Individual Awards

Hey...

I only got one vote too. We tied!

 

In the 7 years I have coached at this school, I didn't give individual awards (MVP, Offensive, Defensive, etc) because I didn't think it was right to preach team, team, team then on 1 night say 'it IS a team game but Sally Jo is our best player'. I always tried to get as many as deserved it on All Conference and always gave a Plaque for any who made that. This year I had 2 girls (a Senior and a Junior) who didn't get to play much, but came to practice every day and worked their a$$es off and I gave them each a 'Team First' Award. They never failed to pull for their teammates. They, nor their parents, ever asked about playing time. I found myself looking for opportunities for them. They practiced and when the opportunity came to play, they played as hard as they could. I told the other girls that it is easy to come to practice when you know, or are pretty sure, you're gonna play tomorrow. It's a whole different thing coming to practice and working your tail off 'in case' you get to play. Both of their parents called me and thanked me. Both of them told me their dd said it was the best award they could ever get. Maybe they didn't have all the 'skills' some of the other players had but, if some of the 'skilled' players had their attitude...

 

speaking from experience...

HS awards are nice affirmations of hard work but irrelevant. Coaches look for physical attributes... generally ones they can quantify.

In FP If you are a slapper with excellent H to 1st times you can play D1 ball. If you have a great arm too you can play top D1 ball. Same goes if you are a big stick with the build at a corner OF position. Same on the mound, throw hard to begin with but your physical build projects more mph.

The IB on my daughter's college team is a first year as well.. super stick know how to play the position very very well.. excellent on D and super at picking balls in the dirt. She was 3rd on the team in SLG% as a first year and hit two out in her first college game but she is 5ft6. I say this with all the earnestness I can muster. If she were 6ft tall with exactly the same ability and skill set she would be playing D1 ball.

Its really just that simple folks. My son has already been told that what reeally sets him apart is the fact hes a switch hitting catcher. I said you mean it doesnt matter if he can rattle the fences? No I was told... if he has the build that a coach think he can put 25 lbs of muscle on thats all they will be looking at in terms of his batting. Of course his POP time needs to be reasonable for the position he's playing but again thats a skill that can be quantified.

There are plenty of kids playing college ball who received no HS awards and prolly even more who did get "certificates" who aren't playing... don't sweat it.

 

Great speech!!! Can I use it next year at our awards banquet. Hit the nail on the head

 

Great speech!!! Can I use it next year at our awards banquet. Hit the nail on the head

I'm not smart enough to be a speech writer but, I feel like anything we, as coaches and/or parents, can do or say to help our players see the bigger picture, to be a better teammate, to learn to put others ahead of ourselves, can't be a bad thing. It used to be that way.