Recruiting Mishaps

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DDs team was at Compuware this past weekend and the college coaches were all over the place. All of the divisions were covered. All were very cordial and, as a coach, I was able to talk to some about what we, as coaches and teams, should be doing to help the girls get recruited.

I was in the college coaches tent talking with another travel coach and a young lady from a high profile 18U team (not an Ohio team) stormed into the tent yelling, screaming, and crying at her coach/dad about a problem that had occured. We were incredulous. Everyone was looking at each other thinking "Is this really happening?" It took about 30 seconds for a tournament official to usher the involved individuals out of the tent but the damage was done. The college coaches were flipping through their player lists and crossing this young lady off of their list. I wish I would have had a movie camera so that our ladies could see how a 30 second lapse of judgement can have a great effect on their recruiting efforts.

 

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Yep, that is a no no....having a college player who is on a team where truly all the kids are like sisters, I am kinda happy that her coach is so "selective", drama is the last thing you need in the dugout....got to remember these kids are handling a full load of classes, moving away from home, dealing with new coaches, new found freedom for some of them, my dd was always with Dad and I everywhere, now she is on her own having to make decisions on her own.....they need more maturity than to freak out @ a softball game...but hopefully she will have another chance to show she is up to the challenge of college ball ....but do know from experience those recruiters do talk...

 

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Another example: same tournament.

18U game - player A takes offense as to how long player B leaves her glove on her after trying to make a tag at third. Player B stands up and gives Player A a shove. Player A takes offense that Player B took offense and shoves back. Tempers flare, Umps jump in, play resumes. Player A, a pitcher, suddenly can't find the strike zone even if she had GPS coordinates. Coach has to pull her.

Coaches attending start to wander off.

Remaining team members are left playing with no colleges watching...

 

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One bad apple on your team is like a cancer.

 

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well I guess since she proably will now have to pay for her college education instead of driving a Lincoln after she's finished with college, she'll have to drive a Fit due to all the loans to repay back,seems all so fitting HUH lol

 

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Yea! How about this past weekend a coach from the University of Charleston a Division 1 school is apparently watching our game last week in South Carolina and looking at my kid. And I went on one of those classic cuss word descriptions about an at bat right in front of this lady!

CLASSIC!

 

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Even when you do get on a college team attitude can still be everything. I was talking with a college coach last week who was giving me some insight on how she does things and if she has to pick a player from the bench to go in next inning it goes like this. She's been keeping an eye on the dugout the whole game to see who is really into the game. Say if one girl is entirely focused on the game from the beginning and is working hard encouraging her teammates and another girl may be cheering too but glancing periodically at her nails, guess who's going in the game? It can even come down to something as simple as that with some coaches.

 

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^^^That's a darned good idea and one I think I will adopt right away.

On a bit lighter note, I was coaching an 18-U team this weekend and we were going up against a team that had a couple of players I wanted to watch. Their coach and the two players knew I was there and coaching the other team. So when one of the girls comes up for the first time, a guy (probably dad) yells, "Don't ****!" It was in a playful tone and everybody started laughing, including the girl.

It turned out this girl is really good and will soon be getting a call and a letter from me. I could easily see her as my third baseman beginning in the spring of 2011.

One thing to watch is the e-mails. I got two e-mails in the last week saying "I am really interested in playing for Western Washington." That's very nice, but I don't coach at Western Washington!

One of the dads on my old Heat team once got a letter from a college indicating the school was interested in watching him (her?) play. They thought the dad was the player, even though he has a male name. His daughter was a perennial all-state pitcher in the school's backyard.

 

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Yea! How about this past weekend a coach from the University of Charleston a Division 1 school is apparently watching our game last week in South Carolina and looking at my kid. And I went on one of those classic cuss word descriptions about an at bat right in front of this lady!

CLASSIC!

Wow...Man, I can so see myself doing the same thing in 5-6 years!

 

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I just started helping out with a team, and got to see them play for the first time Saturday morning. Well, it was a very rough weekend for this team, just one of those days/weekends. One of the girls struck out in the top of the first, and then on defense she booted a ground ball and then threw the next ball past the first baseman. She was obviously frustrated (understandably so) but she proceeded too melt down in the middle of the inning. Crying, glover over her face, bright red face, the works. I attended practice for the first time last night, and just told them that is absolutely not an option!

