_83 was being a bit sarcastic. If you read between the lines (and if I get what he is saying), if I tell you to bunt with 2 strikes, BUNT!

That's the problem today. Every mom,dad, uncle, grandma the freaking guy at speedway all know better. Put your softball parent shirt on sit in you chair and cheer for your DD. Or strap on the coaches shoes get your own team and have at it. I expect my DD to do as shes told, to ask why and be told and shown why. That's a good coach and a good player IMO.

 

[default]

What I've learned along the way is if the players respect the coach they will run through a brick wall without complaining, or asking twice. The funny thing about respect is it's earned, not given. Players need motivated from time to time no doubt, but if you have to crack the whip maybe the wrong players are in the dugout. Maybe the wrong coach is on the field.

 

[default]

Absolutely nothing wrong with bunting on two strikes. As mentioned, good hitters are generally good bunters. I believe it should be easier to bunt than to swing away. Square in the box, both eyes on the ball and catch the ball with the bat just like you would with a glove. Sounds pretty easy to me and it will become easy for the young ladies as well if the coach practices bunting. We practice bunting at every practice and we, as a team, have consequences if we do not execute. This is not punishment, it is reminders of how important a bunt can be and the players understand that as they set the consequences themselves usually. I love bunting with two strikes.

 

[default]

I have made it perfectly clear to the parents from day one we will be bunting with two strikes and it will be common so get over it. I cannot tell you how proud a Dad is when there daughter places a perfect two strike bunt down for a base hit or sac.

 

[default]

I must of missed all those meetings. My kids never had a coach who stated they will be bunting lots of times with two strikes. I've seen it called for my dd to bunt with two strikes handful of times and she has failed and succeeded but not one coach has stated it will be common practice.
also, within the context of TEAM play coach is respected but person should be secure enough to be questioned when demands are not normal. Absolute power is absolutely wrong 100% of time.

 

[default]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. No. Bunting and basics of softball I understand. Being ridiculous, I thought my kids to ask and not to be afraid to ask. Need to check your ego and leave it at home.

They can ask for sure, but if I tell them to do it they need to do it. If I tell them to bunt in a situation that they don't thing warrants it then I need them to bunt. That's my point. At some point the player doesn't get to decide to not to bunt because they either don't understand or they don't want to. Obviously I'm not going to tell them to hold the bat upside down. And dad certainly isn't going to control my team, just like I'm not going to control my daughter when she is on the school team.

 

[default]

I think WM_83 was being a bit sarcastic. If you read between the lines (and if I get what he is saying), if I tell you to bunt with 2 strikes, BUNT!

Yes, exactly. The main point is that someone is the coach and someone else is not. It's not an ego thing, it's just the way it is.

 

[default]

That's the problem today. Every mom,dad, uncle, grandma the freaking guy at speedway all know better. Put your softball parent shirt on sit in you chair and cheer for your DD. Or strap on the coaches shoes get your own team and have at it. I expect my DD to do as shes told, to ask why and be told and shown why. That's a good coach and a good player IMO.

Ding, winner. I've not been the coach plenty, and I look forward to not being the coach again. When my daughter is on someone else's team I expect her to hold the bat upside down and chant old Bob Dylan songs if that is what the coach tells her to do. I can question his/her sanity after the game if I feel that I need to know.

 

[default]

I must of missed all those meetings. My kids never had a coach who stated they will be bunting lots of times with two strikes. I've seen it called for my dd to bunt with two strikes handful of times and she has failed and succeeded but not one coach has stated it will be common practice.
also, within the context of TEAM play coach is respected but person should be secure enough to be questioned when demands are not normal. Absolute power is absolutely wrong 100% of time.

Oh I agree but you can call time and ask "Hey coach, is that what you really called?". "Yes". "OK, I'll lay it down."

 

[default]

Oh I agree but you can call time and ask "Hey coach, is that what you really called?". "Yes". "OK, I'll lay it down."

