Spazsdad wrote:I wonder about the logic of our DDs needing to "Move on".
Yes there are coaches out there with more experience than some of us but where did they come from. I would venture to guess they started coaching when their DDs were young. They learned along with them and when their DDs grew older they continued coaching.
Now they are the respected coaches in fastpitch.
I am not trying to take anything away from what they have achieved but they can't coach forever. Everyone started out from the beginning, coaching their DDs in rec. Just because you may have less experience shouldn't automatically mean you should give up coaching and just become a parent again.Where will the next crop of "top level" coaches come from?
Someone has to learn, move up the ranks, and carry on the programs that have been established.
What say you?
If the parent feels they're a good coach, nothing wrong with coaching them beyond rec etc.
The responsibilities do get enormous when they get to 16u (or if they skip to 18 Gold). But like you said, someone has to take their group all the way up or there won't be any more coaches eventually.
If I wanted to establish myself as a Gold coach, I'd try to assist with an established coach and learn the ropes of the recruiting game and start networking and getting myself known with the coaches. I would never guinea pig my dd (or her peers) as I try to figure out what the heck I'm doing.
HOWEVER, some first time Gold coaches who have moved up have done pretty darn well getting their kids signed. Marty Tyson did this when he moved up to gold after winning 14u Nationals in 2003.
Dave Limon is a first year Gold coach for So Cal Wicked. This wicked team started in the fall of 2003 in 12u. They are doing a good job getting their girls seen and committed.
Manny Garcia with Nemesis Elite who also started with this group in the fall of 2003 at 12U is also getting his kids exposure.
Dickey Vallery with the Atlanta Vipers, also a first year Gold team that goes back to 12's (maybe 10's, not sure) also getting their kids committed (also have a shot at qualifying for Gold nats IMO).
Last season, first time Gold success stories include Rick Arzola with So Cal Pride and the Nor Cal Shockers. Both have all their kids signed or committed.
San Diego Renegades coached by Mike Fox and Duane Tillett is another first time Gold team that did well last year (I believe Renegades and Shockers made it to Gold nationals to boot).
Those are some of the success stories. I won't list the bus wrecks but they are plentiful.
On a personal note, I let my dd go at 11 years old. She played for a well coached "dad team" in the OC in 12's and 14's. Those dads disbanded the team after 14's after a good run (a 7th and a 9th at Nats, A So Cal State championship) so the girls could persue teams with college connections. The majority of the girls (class of '09) are in the Batbusters, Cruisers and So Cal Athletics organizations (A good number of them are already committed).
I thought the coaches did an unselfish thing motivated solely by what would most benefit their players.
