A disturbing trend

Thanks Braves... well stated. We as HS coaches dont do it for the money. We are in it for the kids. ( I hope most of us are, anyway...) BUt when a coachs tries to do the best he can to turly evaliate talent and parents try to play politics because Johnny needs to get his baseball scholarship, then it does tend to discourage and eventually drive coaches away fro HS athletics.

To go along with this I know of a circumstance where a father threatened to sue the football coaches of a conference in NC when his son was not voted All Conference. He told the coaches that he would file a lawsuit if they did not have another vote. I am speculating that he felt it hurt his son's chances of a FB scholy... Wait till we hear about that happening in baseball.

With the 33% rule, you will see less offers, from the big schools which will level the playing field for all schools.

Think about how you would answer a college coach when he asks, "is this player worth 33%" How do you answer? I hope honestly... for your sake and the players... the problem is that many parents cant accept an honest evaluation regarding their son if there are negative areas in the evaluation, or "Johnny" is not rated a top=tier D-1 prospect or better...

Just some more food for thought...

 

always....

great input Coach Evans. I could talk for hours in reference to this but then again I think to myself why? Most of my peers (and great ones) L. Hedgepath, D.Ijames, Holt, E.Weiss, S. Humphries, M. Zandler, C. Sanderson, G. Leonard, J. Matanzo, M. Mobley, not to mention several others, etc...) have either retired or in most instances gotten into administration... The best coaches are the best teachers, the best coaches are the best administrators! JMHO

 

I agree O... I look at some of the same ones that I know, Coach Hedgepeth, Gary Leonard, Dale Ijames, Coach Sanderson and Mobley from Hallsboro, James Matanzo... Your better coaches many times are your better teachers in the classroom, and yes they eventually become excellent administrators. The same characteristics are there, motivation, instruction, management and people skills...

The funny thing is that many find ways to stay around also. I remember talking to Robbie Penny's dad this weekend. My "old" HS football coach (Wayne Williamson) has been retired in NC and is now coaching in SC. The kids and game must be good for him, but he always treated us fair and we respected him. Granted the $ is so much better in FB, BUT hthe problems are multiplied with larger rosters and the pressure in football to succeed... AT one time I was sure I would coach for 25-30 years... I still want to, but you never know.... As long as I love what I do and I really love it now.... I will but the problems that have been mentioned do run people away....

We are a product of our society and world!!

 

Coach E...

My baby brother played for Wayne at West C..the State Trooper that is! Remember the shooting on I 95?

 

I don't think showcase ball has accelerated this unfortunate trend. The parents of my players who have played showcase tend to be supportive but not overbearing. I think that is because their showcase teams do a good job of explaining the parent expectations and how parents can be a positive or negative influence on their kids' recruitment. The showcase and high school parent rules are the same for us. I know the D-bag and Copperheads do this.

The root of the problem is administrators and system level decision-makers who have never played athletics. They know in their educational professionalism that parental involvement is a good thing but don't understand that in baseball, parental involvement is not hanging out at practice or the dugout during games, and it is certainly not "advising" the coach about strategy or playing time.

This is where Coach 27's excellent post comes in. Bobby's dad goes to the principal, county level, etc. and wins his case. Now Billy's dad does not want his son slighted so he does the same thing as Bobby's dad. Then the coach is constantly in meetings with his bosses instead of coaching the team. Where does it end? Probably with the coach resigning in frustration or getting fired.

It is a fact that showcase ball has made the stakes higher for some players and parents. I know as a coach I will work closely with INDIVIDUAL parents to help the whole family in that process. What I will not do is have parents cross the line by thinking they have any imput on the line-up or any other TEAM matter.

 

1st, you've got a good group of showcase parents.

2nd, why do baseball coaches seem to have a hard time with parents watching practice yet football coaches almost encourage it? It gives the impression that something is being hidden.

 

It gives the impression that something is being hidden.

Here we go. We probaly should start a new thread on this one. What is being hidden? Why would a coach not want parents at practice? What would be gained by allowing parents to be at practice? Why would a parent feel that a coach is hiding something because he did not want parents at practice? I will stay out of this one for awhile I would like to hear others comments first.

 

Different coaches I'm sure may give different reasons, but when I coached it was simply that we wanted the young man's undivided attention 100% of the time.

Believe it or not with parents there, and someone is always glancing over to see their parents reaction. There is always a parent or more making comments.

just my opinion.

 

Agree with Yankee. Parents at practices sometime interfer directly or indirectly. Kids will always try to please their parents. Instead of their reactions being those of what the coach would like to see them do they try to please there parents. I think in some cases some parents need to wait in the parking lot. Example: Coach is working on hitting to right. Little Johnnies dad has taught him to pull the ball. He is very good at it. Although, he strikes out every third at bat trying to pull an outside pitch. Dad drops little Johnny off at practice. Coach has things rolling. Little Johnny is really working well with the outside pitch. Dad shows up and here goes Little Johnny back to his old ways. Although, he is only trying to please his dad by doing it the way dad taught him. His dad being there has Little Johnny trying to do it the old way. We as parents need to let the coach(s) do what he teaches him. We need to teach our kids to follow instruction and do their best with that.

 

At our place a few of us sit out beyond RF when we go to pick teh kids up from practice. Not all kids drive. Sometimes we are there 10 minutes, sometimes we are there an hour. We talk among ourselves, laugh, and usually ejoy being together. We love watching the boys play. We've been together for 8-9 years. Nobody says a word to the kids or coaches. And as long as are out there the coach doesn't mind.

My question is, "Why do some football coaches encourage people to watch practice from off the field yet some baseball coaches seem bothered by it?" I think that is a simple question.