12u 00/01 Winter Watchlist by Louie UPDATED

[Iluvblue]

Team drama comes from lack of leadership running the team. When the parents know and understand that the person running things is in charge and wont put up with the BS, the drama stops. In order for the parents to really believe the coach wont put up with the BS, they have to be willing to drop ANY players from their team if a parent starts becoming a problem. And I mean ANY player, even your stud pitcher, that without, you probably drop 2 notches as a team. if the coach is willing to do that, a lot of issues seem to go away.

I know many out there think i am full of s..., but in my time coaching witch includes 2 different stints coaching varsity at separate high schools for a total of 6 years, I have NEVER... and I do mean NEVER had parent issues.

I communicate with my parents on a constant basis, dont run from problems, and I do exactly what I say I am going to do and that pretty much eliminates the BS.

Now if you say one thing to parents and then when that big game comes around and you now do something you said you wouldnt do.... here comes your drama, and it is self inflicted.

[Fly Out]

Leadership is Key!!! Couldn't agree more about not being afraid of cutting anyone from the roster. Our coaching staff does not put up with the BS at all and will cut anyone if the shit starts to stir. (proof being our last tryout) If more coaches were honest with parents and players on what their role might be things would be a lot different. I think a big part of the parents drama goes back to the promises coaches make or the implied playing time they give. When parents are lead to believe that their lil angel is going to get more then they really are it always blows up. Once one parent starts it's easy for the rest to get going.

Another issue is many parents ability to actually self evaluate their children's play and ability!!!

[Iluvblue]

If more coaches were honest with parents and players on what their role might be things would be a lot different. I think a big part of the parents drama goes back to the promises coaches make or the implied playing time they give.



Ding, ding,ding,ding. The above statement is dead on. I will give you an example from yesterday.

Our 16u team has 13 players, and we have room to add 1 more player. A kid contacts us that I watched indoors and LOVED her swing. Amazing bat speed, and tremendous power. But over all, Im not sure she can play with us. So i ask her to come back so I can see her outdoors.

She comes yesterday. he has always played ss on her teams. i tell her mom there is NO WAY she will play a single inning of ss, probably zero at third, and she will have only a shot at defensive innings in the outfield, and that would be sparingly. She looked ok hitting, but kind of struggled against the pitcher that I had show up, but I felt her upside as a hitter(she is 14u eligible, so she is young) was worth taking a shot on. If she ended up not being very good, our team is already very good, so Ive lost nothing, but if this kid develops into the hitter I THINK she can be, we win.

I explained all of that to mom and the player, told them I am in no big hurry, so they can take their sweet time and let me know if they want to play with us.

Now if they come, and then start complaining about positions played, I will refer back to our talk yesterday. If they really became a problem, bye , bye.

I explain everything and make my plans well known. Now it is totally up to them if they can live with that.

Honesty and not making promises goes a long way to keeping drama down.

[Iluvblue]

Couple of reasons. First off, I didnt say she would not play any innings on defense, but no way would she get any innings in infield, and NO way would she progress fast enough to get innings defensively during qualifiers. I know that for a fact.

She is very rec ballish right now... hit one ball to her in OF and watch her catch the ball... and you would know what I mean. She simply has not played on a good team and hasnt had the coaching to do things the right way. Kid has a very strong arm but doesnt even throw correctly.

That being said, I liked her hands fielding grounders. Our teams build from within, and next year I will lose 9 players from our Gold team.... I already have kids penciled in from our 16u to fill those spots after Summer ends.That is going to leave many spots to fill on the 16u team NEXT fall, and if this kid develops like I think she can, I could see her getting a shot at a starting 3rd/ss NEXT FALL.

Because I determine what happens with our teams, I have the luxury of looking ahead at our LONG TERM plans. Most teams cant/wont do this, so they are looking ONLY at the upcoming season. So if I were coaching a team that I knew was going to end the Summer season, and then have all players go off to other teams as they age out and we were starting over, I probably wouldnt consider adding this kid, but that isnt how we work.

[noncrazynorcal]

I hope you suggested she go to a team where she can get time on the field where she can learn to play. If you didn't you're doing a disservice to the player. Wouldn't she be more of an asset if she PLAYED for someone else now and tried out for your team once she has more skills?

Your example sucks.

[Iluvblue]

It sucks because you dont know how we do things. On my teams, and that means the entire Monarch organization, all position players get to play in 2 out of 3 games on Saturday. The entire game, no half games, no pinch hitting. They start and finish the game and get all of their at bats. So the kid would not come to my team and just sit the bench, I dont do things that way.

And sure, go play for coach x, which is exactly why she cant do certain things already, then come back next year and try again?? Sure, she would have ZERO chance at that point to make our 16u team as it takes a while to learn what we do... that is why if she is going to come, it is pretty much now or never. She cant come as a true 16u player as a project for me to develop, I dont have that kind of time.

And do you not read clearly. I said exactly what I told the player and the kid, now the decision is theirs as to what they want to do. If they feel as you do, then they will not come, and Im ok with that as well.

Now whether you agree with how or what I did, I dont really care. My example was showing honesty and frankness with a parent and player. Something that is sorely lacking in our sport.

[Stealing Home]

He doesn't bring back a #3 pitcher after they left him last year for a failed attempt to start LM 12u 1.0 this probably doesn't happen. Instead he welcomed back Lurking Lewis and should have know his master plan from day 1. Sorry - just don't see the "poor Conrad".

Poor Conrad. Half the parents blamed him. Half the parents blamed the half that blamed him. End result, back to 10u to start the process all over again with fresh meat.

[noncrazynorcal]

It sucks because you dont know how we do things. On my teams, and that means the entire Monarch organization, all position players get to play in 2 out of 3 games on Saturday. The entire game, no half games, no pinch hitting. They start and finish the game and get all of their at bats. So the kid would not come to my team and just sit the bench, I dont do things that way.

And sure, go play for coach x, which is exactly why she cant do certain things already, then come back next year and try again?? Sure, she would have ZERO chance at that point to make our 16u team as it takes a while to learn what we do... that is why if she is going to come, it is pretty much now or never. She cant come as a true 16u player as a project for me to develop, I dont have that kind of time.

And do you not read clearly. I said exactly what I told the player and the kid, now the decision is theirs as to what they want to do. If they feel as you do, then they will not come, and Im ok with that as well.

Now whether you agree with how or what I did, I dont really care. My example was showing honesty and frankness with a parent and player. Something that is sorely lacking in our sport.

That's not what you said or indicated before. Your other post had some people thinking you would not play the girl regularly. You made it sound like you'd get her in your system, let her hit, but not really play her and then if your plan worked, she would be good enough to play for you in a year.

Anyway, you cleared it up with more info so you're off the hook. It sounds like a fair plan since you're saying you do play everyone on your team regularly.

[noncrazynorcal]

He doesn't bring back a #3 pitcher after they left him last year for a failed attempt to start LM 12u 1.0 this probably doesn't happen. Instead he welcomed back Lurking Lewis and should have know his master plan from day 1. Sorry - just don't see the "poor Conrad".

I was being sarcastic, but did he give the kid a chance or not? If someone leaves during a season then they're out until next August. You can always let a defector try out again but you can't bring the family back mid-season. In 12u though, some would say the team needs to be included in the decision to bring someone back. I don't know if that happened here.

[Iluvblue]

Sorry about that Crazy. There is a reason we keep rosters down (14 max on both 16 and 18 teams, and 13 max on the youngers... because we need to play all of the players, and it is hard to do that with 18 on a team and 5 or more pitchers.


i agree with you though.. I would be doing her harm by taking her and just sitting her on the bench.