Coach Or Parent---Which Do You Prefer ??

Don't belong....

I am honored to have met great coaches(hopefully friends) as well as parents. I only wish that some parents would coach just one tournament in their life to see what it's like.

Fagala(Blues)
Goodman( Flames)
Mills (Troublemakers)
Pressley( former Craze)

Much respect to all of these men for putting up with what they do in order to win ball games and TEACH about life as well as softball![/QUOTE]

I certainly appreciate being mentioned but it isn't me... we have the best staff (my opinion) that there is around. It is a "4 headed monster". Jerry Holt is the calm in the storm, Toot Whitley is the discipline, and Blue Baker is the glue that holds us all together. Together we can coach because it isn't about ego.

I am just my kids (all my kids...high school or travel or my own kids) biggest cheerleader and motivator and they know I love them all as my own. It is all positive...even in a loss....

Thanks Nathan...

 

age of player

I personally see good in both coaching and just being a proud parent. To me, the age of a player should come into the equation for Dad/Coach. All well informed adults can make a huge contribution in the development of a young player. As a kid moves up in age groups, the old cookie cutter technique of teaching the game does not work. Everybody can't swing the same. A coach with the skills to help your DD as she moves up is not always good ol dad. Letting loose of the reigns of coaching your own child is tough, but in the long run, I beleive it is the right thing for our DDs. I'll bet anyone on this, NO college coach wants to hear what pitch Dad would call when DD is on the mound for the college team.

 

one more thought

To add to my earlier post.......

It was hard for me to realize that the "coach" in me wasn't getting the job done with my daughter. I look at her play through coaches eyes and a fathers eyes. She has big goals in life and in softball and I knew I am not the coach who will get her where she wants to be. As a family, we talked it over and she could stay on a team with friends that I help coach, or move on to a new situation and have to prove herself everyday. She and I both love the move we made. I am not in her ear every inning about "stepping up" and she is not rolling her eyes like all 13/14 yr old girls do. I feel like my DD and me are starting to bond a little more (for now) because of me not being in the dugout. Her new coaches are hard but fair and do not show favorites. Now she has a new fire for the game and wants to practice everyday again.

Thanks to everyone involved in her life!

 

Good job dad

You have now, put in words, what alot of us in TBR, went through as parents/coaches in making that gut wrenching choice to move to another team while respecting the one we left. Hindsite is 20/20. I'm glad it worked out for you and DD. DD and our family are pleased in our move but also recognize that the team, girls, parents, coaches, sis/bros, will always be special to us. They are family.

 

Thanks

Thanks for the positive words! It means alot to hear someone who has shared these things comment about them. I have tried to remain friends with every coach I have coached against or with. I shared a story with Fagala a while back telling him of my DD's commitment to God and how she now wants to do some missions work instead of softball camps. I was touched when he wrote back saying how proud he was of her and her decision. Yes, we played against one another many times in tight ballgames, but he still cared enough to send a pm saying how proud of her he is.

Nathan Cullars
Rowan Flames 14u DAD

 

Perfect

I'm proud of your
dd. No doubt you are as well. She is on a team that truly has the Greatest coach. Thanks for posting a "pick me up".

 

In the end that is ALL that matters

Nathan,
I don't really know what else to say other than at the end of the day, if we all left here tomorrow, nobody will care who won or lost, nobody cares who coached where, nobody cares if a kid touched the plate or not (Tn/Az game ) or what pitch you struck out on, it just matters that Jesus Christ has saved your soul and that you accepted that gift. You don't even have to work for it, all you have to do is just say "Yes".

I see people walking around every day not sure, sick with Cancer, going through stuff at work, broken relationships, etc. and you just hope that they get "God" in time to make heads/tails of it.

You really don't know how much your kind words boost me (and others) who desperately try to do it the right way to show the kids the path you take does matter and that you can, in fact, make a difference every day.

Very proud of Chels. She is blessed to have you as a leader....There are great everyday leaders out there in our game...RET, RC, PopR from FH's, AD Bob Sellers from Piedmont High, Caddigan, Coach L from ND, RobMill, Fastpitch99/Spain, CometFan...just to name a few. There are also many, many parents, too many to name...They are all great (not perfect, none are) examples to the rest of us common people.....

OK, I am done....thanks again...Peace

 

Amen and Amen. All too often we (I) forget softball is a very small part of a much bigger game called life which is only a small piece of eternity. The lessons of the game have to be more significant than the game itself.
ERMS

 

great posts

Thanks for all these posts alot of us needed to here, I know i did anyway

 

I love weekends!!!!

Hey, everyone that will be playing in Huntersville in two weeks is welcome to come "hang out" with us. LOL

No really, my daughter will turn 14 next weekend and I guess we'll just have to have cake or cupcakes between games. Stop by and say hello and introduce yourselves. I will be a short, fat guy with a Flames hat on.