HS Coaches Getting Away With Murder

[Iluvblue]

Sorry ,
facts are facts. I dont make the stuff up. It just aint that hard.

[rbi]

My kid is enjoying her freshman year, she has some great upperclassmen who have welcomed her and it actually has gone quite well so far. Freshman are always going to be under the microscope of proving themselves, but like I tell my kid, you go out there and bust your butt, play with confidence, and you will earn the respect of your teammates and your coachs. And when you have coachs that see you are NOT just a freshman, but a softball player it helps alot..

[Iluvblue]

Good coaches dont view Freshman as Freshman. Once the team is selected, they are just another player on the team.

[Missinit]

Good coaches dont view Freshman as Freshman. Once the team is selected, they are just another player on the team.

Exactly.
Ability and the right attitude should be the main factors a coach uses to decide who plays where and how often.
If they have those two things the rest is easy enough for a decent coach to teach.

[Coach11]

Its comments like some of those made in this thread that make me question whether or not HS coaches around the country are as bad as some make them out to be, or if its not just more sour grapes parents.
Sitting TB players in favor of those who haven't even played the game at the rec level in several years?
Come on. I haven't seen a basketball court since I was 12 yrs old. I'm sure I could tell players who have talent and ability from those without in all of 5 minutes.

[anonlooker]

Its comments like some of those made in this thread that make me question whether or not HS coaches around the country are as bad as some make them out to be, or if its not just more sour grapes parents.
Sitting TB players in favor of those who haven't even played the game at the rec level in several years?
Come on. I haven't seen a basketball court since I was 12 yrs old. I'm sure I could tell players who have talent and ability from those without in all of 5 minutes.

Apparently winning isn't always everything. Seems some coaches are also mindful of their Senior players who have shown commitment to a losing program, and don't want to damage their self steams. Hence the losing tradition becomes self-perpetuating.

[Iluvblue]

There are programs out there that have rules that no Freshman are allowed on the Varsity team. The reasons have little to do with the players IMO. It has to do with coaches that do not want to deal with the parents of the kids whose playing time is taken away by the Freshman.

A school about 8 miles away from where I used to coach had such a rule, and that rule resulted in a 6'2" pitcher transferring to our school after her Freshman year. That kid plays currently in the Pac-10 and led us to back to back CIF section championships. Coaches need to have some courage and run THEIR program in a way that is best for the program.

Question is....... what is "Best" for the program.

For me it starts with winning. Winning comes first and then everything else falls into place. The kids buy in, parents buy in, everything goes smooth. Keep the best players off of the supposedly best team in the program and you open yourself to all sorts of criticism. You also lose respect of the better players who want to win, and they know Susie Freshman is far better than Sally Sr., yet the Freshman was left on JV.

I hear horror stories every year from my travel players and their parents. It is a never ending cycle, and it is too bad. HS can be a great time for the kids.

By the way, our team has 2 Freshmen on it. One of them I knew before the season started, the other I did not. The one I knew, she was on Varsity the day I found out I was coaching HS this year. I did not need a tryout to see her on the field, Id already seen her in travel. Those 2 Freshman both start, and not once have we had an issue with the older kids or any parents questioning that. A a matter of fact, I bet there are a few of those parents that dont even realize these kids are Freshmen.

[slideby]

coach11,

I am sorry to inform you but this is what is happening on our hs team. You can not tell me a girl
who plays on a high level tb team and is going to college to play next year should be sitting and the girl who hasn't played since 10u should be your starter. Both are great kids,no attitudes,both work hard. One played on the rec team the coached years ago, one played in a different city.
It just comes down to a popularity contest in the end and a coach who just ain't to smart. Due to some other unfortunte things this coach has done both were seniors and both have now quit the team.

[Nzane]

Well, I'll tell you this. I've heard so many bad things about HS ball. But, personally, DD is having a GREAT time with her team!! They are a good team, and get along well. And, Coach is doing a great job!! And, personally, I am having a GREAT time going to the games!! Anyway......

[DodgerBlue's]

wait Nzane we just had a talk, about...oh never mind,

My opinion if you go into HS ball with an attitude of my kid plays for this travel ball team so she should be starting every game over so and so and this coach better put her here because of this reason good luck! Do you have the same point of view with your travel coach?

My kid loves to play softball and takes pride in her team, sure she gets frustrated when coach does something dumb, she used to get mad at me all the time.

All coaches do bone head things at all levels, they are called mistakes, good coaches no how to admit it and learn from it. Great coaches know how to limit those mistakes.