Politics in High School Baseball

On another bulletin board that I frequent, there is a thread that talks about "Politics in High School Baseball", referring to the opinion that the best are often held out of the Line-up and players with inferior skills played in front of them because their parents donated to the program.

I can say that I have never seen an opposing high school coach have better players on the bench than on the field, other than giving players breaks during nonconference games to see if other players can help and get them some playing time. Most of the time, I believe some these arguments come from dissatisfied parents who only go on what their kids tell them, they don't come and watch practice, etc...

I know that I am biased towards my 9 year-old daughter. That's because she's mine, and I love her!! So I see why we have rose colored glasses on when it is our child, and I try to think of this when I deal with parents.

The sad thing is that I do not see this problem going away, when I was in high school, you never questioned the coach, but today, we as a society question not only the coach, but everything in general.

Are there any answers to this? If so, what are they?

We as high school coaches on this site (all of you that I do know) try to be as fair as possible to the kids and we want to represent our schools and communities with the utmost integrity and pride, but I feel that this topic should be discussed again, although i am sure this has been here before.

Pardon me while I was on my soapbox!!

 

This can be a difficult situation for the parents to understand, particularly when the players in question have different strengths (such as one was better offensively, the other defensively).

The coach will make a determination of who to play based on his perception of the teams greatest need. The "other parent" may not be pleased with his decision and may "hunt" for a reason (real or not).

As the old saying goes, repeat something often enough and people will start believing you.

At the H.S. level, parents have no role other than supporting their son and supporting the team (and raising money ). If, on the drive home, you keep repeating "...you should be playing over Johnny...", eventually your son may become poisoned by your attitude and take it onto the bench or onto the field.

 

It's always seemed to me that a high school player who's not playing as much as he'd like has been given a terrific opportunity to grow, both as a player and a person. A conversation between the player and the coach, focused upon what the player can do to improve sufficiently to earn more playing time, can accomplish a lot. Even more is accomplished when they take the advice the coach gives and apply themselves diligently enough to give the coach the opportunity to recognize the player's improvement through consistent effort.

Absent from this scenario is the parent's intervention. Young adults need the opportunity to take the necessary steps to full adulthood. This strikes me as one of them.

 

Coachevans,

It is a growing problem IMO. And of course - I only speak of the area (tri-state NY) I have been involved with the last 20 years.

The difficulties for HS coaches continue to mount. They will have to find a way to deal with this phenomenon as effectively as possible - -or else quit or be fired.

IMO- as NC points out - it is the players that usually suffer from the actions of the parents. As a coach, I never really cared about the parents. I care only about the young men on the team and their development as baseball players and as individuals.

The players need to remember that - even today - in almost all cases - it will all "come out in the wash" after high school.

Just my opinion.

 

Prepster-

Are you referring to parents intervening on behalf of their kids to the coach? If so, I believe playing time is an issue between the coach and the player, not the coach and the parent. IF a parent will approach me with the attitude of what can my child do to improve, well then I will gladly sit down and talk with them. Unofrtunately, parents simply ask "Why ain't my son playing?" and then compare their sons with Johnny the starter, who has nothing to do with what their son is doing. I want to communicate with these parents because it is the right thing to do, also I want them to be involved.

itsinthegame -

I agree that we as high school coaches have to adapt, to a certain degree. We can not compromise our principles, our integrity, or the sanctity of the game. I have seen myself change (mature) alot over my 13 years of teaching and coaching. I am alot more laid back than I used to be because I must be on an even keel at all times as the head coach. I handle kids differently than I did 10 years ago, when I first became head cocah here. I want to make respectable young men out of them, good solid men, and I want them to learn valuable life lessons from the game. If I can make good people out of these young men, or show them a good example and make them a better person, then the wins and losses will take care of themselves. They will work harder because it is the right way to better the program, they will respect the game, and they will find the right way to win.

Isn't that what life is all about?

My personal faith has changed me more than anything over the past 4-5 years, and I hope that what I do reflects what I should be doing.

This issue with parents is a hard one for all of us though. Maybe some day we will find the right formula for all of society, if I do I'll be rich!!

Just my two cents worth.

 

Coachevans ...

What I read Prepster's post as saying is that the parents don't have a role in conversations between a coach and a player. It's an opportunity for the player to grow as a person and take responsibility for his own actions (and maybe playing time).

 

I think parents should stay out of the coaching business.

 

I went over to the HSBaseballWeb and read the original post that triggered the question (along with the responses, some of which were great).

Here's what I picked up on:

This is a classic example of taking an opinion or an observation and, by spreading it, presenting myth as fact. That in and of itself is destructive to a program and to the kids involved in the program.

I would take this as a case of a parent who is being unduly influenced by unknowlegable outsiders and give it the attention it deserves (none).

 

Coachevans,

I have never coached high school ball. All has been in the summer leagues and scouting.

I dont have the fortitude or the patience to take on the brave task of HS baseball coaching. LOL

I also realized early on that parental leverage is much less in summer than in high school. Easier to deal with IMO.

Prepster brings up an interesting point. My only question is: what do you do if you are a baseball coach that has sons that play baseball? What if you coached before they were born.

The first obvious answer is NEVER coach your own kids.
Find another team to coach IMO.

Would be interesting to hear opinions on this.

 

Coach McConnell faced this situation over at West Mecklenburg. His son went to East Gaston (different county/different conference) in order to eliminate any possible problems. I believe he took last year off (and probably this year too) so he could enjoy watching his son play (and he's a great catcher)......