TheSoftballZone
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I found this post on Facebook and wanted to share it with Coaches, Parents and players seem like everyone played a role in this team downfall.
I coached softball for 13yrs. My latest endeavor was coaching HS/18u. Our team was the North Georgia Velocity. Some of Yall are sure to know us and know me.
So here's my story, my daughter started playing like most daughters and I started coaching soon after. We started at the rec level and moved to travel ball. I enjoyed the game so much. I would rather spend time at a ballfield than on vacation somewhere. It became 2nd nature to me to get up early on Saturdays to be somewhere for our 1st game..
Then my daughter grew and became an adult. She turned 18 and softball was an after thought. She graduated High School and hung her cleats up. She has went to work and hopefully to college this fall. Shes busy being an "ADULT" now Lol. I missed her on the field this spring.. She was maybe my true love of the game.. Although I sure didn't treat her to daddy ball. She sat on the bench as much as anyone else.. She knew she wasnt getting special treatment..
Anyways back to my story. This season started off pretty good.. We lost some girls last year,my daughter included,but we picked up some really talented kids.. We finished 3rd in our 1st tourney of the year,then 2nd in the next one.. Things looked good from the get go. We won tons of games. At times we slaughtered teams 18-4,15-0,12-1 and so on. We played in several bigger tourneys and held our own. We weren't one of these $2,500 a year teams.. We were cheap so people could afford it and that's the way I wanted it.. We actually anted up at each tourney to pay the fees. Kinda made it better on me.. Like I said we won alot.. And im proud of that. Somewhere along the way I kinda got to were winning was the only answer.. It was like a sickness. It was expected by all. So I was the coach that would pick up a beast pitcher and not use my roster pitchers as much.. Im to blame for that.. When I realized what I had done,I tried to correct it. That's not who I am.. I am better than that.. Ive always wanted to be fair ,but compassionate.
Finally the wheels started falling off. I would have girls telling me where they should bat and where they should play,but the worst thing was, they were telling me where someone else should bat or play. If these specific girls would see me doing a lineup they would rush to look and roll their eyes if it wasn't what they wanted. This attitude carried into the stands. Parents started acting this way too. They would down a kid for messing up because they wanted their kid to play there. They became like a cancer that spread across the field. I had several girls and parents that had no part in this,but there is about 4 that will be looking for a new team that will be a cancer to someone else.
It'll be nice at 1st and then they become the boss. Then the drama will start. Its so upsetting because we had a heck of a team as far as talent. But underneath the foundation was crumbling. We won our tourney Saturday,10 teams. We were the number 1 seed in the Gold Bracket. Scored 50 runs and were awesome. We had a slip up in the championship and then played a shootout to win the tourney.. After walking out the gates I knew I was done. I didn't have to take the BS they were dishing. I didn't have to be a doorstep. Never did I get paid to do this.I actually paid thousands of dollars to coach. People wouldn't pay their $20 at a $200 tourney and old coach was left to pay the remainder. I have paid $150 of a $210 tourney. Parents would say I aint got it this week,but they'd go to Zaxbys for dinner and run allover the concession stands. Complete disrespect for me and my financial situation. Its only $20 ,if you didn't have it, im more than willing to help,but being taken advantage of got old. I had enough..
I had been there done that and even won the T-shirt. We are no longer a team as of Saturday. All I can hope is someone reads my story and learns from it. If you have a cancer on your team get rid of it before it consumes you. It will destroy the fabric of your team. Ive learned a valuable lesson. Girls if Yall read this,your coach is that,a coach, not your employee.. Hes there for you,but you work for him. He would do anything in the world for and he would fight for you. Treat him like that . thx and see Yall around a ballfield.... Ill still go.. Love the game too much not to.
I coached softball for 13yrs. My latest endeavor was coaching HS/18u. Our team was the North Georgia Velocity. Some of Yall are sure to know us and know me.
So here's my story, my daughter started playing like most daughters and I started coaching soon after. We started at the rec level and moved to travel ball. I enjoyed the game so much. I would rather spend time at a ballfield than on vacation somewhere. It became 2nd nature to me to get up early on Saturdays to be somewhere for our 1st game..
Then my daughter grew and became an adult. She turned 18 and softball was an after thought. She graduated High School and hung her cleats up. She has went to work and hopefully to college this fall. Shes busy being an "ADULT" now Lol. I missed her on the field this spring.. She was maybe my true love of the game.. Although I sure didn't treat her to daddy ball. She sat on the bench as much as anyone else.. She knew she wasnt getting special treatment..
Anyways back to my story. This season started off pretty good.. We lost some girls last year,my daughter included,but we picked up some really talented kids.. We finished 3rd in our 1st tourney of the year,then 2nd in the next one.. Things looked good from the get go. We won tons of games. At times we slaughtered teams 18-4,15-0,12-1 and so on. We played in several bigger tourneys and held our own. We weren't one of these $2,500 a year teams.. We were cheap so people could afford it and that's the way I wanted it.. We actually anted up at each tourney to pay the fees. Kinda made it better on me.. Like I said we won alot.. And im proud of that. Somewhere along the way I kinda got to were winning was the only answer.. It was like a sickness. It was expected by all. So I was the coach that would pick up a beast pitcher and not use my roster pitchers as much.. Im to blame for that.. When I realized what I had done,I tried to correct it. That's not who I am.. I am better than that.. Ive always wanted to be fair ,but compassionate.
Finally the wheels started falling off. I would have girls telling me where they should bat and where they should play,but the worst thing was, they were telling me where someone else should bat or play. If these specific girls would see me doing a lineup they would rush to look and roll their eyes if it wasn't what they wanted. This attitude carried into the stands. Parents started acting this way too. They would down a kid for messing up because they wanted their kid to play there. They became like a cancer that spread across the field. I had several girls and parents that had no part in this,but there is about 4 that will be looking for a new team that will be a cancer to someone else.
It'll be nice at 1st and then they become the boss. Then the drama will start. Its so upsetting because we had a heck of a team as far as talent. But underneath the foundation was crumbling. We won our tourney Saturday,10 teams. We were the number 1 seed in the Gold Bracket. Scored 50 runs and were awesome. We had a slip up in the championship and then played a shootout to win the tourney.. After walking out the gates I knew I was done. I didn't have to take the BS they were dishing. I didn't have to be a doorstep. Never did I get paid to do this.I actually paid thousands of dollars to coach. People wouldn't pay their $20 at a $200 tourney and old coach was left to pay the remainder. I have paid $150 of a $210 tourney. Parents would say I aint got it this week,but they'd go to Zaxbys for dinner and run allover the concession stands. Complete disrespect for me and my financial situation. Its only $20 ,if you didn't have it, im more than willing to help,but being taken advantage of got old. I had enough..
I had been there done that and even won the T-shirt. We are no longer a team as of Saturday. All I can hope is someone reads my story and learns from it. If you have a cancer on your team get rid of it before it consumes you. It will destroy the fabric of your team. Ive learned a valuable lesson. Girls if Yall read this,your coach is that,a coach, not your employee.. Hes there for you,but you work for him. He would do anything in the world for and he would fight for you. Treat him like that . thx and see Yall around a ballfield.... Ill still go.. Love the game too much not to.
