by JCates » Tue Jun 14, 2011 6:42 am
There are two sides to view on this issue. My DD plays for a coach that will rip into them if need be, but he does not do it in a way to show up or disrespect the players on his team. There is a HUGE difference between a coach that yells just to show how tough he is, and one that will get after a kid because they are not performing at their top level and needs some motivation to break out of what they are doing. Many of these players are busting their butts for their team, coaches and parents and for a coach to go out of their way to be disrespectful to a kid because they made a mistake will only cause them to hate the GAME.
To accept that it is fine for a coach to yell just because it is travel ball is a weak argument in my opinion. Some of the best coaches I have ever played for, and some of the best I have seen coaching at the professional level, were not yellers. They could get after your butt if needed, but they did it in a way that commanded respect, not fear. I have seen case after case where a younger player that is tense from the fear of making a mistake will actually make more mistakes or hesitate at a critical moment in fear of making a mistake...this will actually cause more problems in the long run. Girls at the travel ball level know when they have made a mistake, and many know how to correct what they did wrong without a coach showing them up in front of everyone. If they need correction or an attitude adjustment, doing it front of fans and family in a disrespectful way is not going to bring about this change.