Publishing Stats a Good Idea or Bad Idea?

[thunder_rolls]

I am just curious to get some thoughts from other coaches how they feel about sharing all player's individual player stats with all parents and players on the team. I get it that in this politically correct day of participation awards an no hurt feelings, that it may make some players and parents uncomfortable. That being said every major high school conference in Ohio publishes stats on the league website. On higher level teams it seems to me that it would encourage healthy competition. Please share thoughts and past experiences.

 

[SAmMaydayMalone]

As long as you have a non-partial person doing accurate statistics, then I see no problem.

The problem is travel teams usually have a parent doing the stats and that can cause some big issues.

You may have a kid down as being 0-3 reaching on errors and the parent thinks they are 2-3...or worse yet doesn't know what a fielders choice is.

Go with the non disputable stats such as caught looking third strikes.

No softball scholarship has even been given on statistics.

 

[LADY_KNIGHTS]

When I first started coaching (20 yrs. ago) I felt the same way...by posting it would create competition. Well it doesn't, it creates conflicts and animosity amongst the players on the team and kids that are only concerned about their own personal stats. If you want to show each player their own and use that as motivation, while also pointing out it is some of the reason they are not playing...that is fine. I also had kids that didn't have very good stats, but they brought more to the team leadership wise, so they played over the kids with the better stats.

As far as conference stats, you usually only see the top kids stats listed, and they are sprinkled among all the teams, so the kids with lesser stats are not being seen.

Finally there are two types of competition when it come to teams...either they are in competition with each other (good) or competing against each other (not good). Throwing stats out their usually creates the bad type of competition in my opinion. FWIW

 

[thunder_rolls]

Sam,

Thanks for the feedback. I agree with you that stats don't equate to scholarships but like video it can be used as a coaching tool and be used to illustrate where a team is excelling and where improvement is needed and the same can be done with players individually.

 

[SOFTBALLS14]

I gave out stats after every tourney and at end of year ..... Never had many issues!
It showed who was preforming and who needed to work harder on their game.
From hitting to pitching to catching. I always went over book after games to double check stats of games. Using NCAA scoring and the same parent to do when I could...
Players took charge of pitching/ catching stats books while on bench. This way all the players are involved in the game!
Plus if a parent had a question on how there DD did during a tourney it was right there. l
Also stops the why isn't DD playing .... Well how well is she preforming? Plus if a parent questions why they thought she was 4-4 and you have her for 2-4 that question can be answered after the tourney is over.
I just think it shows them ALL how the team is doing too.....Maybe we didn't hit in a tourney...Maybe our pitching was off.... Keeps it all out in the open!!
Did it from 14u on up..

 

[thunder_rolls]

In Greater Cincinnati you can go to any conference website for any sport and pull up any player and get a complete listing of their stats. Here is a couple of examples
http://gmcsports.com/bsTeamStats.aspx?satc=249&year=2015&schoolid=1
http://www.swocsports.com/bsTeamStats.aspx?satc=249&year=2015&schoolid=32

I am not saying I disagree with what you say, and I agree wholeheartedly that stats don't tell the whole story. I just wish as a society we had a little thicker skin.

 

[yossarian]

For any teams who use GameChanger app to score games, the parent module is extremely cool. I believe the coach version is free to use. To access all the data as a parent, you have to pay a subscription (they have to make money somehow). I think it's like $60/year if you pay up front, which sound hefty, but the depth of the info and the presentation of it is very impressive. I actually think there's a lower cost tier with slightly fewer features. It gives coaches the ability to share all players stats with everyone, or just keep it to parents' own players. Plus, if you're scoring a game and you have wifi or cell coverage, it'll keep the parents up-to-date on scoring in real time, which I'm sure you're scorekeeper will love.

 

[coachjwb]

Agree 100% with Lady Knights on this ... I used to do it ... wouldn't do it again ... only bad things can happen as a result in my opinion ...

 

[MD 20/20]

I did them, and then spoke with girls privately about them if I felt the need, but then stopped looking or doing them individually. I did team stats, K's, BB's, Extra-base hits, etc, but only from a team total perspective. I always go back to the eye test. After a weekend, you, as a coach know who hit well. I know the stats don't back it up here, but a girl who smashes the ball right at people is most-likely more dialed in than the girls who has a couple swinging bunts put in the right place that equal base hits.

 

[Shane]

We allow parents to see their daughter's stats only. We leave it up to the parent if they share the numbers with their daughter. As a coaching staff, we allow the stats to help us make decisions as far as batting order and defensive assignments. Its not the only tool we rely upon, but stats do provide intel that we think should be considered. I agree 100% the person scoring the game must have a good understanding on how to score a game correctly, otherwise the numbers are useless. Fortunately for our team, we have the same person scoring each contest so the decision making is consistent.