A couple of other things that coaches do not want to see is girls leaving the dugout every inning to go talk to mom and dad, or having the parents bring water into the dugout during the game. They want to see the girls act like adults because that's what they will be expected to do in college. After the game, car rides, and hotel time, are the times to talk to your parents. Not during!

 

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Wow...Man, I can so see myself doing the same thing in 5-6 years!

I feel your pain. I've been apologizing this week for my own bad behavior!

 

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I just started helping out with a team, and got to see them play for the first time Saturday morning. Well, it was a very rough weekend for this team, just one of those days/weekends. One of the girls struck out in the top of the first, and then on defense she booted a ground ball and then threw the next ball past the first baseman. She was obviously frustrated (understandably so) but she proceeded too melt down in the middle of the inning. Crying, glover over her face, bright red face, the works. I attended practice for the first time last night, and just told them that is absolutely not an option!

A couple of other things that coaches do not want to see is girls leaving the dugout every inning to go talk to mom and dad, or having the parents bring water into the dugout during the game. They want to see the girls act like adults because that's what they will be expected to do in college. After the game, car rides, and hotel time, are the times to talk to your parents. Not during!

How old is this girl?

 

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can I begin banking apologies now for then...

 

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can I begin banking apologies now for then...

Not sure that will work Lester. ;&

 

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Sad... I think she is 16, I'm not exactly sure. This team is very raw with the mechanics, and emotions are not kept in check.

 

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The reason I ask is because my dd at 13 struggles with attitude. She has come a long way and has had only 1 meltdown this year. I have been trying to give her tips on how to keep that attitude positive no matter what is happening around her. But she is 13 not 16.

I would hope that by the time my dd is 16 this behavior is over with. I hope you can help this young lady and the others with this before it is too late for them change. If you find some miracle way to help them fire me off a pm. :lmao:

 

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I understand the pain. I just constantly remind the girls that your teammates see your attitudes. Do you think they really want to play with someone who has a bad attitude? Aren't you embarrassed when you see a girl slam her bat or throw her helment, or lose it on defense? Don't be that person...

 

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I just started helping out with a team, and got to see them play for the first time Saturday morning. Well, it was a very rough weekend for this team, just one of those days/weekends. One of the girls struck out in the top of the first, and then on defense she booted a ground ball and then threw the next ball past the first baseman. She was obviously frustrated (understandably so) but she proceeded too melt down in the middle of the inning. Crying, glover over her face, bright red face, the works. I attended practice for the first time last night, and just told them that is absolutely not an option!

A couple of other things that coaches do not want to see is girls leaving the dugout every inning to go talk to mom and dad, or having the parents bring water into the dugout during the game. They want to see the girls act like adults because that's what they will be expected to do in college. After the game, car rides, and hotel time, are the times to talk to your parents. Not during!

that is always one of my pet peeves, and i know i am somewhat to blame cause littlestatman is attatched to my hip 24/7, and you know, some of the dugouts are set-up to make it easier for girls to seek their parents durign the game....in findlay, we were down away from the parents, ideal situation....some dugouts dont even have enclosures, so the girls seek water from parents, which, on the whole isnt a bad thing, but i guess i could see it being a "why isnt she ready" kind of thing..not to mention i am shooing away littlestatman at every turn--although he's gotten much better, normally he stays at the far corner and cheers, he used to drink the girls' gatorade when they were on the field..
anyway, most of girls arent too bad, but i have seen school ball teams and other travel clubs get real chummy with the parent contingent and when girls sit outside of the dugout they are open to have visitors

 

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Another angle on the Gatorade/water/dugout thing. Wait 'til college, and you find out your DD discovered the "college savings plan". You know - the one where dad goes to the concession stand to buy the Gatorade and seeds for her!

 

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This is a very helpful thread. I never really looked at the water/gatorade thing as an issue, but I can see how distracting that can be. When I score I sometimes sit outside the dugout and the girls will come and talk to me out there. Really they should be in the dugout cheering on their team. Maybe I'll bring that up at the next game.