Skarp wrote:AM Softball wrote:I have been on both sides of this, as a player and a coach, so I would like to comment. My travel coach (when I played Gold) never yelled. When he said "Good Grief" you know you were in hot water. I loved this man to death without the yelling. I personally could not play for a coach that yelled all the time but that is only one player's perspective; others love it for motivation.
When I went to college, I couldn't understand how anyone could play for Phil and despised the Raiders but the players I know that have played for him, LOVED him. They were team players, coached well, and aggressive, which is what every players needs to be at that level. There is NO argument that Phil knows the game at a whole different level and maybe he is totally different at practice and the players understand that.
Maybe he is yelling because he has high expectations and wants his kids to be their best. The parents never understand but his players did. The players know he's not a mean guy 100% of the time or he wouldn't get players. I have seen him coach and talk to his players. He teaches them before he yells.
Only the strong survive on that team but that's the way it is in life. I think analyzing WHEN the screaming is going on is the best point I can make. Is it after physical errors? Is it for performance? That is different than yelling at a kid because you have told her the same thing 10 times and she still is doing it wrong. Now, as a coach, I'm yelling at that point so I completely understand it.
How many parents yell at their kids after they have told them something over and over? How many times have you told your kid to go brush their teeth? Clean heir room? A LOT! So now, the parent raises their voice to let the child know, this is unacceptable. FOCUS! A coach is the same figure and needs to get on them when they aren't focused.
If someone would have seen me this weekend, I'd be on the anger management list again but my players know, I yell when mentally, they are not focused. Obviously, they need me to yell and wake them up. They deserve it and while some think coaches like this are insane, I think the people that think you can coach effectively without yelling are insane. Especially in this day and age.
Demeaning kids, cursing kids out, switching players if they make a physical error, etc. are all rude to me and I would not put up with that from any coach. I can understand that. But getting on kids for mental mistakes is a must and often times yelling gets the point across. I try not to single out players but I go off on the team first. Then, start pulling players one on one so they don't get embarrassed.
I don't know the person that we are talking about but I do know that people think the same of many great coaches I know, including myself. Perspective from the players is the ONLY thing that should matter. Motivating players, however you do it, is all that matters.
Pretty much agree with all of that, but I would say that a good coach should have multiple methods of motivation, and browbeating should be option of last resort.
And belittling some kid because she doesn't run fast enough for you?? That ain't gonna fly.
Yes, I age with both points. Like a teacher, a coach has to use all different types of methods because you have multiple learners. You should tell them, let them read it, show them, and have them do it for max learning...
You are defnitely right! Unfortunately, kids are being recruited at a much younger age that I had to deal with. Thank goodness. It is a lot of pressure. Kids quit playing at all levels, even in college as we all have seen. It sucks to lose your love for anything. 
