HS Coaches Getting Away With Murder

[sftballfam]

[tito]

So your kid isn't getting any playing time?
I think whoever taught you basic english and spelling in high school is the one who should be fired.
Just sayin'...

[sftballfam]

wow tito, you really miss the point, it's not about playing time or my spelling,guess it's people like you why we have this problem.

[hotwheels]

I just don't understand how these high schools are letting these coaches get away with the way they treat these girls. I understand they give there time after school and weekends but there is still no excuse for this. It is not just one school but seems wide spread. They yell, they use very foul language, they play favorites, they pit the players against one another,they humilate girls in front of there fellow teammates.
If anyone of us did this in our jobs we would be termaited asap,but no these coaches do it on a dailey basis and nothing is done.
With the expection of a few most are not even quailfied to coach a team. They get talented players who are for the most part are coached well by there travel ball teams and make the coaches look good, and yes those hs coaches take the credit.
I have truly not really heard of one kid having a good hs experance, I am not saying that there
arn't any but all I have heard over and over again is the abuse.
How can this be stopped??

Quit!...Or help coach???...By using THEY I am assuming that you mean YOUR daughter's coach...There are some very good coaches out there and some that suck...Just like everyone in every aspect of life!...

[Torino]

They yell, they use very foul language, they play favorites, they pit the players against one another, they humilate girls in front of there fellow teammates.

If anyone of us did this in our jobs we would be termaited asap...??

Every manager or CEO I've ever worked for acts exactly this way.

That said, my guess is your problem is a personal one where your daughter is having a bad experience. Sorry to hear that, but I've known many HS softball athletes who have had a great time representing their schools and friends.

[eagles2010]

I just don't understand how these high schools are letting these coaches get away with the way they treat these girls. I understand they give there time after school and weekends but there is still no excuse for this. It is not just one school but seems wide spread. They yell, they use very foul language, they play favorites, they pit the players against one another,they humilate girls in front of there fellow teammates.
If anyone of us did this in our jobs we would be termaited asap,but no these coaches do it on a dailey basis and nothing is done.
With the expection of a few most are not even quailfied to coach a team. They get talented players who are for the most part are coached well by there travel ball teams and make the coaches look good, and yes those hs coaches take the credit.
I have truly not really heard of one kid having a good hs experance, I am not saying that there
arn't any but all I have heard over and over again is the abuse.
How can this be stopped??

One of the things you have to remember about Public High School coaches is that many/some were not really ever hired to coach softball. In many cases they are hired to TEACH at the high school and volunteered (for pay) to coach. This is an area that is grossly unequal when it comes to hiring practices by high schools. Schools will conduct nationwide searches for baseball, football, and men's basketball coaches and then find a way for them to teach the subject for which they are credentialed, but rarely put the same effort into hiring coaches for women sports. If they do not put an effort into hiring, what makes you think they monitor how the individual is actually coaching.

That is not to say that there are not some very good dedicated coaches in HS ball.

As far as fixing it, Good luck in this time of budget cuts when many school boards are considering eliminating athletics. If you truly feel the coach's tactics are not appropriate, grow a pair, and talk to the coach, athletic director, principal, superintendent, board members (in that order).

[RICHARD SKINNER]

I coached high school sports for 4 years in division 1. (girls tennis, boys tennis, girls softball) I was not a softball coach. I played college tennis but in high school I played amatuer minor league basedball. There's such a huge difference but I did not know that at the time. The softball coach just up and quit and they had no one else. The AD took a chance and we ended up making CIF for the first time in 20 years. We lost 2-1 to the #1 ranked team at the time but the season was incredible. That worked out for the program but in most cases the previous post is correct the job sometimes goes to anyone who will take it. A $2k stipend isn't exactly bill paying material. It worked for me in tennis because I was able to give private lessons and clinics that were very lucrative. My point is, that's why there are coaches like the one your daughter plays for. By the way, playing favorites happens in all parts of life. Some kids have the rope to go 0-7 and some have the rope to go 0-20 before they see the pine!

[sftballfam]

richard, I am in agreement with you, i do know a couple of really good hs coaches such as Doug Meyers,Rob Weil,Mark Campbell, those schools are the lucky ones.

[artomatic]

Interesting that you deleted your original post.
Not to worry though, because it's in hotwheels' response.
Because there you said you don't know of one high school kid that is having a good experience.
Now you are naming 3 high school coaches that you say are very good, which they are.
So are you saying their players don't have good experiences?
What are you saying?

I can tell you my oldest kid had a good experience, and now my youngest is enjoying playing with her school's name on her uniform.

It's a fine line you will have to walk, deciding if you should step in and handle your kid's affairs, or let her deal with it.
If your claim (in your original, deleted post) of abusive behavior is true, how about your kid handling the meeting with the AD?

[hotwheels]

Interesting that you deleted your original post.
Not to worry though, because it's in hotwheels' response.
Because there you said you don't know of one high school kid that is having a good experience.
Now you are naming 3 high school coaches that you say are very good, which they are.
So are you saying their players don't have good experiences?
What are you saying?

I can tell you my oldest kid had a good experience, and now my youngest is enjoying playing with her school's name on her uniform.

It's a fine line you will have to walk, deciding if you should step in and handle your kid's affairs, or let her deal with it.
If your claim (in your original, deleted post) of abusive behavior is true, how about your kid handling the meeting with the AD?

Good point Art! I know that when my oldest was going through it I stayed away during tryouts. I never went once to watch a tryout. I didn't even meet the coach until about 5 games left in the season. Those of us coming from Travel to play High School need to stop comparing the two. They are totally different and they have good and bad. I am not especially fond of High School ball BUT it is fun for millions of kids each year. It isn't meant to be fun for the parents!! If the kid is having fun then let it be. If she isn't having fun, make sure she completes her season and don't play next year. It's that simple!