I would never question a coach for asking DD to execute PERIOD (before,during or after). But when someone asks for DD never ever question he/she just because they are the COACH it's BS. Anyone who read your post knew its was sarcastic, but even in sarcasm there is some truth to your expectation of your requests being absolute. Even as their Dad I have thought them to question me if they think I'm wrong.
Past season our coach called for a bunt (not suicide) and ball hit dirt and DD pulled back to which they weren't happy with. DD asked what the expectation was when bunt was called (not in suicide situation), they explained they want an attempt. Although she didn't understand why this would be the case, next time this happened she attempted and failed. So as a coach are you confusing the situation? Are you teaching your player right softball knowledge? I would be willing to bet this situation or expectation would never happen in college.

 

[default]

College coaches were present at this event if I am reading this correctly. While executing a coach's play (getting a two strike bunt down) is an opportunity to contribute to her team, the biggest failure in all of this is the way she (and her dad) handled the failure. The biggest play she could have made in front of those coaches was to keep her composure and support the next batter.

Easier said than done for coaches to try and coach players' emotions in a competitive environment. You have no chance when parents can't control theirs.

 

[default]

I believe that many girls don't like to bunt or view it as a negative( sort of like some view playing outfield) and therefore sometimes a coach needs to send a message about the importance of successfully executing the bunt. I don't know if that was the case in the original question since I was not there.
However having a coach who will send that message especially at around the 14 year age will definitely help later. You can discuss it with the girls all you want but I can think of 2 ways to really send the message.
1. Have them continue to bunt with 2 strikes and if they get out so be it, then discuss it with them calmly and alone.
2. Bench them for not getting the bunt down.
Both of these were done to my daughter at different times and I fully supported it. I saw what was going on and did not need or expect the coach to explain it to me. He handled it with the player.
Of course I do go to extremes, I was coaching a high school winter team and the entire team struggled with bunting so one weekend every girl had to bunt their first time up (even with 2 strikes) and continue bunting each at bat until they successfully got one down in play. Amazingly almost all of them got one down their first at bat. Just had to change their mindset about bunting. I had no problem talking to other parents and telling them what was up and why. Of course, some of the parents who thought we should play every winter indoor game as if it was the state title did not like it but that is another discussion and they did not like alot of what I did.

 

[default]

College coaches were present at this event if I am reading this correctly. While executing a coach's play (getting a two strike bunt down) is an opportunity to contribute to her team, the biggest failure in all of this is the way she (and her dad) handled the failure. The biggest play she could have made in front of those coaches was to keep her composure and support the next batter.

Easier said than done for coaches to try and coach players' emotions in a competitive environment. You have no chance when parents can't control theirs.

If college coaches were indeed present at this event, the last thing a college coach wants to see (normally) is bunting. They are there to see the kids hit, the pitchers pitch, the catchers catch, and to a lesser extent the fielders fielding. So if college coaches are present travel coaches, SWING THE BAT!!! I would only bunt a kid if for some strange reason a college coach came up to me and asked me to bunt a certain kid, or if winning the tournament had national ramifications.

Having said that, a player should do what a coach tells her to do pertaining to the game....period. Players, keep your emotions out of it and focus on the task at hand. Like someone said earlier, if you can't execute a bunt on three tries...."Shame On You". Parents, if you think you know better than your kid's coaches, quit bickering and coach your own team or just keep quiet and let it go. There are things I've seen over the years that I would have personally done differently. There are things that I've done as a coach that has made some parents scratch their heads. We're not robots. There's always a method to a coaches madness.

Len

 

[default]

I agree with Len that college coaches want to see players hit and so forth, but they are also extremely interested in seeing character. A large part of any athletic endeavor is failure and overcoming it.
If this went down as described it appears failure exposed character flaws for both the player and parents.

 

[default]

I'm thinking if its a college exposure tournament the college coaches aren't there recruiting coaches lol, so I think that even if a college coach felt a strategy wasn't great by the coach they aren't going to hold it against the player, the reaction very well might be a different case. Often college teams have a few kids that are working out with the team from Sept until the season starts and their playing time is limited during the season, if they can't handle being asked to bunt with 2 strikes how are they going to handle 6 am workouts, class, team study tables for a team in which they are being used as a role player?