Travel Coaches: is coaching really going on?

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And they all (most) volunteer their time to support your childs athletic career. While some are terrible, and others not so good, they are there to help 12 young ladies have fun. Whats even better, you can leave anytime if that does not satisfy you.

 

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I read alot of these posts and I just wanted to say, I wouldnt sell High School coaches short. I am sure there are some that just do it to do it, here in NWO, there are some great High School coaches. All levels of high school softball have coaches that also coach travel ball. Notre Dame Academy had a coach that left to coach at BGSU and now is the Head coach at Syracuse and another coach left NDA a few years later to be an assistant at a College and is currently at Rhode Island University. There is also a High school program in NWO whose head Coach is really involved in the lower levels and runs a travel organization. Those are just some examples, there are some coaches that coach high level travel teams, some played college softball or college baseball. I would put alot of these coaches up against any travel coaches in the state when you take into account whats involved with running a high school team or just coaching at one. I have heard of or seen some serious off season conditioning programs, college level stuff the past few years. And its free to the kids.

Granted that is here in NWO, but don't let a few bad apples destroy your opinion about all high school coaches.

 

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Feisty:

I'm not really talking about things like forgetting to cover a base or booting a grounder. I'm talking about things like where a first baseman should position her feet while waiting to take a throw from the catcher on a bunt. Or where the second baseman should position her feet for the same throw. Also, where the shortstop should try to be positioned when taking a throw on a steal-- or how the catcher should approach a bunted ball either to the left or the right. I saw a baserunner collide with a first baseman and a pitcher last weekend -- a three-player collision. Not one of those girls had the slightest idea of what to do to avoid that collision. But it never would have happened if any of them had been coached. You don't just KNOW that kind of thing unless you played at a high level. You have to have someone HELP you learn. Once you learn, you can teach.

 

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dolara/truth, I agree with you as well. I may just be an assistant coach, but I will go to every clinic I send my DD to. Not to be a helicopter parent, but to pick up techniques, drills, etc. that I can take back to my team. It is hard for a coach to know all there is to know about every position on the field. Those who don't should be open to learning from every available resource.

are you the proud originator of "helicopter parent"?

This is a tough subject to generalize about. We have a couple coaches in our own organization that are some of the best IMO and I'm sure many travel organizations have their elite and average coaches. A travel coach and school team coach have similar problems in that the management and coaching aspect take a ton of time and is stressful. Some of the school coaches have a large amounts of experience that is hard to match up against and having such a short season is a challenge in itself. High school coaches probably coach/teach alot because they have to "use" what they are dealt and that means you could get a bunch of girls that are from rec ball only-year to year is probably their life...The key to consider when comparing both types of coaches (travel & school), what do they know, where do they get "additional" training from, how do they relay it to their players, how well can they relate to specific issues each player has, and can they work out the kinks in a very short time.

At the 10u travel level we have been playing at is a good challenge for us. Most of the girls get lots of coaching time and teaching with repetition during the fall, winter, and early spring. So, having the advantage of time is on the side of the travel ball coaches... are they better-possibily but is case-by-case is my opinion. Like anything else, it is relative to whom you are comparing/talking about. Are travel ball coaches getting an easy out in saying they are better becasue they can "choose" their players and they should have a higher level of talent coming in vs the next class of girls moving up in the school through natural aging? Of course I'm biased but realistic...

 

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At the 10u travel level we have been playing at is a good challenge for us. Most of the girls get lots of coaching time and teaching with repetition during the fall, winter, and early spring. So, having the advantage of time is on the side of the travel ball coaches... are they better-possibily but is case-by-case is my opinion. Like anything else, it is relative to whom you are comparing/talking about. Are travel ball coaches getting an easy out in saying they are better becasue they can "choose" their players and they should have a higher level of talent coming in vs the next class of girls moving up in the school through natural aging? Of course I'm biased but realistic...

