What does it take to turn it around?

In general, what are things that need to happen to turn around a traditional losing HS program into a consistent winner?

Do you think that in many losing programs, the players get complacent to losing ?

 

Turn around

We have that problem down here. We only have three ladies that play summer ball and play against some teams that have every one playing travel ball. If you can find a way to get them dedicated enough to play more than just the HS season, that will help. Good luck.

 

Turn around

A lot of time a coach has been at the same place for a long tenure and athletic directors would just as soon leave them along. Some of those coaches were excellent and had successful seasons when the landscape was just slow-pitch. Times have changed. It is more like a baseball game now as opposed to slow-pitch. Second, and most important is that you have to have players that give up most of of their summer to travel ball. Third, it helps a lot if it is an area that a lot of new kids are moving into. Fourth, the school administration needs to support all the non-revenue sports even though our school broke even for the first time last year. Winning seasons helps bring in more support.

 

Try RECRUITING!!!!!!

 

Seems to be the way of a few programs,go out and get a couple of good players,usually at the high school level all you need is a great pitcher and a pretty good catcher and there you go done and rebuilt your program.Or some programs develop the players they have and maybe not win all the games but teach good sound fundementals and not go the recruiting trail hats off to these programs.

 

The last 4-5 yrs of ball my DD has played I believe there were 9 players on the team. It takes a team to be successful. Yes you can have a good pitch & catch, but what about offense, or plays on defense ? Softball is low on a schools athletic program, which isn't fair to the dedicated girls who spend all summer sharpening their skills, who are serious about playing ball in college. Alot of TB girls know more about the game than their coaches, & are basically held back on improving. There are a few coaches who actually are able to teach, & refine the skills of these serious players.Even if it may mean changing schools to better themselves. I think it says alot about their dedication to be willing to go somewhere where they hardly know anyone because they want to improve their game, & be prepared more for college.
But to be successful you have to start with your coaching. If you cannot teach fundamentals, work on game situations,& earn your girls respect, your program will suffer, along with the TB girls who dedicate theirselves to this great sport.

 

Very Wise Post there fastpitch coach I couldn't agree more now I think we all should figure out a way to rid ourselves of the slow pitch coaches ....if at all possible ..... I am sure parents will listen to good reason are we not the ones who should decide who coaches our DD's ????

 

Here's my two cents worth. I believe you have to start with finding a quality coach and assistants that will come in and stay long enough to build the program from the bottom up. With a program that has always lost, it's tough to turn things around and the incoming coach may have to deal with some losses until the program can be built. You have to develop the players through a travel ball team, or aau team before they get to high school. But, if you do it right, you could build a program, albeit slowly, that will provide players that have learned the fundamentals and played together before they ever get to the high school.

Freedom and Watauga in the NW4A are good examples. Freedom made their turnaround quickly under a new coach. Coach Fox did an excellent job to get the girls to believe, and their big win over South Caldwell a couple of years ago went a long way in helping them believe in themselves. Coach Fox stressed defense and just let his pitcher throw strikes. She wasn't a dominating pitcher, but didn't walk anyone and the defense was flawless. Watauga has improved the last couple of years also, although not as drastic. It's been a slower process. An aau softball program was developed by coaches and parents that has continued, and those players started reaching the high school 3 years ago. The program has started to turn the corner with the arrival of those players. Also, parents of older players who have graduated do a lot of the coaching in that program and have worked hard to see Watauga improve.

The last thing is overcoming bad history against other teams. A team needs that "big win" to give the players that confidence. Freedom got that with the above mentioned South Caldwell game where South was a big favorite to win. Watauga defeated South Caldwell for the first time last year, and AC Reynolds two years ago. Watauga has now defeated everyone in the conference but Alexander.

Those are two programs that have begun to turn the corner that had a long history of losing.

 

turnaround

Agree with the last couple of posts....

I was actually part of a turnaround (not a losing program, most years even, but a culture turnaround)

Took over JV program at Piedmont (Monroe) 5 years ago. JV never got field time, always "suggested" going to a church field, working away from varsity. Coach "demanded" 15-15 every year. Wow....change was made and the new varsity coach "demanded" respect for the program, others, and accountability.

We still practice at the church field, but several times a season the coach throws the JV kids a bone by giving them the field for an hour while the varsity kids are off to the cage, tees, etc. All the time watching them and rooting for them to dive, layout, push themselves.

Varsity record my 4 years: 15-15, (coaching change) 17-11, 20-8, 25-7, 3rd round 3a playoffs, lost on the road to SW Randolph.

JV record: 7-6, 16-1, 13-1, 15-1.....its all about attitude and preperation....

Takes min 2 years for changes to take effect, most of the time 3 years...