 

[Pacerdad57]

its a great bit of software that i use for the DD's team every game. the lower tier (which is what i purchased) goes for around $30, and gives you enough stats to make your head spin. (in a good way!)
plus parental access can be given or denied as to whether or not they can see the stats. no one denied for us, but the full stat sheet isn't visible by parents unless they subscribe too i think.
but avgs are easily figured out by the info given game per game. all in all a great program, takes a little getting used to but gets much easier with time.

 

[coachjwb]

Stats should be invaluable to a coach, and sometimes even surprising/revealing. I would share a players' individual stats with them or a parent, but usually not that of the rest of the team.

 

[gatorcoach]

IMO, Younger levels keep to yourself.
High school and up why not make them public? Nearly every high school team has them on MaxPreps, or other site. If they play in college they are public.

 

[thunder_rolls]

I coach a 12u team. I think they are a teaching tool as much as anything else. I can remember growing up as a kid and reading box scores in the newspaper and knowing what every stat was, how it was measured, why it was important, etc. Now a days when having conversations with my players it surprises me how little kids know about the game and how little they understand about terminology, strategy, the mental side of the game, etc. I think stats can help with that a little bit.

 

[SAmMaydayMalone]

I coach a 12u team. I think they are a teaching tool as much as anything else. I can remember growing up as a kid and reading box scores in the newspaper and knowing what every stat was, how it was measured, why it was important, etc. Now a days when having conversations with my players it surprises me how little kids know about the game and how little they understand about terminology, strategy, the mental side of the game, etc. I think stats can help with that a little bit.

As long as they are accurate.

Been doing this long enough to know that the grey areas of scoring a softball game can be tainted. Basketball, football, etc have pretty cut and dry stats. Softball has some interpretation that can go real bad real quick.

If you are going to share, do not, and repeat strongly, do not let a pitchers parent keep the book. You'll lead the country in errors.

 

[MD 20/20]

Totally agree Malone. I think stats are a weird thing at times. Regardless of your side of the argument, most times, you can make the stats work for your side. I also think when you start getting parents involved with the stats and/or the reasoning behind all of your coaching decisions, you could be putting a hole in your own ship and not even realize it. There are exceptions, as always but most parents who want to or need to talk stats are usually forming the base of their "why my kid doesn't play" argument, or the ever-dreaded, "my kid is the absolute best to ever play" conversation. We all know that parent and wait for any and all conversations to lead back to how great their kid is. I cannot stand that guy!!!

 

[Run26]

Transparency used to be extremely valuable to players/parents. Providing a weekly stat update to each player gave them an idea on how they are progressing/regressing. I personally believe each player should get their stats only and not a blast email across the team. Privacy is also important.

Now from a coaching standpoint it is important on many levels i.e. batting order, fielding struggles and sitting order. Informing players where they stand can also protect you when you may not ask the player back for the next season. If you are a black and white coach then the numbers should remove any shock on this status.

 

[thunder_rolls]

Run I agree with a lot of what you said, but I teach my DD that the most important trait she can have sometimes is self-awareness. I think it is invaluable to her to know not only where she stands personally but also comparatively speaking to the rest of the team. Sometimes it amazes me the steps we take to ensure players and even more so their parents do not get their feelings hurt. These girls are supposed to be elite athletes and I think at times we are crippling them by making them believe the world is nothing but sunshine and rainbows. I work in sales and believe me I want to know where I stack up against my peers both internally and externally.

 

[Rose]

"I think they are a teaching tool more than anything" cannot be a more incorrect statement. Jeff Baker and Lady Knights are right on here. If parents have a problem with something, then share the stats with them. They can choose to share what they want with their kids. It's not good for a 12u team or the athlete to look up Game Changer after every weekend.

 

[Pacerdad57]

the only way they can see their stats from gamechanger is if they are given access to the stats site.
if a parent asks for the stats for their kid, i'm more than happy to allow access, what the parent and their child do with it is their business. there are many who wouldn't know how to keep track of their DD's stats and have no idea what they may be if you don't give them this access. also if the same individual isn't keeping the stats, they become pretty useless pretty quickly.
all it takes is an honest scorekeeper, an error is an error no matter who commits it, call 'em on my DD just the same as anyone else.
they are a valuable tool for the coaches to use, and can be a motivator for the girls if used correctly, at the least they are a starting point for conversations between coaches and players as to how to better control your game and what needs work. and EVERYONE always needs work. my DD always uses them as a tool to know what was and what wasn't working so that she can improve her play.