Coach Ashkinazy No Longer at Grimsley

That brings to mind Coach Jamie Lowe at North Forsyth. One of the hardest working coaches who left everything he had on and off the field. He got shafted in his position, but he learned a valuable lesson. He won't accept another coaching position unless he has administrator's support.

It's a dadgum crime that this man is not coaching in HS.

 

You want to know why?

You want to know why some kids are like that? Because they learn it from home. If they are not starting they start their own team. If they are not playing SS they find another team even if it stinks. If they are hitting in the 8 hole they gripe and complain and make everyone around sick to death. And eventually they start their own team. They learn it from home. 99% of the time its a Dad that never played sports or had to earn anything in athletics in his life. He is determined that its not going to happen to his son. So he gets him a private hitting instructor. He gets him a private pitching coach. He guys him 9 freakin bats and an infielders glove a mif's glove an outfielders glove and a catchers mitt just in case. The baseball experience is not about learning the fundementals of the game. Learining how to be a great team mate. Learning how to compete and work your butt off to be the best you can be. Its not about doing whatever it takes to help your team win. NO. Its about my son. Its about our son.

If their son is playing the coach is awesome. The minute he is not the coach is viewed as a stumbling block that must be removed from their sons right to be on the field. Its not about their kid earning anything. Its about them paving the way for him and anyone this is percieved to be in the way is fair game. They have no clue. They dont care that the kid playing in front of their son is at the cages everyday , working on his own , working at home , while their son is hanging out and playing video games. No. The fact is its about their kid and they are going to do whatever they have to do to see he gets on the field. They could careless if the team is winning. Thats not the point. They are happy if their kid is playing. Its the same people that act like they just ate **** when you win and their kid didnt play. And they are beaming with pride in a 10-0 blowout when he does.

Hey why work for it when Daddy can get it for me? He always has.

 

There's this one kid that always sticks out in my mind. His dad coddled him through every challenge. One time the kid quit his summer team in the middle of a game. The coach asked the players if he should bring him back. The players said "NO"...the coach brought him back anyway.

Move ahead a few years. The kid was always taking shortcuts and it finally caught up to him. The HS coach benched him in favor of a better player. Wow.....the volcano erupted. The father went after the coach with a vengeance, but the coach prevailed.

I became good friends with a college coach that was recruiting him and he asked me my opinion. I told him what I thought and if i summarized it with one word it would be a "quitter". They signed him anyway. (Man, coaches ask me all the time my thoughts on a player and they never listen to me if I believe a player is questionable character-wise.)

The conclusion to this kid is he flunked out of school.

Of the very few kids that I have not recommended to a coach, I have been right 100% of the time.

I wish more coaches would go "old school" with a player. Watch how he gets off the bus. Watch how he speaks to his parents. Watch how he reacts to people off the field. To me those are just as important as watching their talent.

 

Good Point Braves

Is he tough? He is mentally tough? OK he is talented. Ok he is a stud. But what is he going to do when for the first time in his life all the other players around him are talented too? What is he going to do when for the first time in his life he is actually going to have to work to win a job? What happens the first time he is not starting? What happens the first time he goes 0-16? Does he tank? Does he quit? Does he find excuses?

Of course you seek out the kids that are talented enough to play. But the very next thing I want to know is , is he tough or is he soft? Will he battle when his back is against the wall or is he going to whine and cry and look for excuses or look to blame someone else? Does his dad sit in the stands and make excuses for him? To me if a kid is not mentally tough enough to handle adversity and failure at the hs level he has no shot at the next level. If he is looking or excuses now he will find them later.

I would rather have 9 average tough ball players than 9 soft studs. Of course I prefer to have 9 tough studs!

Any news on who the new "Pawn" I mean Coach is going to be?

 

These posts keep bringing thoughts to mind. What most HS players don't realize when they get to college is this. All of the players on your team were HS studs. So what is going to make the difference in you playing or them?

I can promise you this. No matter how good you think you are, something in college is going to happen that will set you back. Injuries, grades, girls, lack of maturity, competition etc. But something will!

Now, the test of character will be revealed. How tough are you?

 

What a shame

Alan is a first class man and a first class coach it is a shame what happened to him and I agree with others when the team has losing season after losing season, you get what you deserve. Bear in mind Alan coached for the love of the game not for money. He has a very successful business he gave his coach's paycheck to the assistants to help them.