I thought of something when reading this post, coaching at 10U is a huge undertaking. It takes the right coach to be succesful at this level. regardless if they are a high school coach or travel only. You have the task of pushing the kids just hard enough so they get better, but not to hard that they decided to quit the next year. They are not so good at communicating with adults to let them know when they are getting frustrated or burned out. I applaude all good 10U coaches, its a tough job and responsability.

 

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High School coaches I have known seem to be jealous of travel teams. They tend to talk down to travel coaches. I believe this is due to the talent level on the travel teams. Yes, a travel team (sometimes 14 u even) will beat a high school team almost every time, assuming the travel team is not just a pick up bunch of "B" team players that play local tournaments only. "A" travel teams are A because they have earned it. Travel players are very deicated players. Some travel treams travel great distances, especially in 16 & 18U. Some high school players are just there for the boys and the attention. You don't see that in travel. PLus travel parents are 10 x more dedicated than high school parents. Winning a big tournament is most times much more of an acomplishment than winning a state championship because of the talent level you beat. Travel ball gives you that unknown player and team that makes you have to work harder to pitch to get them out most times. Some high school tournament play has teams you have played before, just recently, or sometimes for 2 or 3 years and you know how to pitch them.

TRAVEL BALL ROCKS!!

 

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High School coaches I have known seem to be jealous of travel teams. They tend to talk down to travel coaches. I believe this is due to the talent level on the travel teams. Yes, a travel team (sometimes 14 u even) will beat a high school team almost every time, assuming the travel team is not just a pick up bunch of "B" team players that play local tournaments only. "A" travel teams are A because they have earned it. Travel players are very deicated players. Some travel treams travel great distances, especially in 16 & 18U. Some high school players are just there for the boys and the attention. You don't see that in travel. PLus travel parents are 10 x more dedicated than high school parents. Winning a big tournament is most times much more of an acomplishment than winning a state championship because of the talent level you beat. Travel ball gives you that unknown player and team that makes you have to work harder to pitch to get them out most times. Some high school tournament play has teams you have played before, just recently, or sometimes for 2 or 3 years and you know how to pitch them.

TRAVEL BALL ROCKS!!

I think most completely understand the difference in high school and travel ball. And they are different, but I can't imagine anybody would choose winning a big tournament over winning a state championship. With state championships you leave your mark at your school or community.

 

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High School coaches I have known seem to be jealous of travel teams. They tend to talk down to travel coaches. I believe this is due to the talent level on the travel teams. Yes, a travel team (sometimes 14 u even) will beat a high school team almost every time, assuming the travel team is not just a pick up bunch of "B" team players that play local tournaments only. "A" travel teams are A because they have earned it. Travel players are very deicated players. Some travel treams travel great distances, especially in 16 & 18U. Some high school players are just there for the boys and the attention. You don't see that in travel. PLus travel parents are 10 x more dedicated than high school parents. Winning a big tournament is most times much more of an acomplishment than winning a state championship because of the talent level you beat. Travel ball gives you that unknown player and team that makes you have to work harder to pitch to get them out most times. Some high school tournament play has teams you have played before, just recently, or sometimes for 2 or 3 years and you know how to pitch them.

TRAVEL BALL ROCKS!!

Whizkid....No doubt there are some travel teams that could beat some High School teams. But HS does not get to "hand pick" there talent.... the coaches play with the hand there delt. The comment on parents being 10x more dedicated in travel ball is a broad statement since "most" of the dedicated parents I know have kids play HS and travel...
I respect your opinion and have no beef with it I just can`t understand why people always seem to "look down" on HS coaches, around here in NWO some of the same travel coaches that are succsessful are also HS coaches that are succsessful... Most of the ones I know put just as much time into there HS feeder programs as they do travel ball...I peronally would LOVE to see my DD`s HS make a state run instead of her travel team win a big tourney...JMHO
And I am her travel ball coach.....not her HS coach....lol