Has HS baseball coaching become harder?

Nope.

 

Not coach27 here, but I know ours get 150 to 200 daily.

 

Do you care to mention where? or would you rather not? I can tell you this, this part of TBR is not like any other forum. Your dad's situation will be treated with respect.

We have a lot of coaches, at all levels, and parents here. Your dad's situation can be a learning experience for others

 

It was at a 3A school in the piedmont.

 

Just thought I'd add my 2 cents from a little different perspective. This post really hits home for me because I was a volunteer assistant (not employed at the school although it was my alma mater) at the high school level and a Legion assitant.

I really do think the head coach in high school needs to work at the school, for many of the reasons previously mentioned. When I was coaching I never knew how Player A acted from 8am - 3pm, only from 3pm on. I think to really mentor the young men that play for you, you need to remind them how to act in school just as much as between the lines. That being said, I have a good friend that is the head coach at a local high school, but does not work there. He does a fine job and at that high school, he is the best man for the job, but I feel he could teach he players much more about being a man if he were with them all day.

I reside with ole UK on the parent issue. Many times people would wonder why he would stand off by himself. I just told people he was a grumpy old man and liked to be by himself (just kidding) - I'd give them the same cigar excuse. I find myself in the same situation when attending HS and Legion games myself now. It drives me nuts hearing armchair coaches analyze every single decision. Unruly parents were the main reason that I never really desired to be a Head Coach. I prefered laying low, doing my thing with the players and then letting the big guy handle the parents. It really is a pretty sweet gig. You hear all the time about coaches that are getting out to "spend more time with their families." I think this is code for "I can't justify being away from my wife and kids this much when all these parents keep busting my chops over every decision I make."

 

Ground balls question

It varies really. We take fungos during bp. We take infield on most days. And we do situations off the fungo. And then we take bp off our pitchers so we get realistic reads off the bat. I have no idea exactly but if I had to guess I would say around 40 or 50 on a typical day. To me though just standing out there and taking ground balls off a fungo is no where near as important as getting them in bp or live situations in practice. We play everything live in bp like its a game. When a kid knows he is going to get the ball and is just standing there waiting for you to hit it to him and there is no actual situation in play that can not compare to prepping with the pitcher throwing to the plate and then reading the pitch and playing the ball off the bat. Plus he needs to have the whole thought process working like in a game. Is there anyone on base? If so where? If the ball is hit hard to my right Im going here with it. If its hit hard to my left Im going here with it. If its a slow roller Ive got to go here with it etc etc. One thing I have found is that practice for the sake of practice is useless, PERIOD. Practice for the sake of game preparation is critical. It doesnt make one bit of difference if you can field 200 balls a day in a non game situation if you cant make that one play in a game situation. I personally feel that practice should prepare you to play the game. BP is no different to me. Of course you should work on your stroke and get some good t and soft toss work in etc. But how many times have you seen bp be grooved pitches down the heart and then rotate? Who gets pitched like that in a game? Anyone can hit a grooved pitch down the heart but how many of those do you get in a game? BP should be with counts and runner situations put in. And you should work the whole plate and use the whole field. Now Im rambling so I will stop.

 

Ditto!

well said Coach 27 basically the same protocol here unless and as I offer at the outset to hit more to fielders who want them after practice!
Boy oh boy like I said it s a "Devils Den" Glen Lake and Bravo!

 

thanks

coach 27 , a great response about ground balls practice. agree totally. I like your philosophy on this.