Use data. At the end of practice, invite any player who wants to pitch the weekend to pitch 10 - 20 throws and count strike %, location, or speed, depending on the level of the team.
Have a metric where if you don't hit a certain number you don't get in the rotation. Send the player home with a scorecard.
Had a 10u girl like this. God forbid you put her in the outfield even for 1 inning. She refused to get in the "ready" position and even if all 3 coaches told her to move back or over for a leftie hitter, she'd just stand there and stare at you.
Guess who didn't make All-Stars based solely on their attitude?
I think that meritocracy is more mporyant and nearly non existent nowadays. There should ideally be a mechanism where they can compete or “challenge” for spots. That’s how we used to do it in the old school days.
Very true. I also think that a player should not be real warded by playing a certain position if their attitude sucks elsewhere. I don't have the luxury of having a player bench unless they play the desired position.
So just to tag on to everyone else each week all my pitchers pitch a round of live pitch to my hitters. This serves two purposes the first is to get my hitters live pitching. The second is that each pitcher gets to see the whole lineup. They are rated on a few items each week. First pitch strike, how many times she hit the spot I called , total strike percentage and finally I rate attitude. If you get a few hits against you and fall apart you rate low but if you get smacked around and come
Back and fight you rate higher. I do the same for hitters and fielding. I started this in 12u and now continue it in 14u. We measure a lot and I love my spreadsheets. It shows them how they progress far better than some random parent doing GameChanger. In 10u-14u improvement and attitude are far more important then outcome.
I had this situation this year (10u). I asked the parent if the kid practiced pitching at all (no). I pointed out that she didn’t attend any of the weekly pitching clinics our assoc. put on, and didn’t have a coach like some of the girls pitching regularly. I said that I was happy to give them info on these options and added that our two main pitches typically practice for 5-10 hours per week in addition to lessons and practices. I tried to be polite about it and let the facts speak for themselves.
Just be up front and have a chat with the parent. Coaches make the coaching decisions, and they decide what is best for the TEAM, not what is best for Sally Softball. Attendance is the bare minimum in life. Just showing up is expected for your commitments school, family, teams, worth. Attitude and effort count more than attendance because that's the easy thing. Learning how to: be coachable, be a good teammate, to succeed, to fail, to work hard, to try new things and get out of the comfort zone, and to to rise above the struggle or the disappointment at times is what sports are ALL about. Preparing kids for the real world.
Pitching is the hardest thing to do. The rotation is the best thing for the team, learning multiple positions will make them well-rounded players with a better understanding of all positions and the game, which is the ultimate goal. And we can have fun too if we have a good attitude about it. Plenty of kids don't have the opportunity to play at all. Pointing them in the direction of a local pitching coach or some specific drills to work on if that is her ultimate goal is a good idea. Pitchers practice more than everybody else, forever.
Around here, if you don't show up to practice without a valid reason, you don't play the next game. Eventually, the bad apples will find a different basket.
If I’m coach here, I handle it this way:
Broach the subject, respectfully and in private, with them after a practice. If they want to discuss ways their player can improve and earn starting/playing time in her preferred position, then great! Let’s have conversation about what she needs to do to show she is an asset to this team and deserves the consideration she thinks she does. That discussion is welcome, and I’ll look forward to seeing the changes this player makes to earn her time.
However…
Come at me critical of how I’m coaching this team, of the decisions I’m making to benefit ALL of the girls and improve each and every one of them? Nope. “Grab the stat book, here’s my cap, and don’t forget the schedule and call list. Enjoy your time coaching”. They signed on to be a part of this team, I expect them to respect my decisions. If they don’t, they have three choices: find another team, take over the coaching responsibilities, or sit down and keep their opinions to themselves. I’m not about to give the squeaky wheel the grease here.
Sports should be a meritocracy, you earn your spot through both effort and attitude — and the attitude portion extends to families in attendance. Respect the coaches, or find another team.
Are we talking about rec ball, an all-star team, or a travel team? Excluding outside lessons, how much time is allowed for pitchers to work on their craft during practice? Is that time equal for all pitchers? How many of your coaches have daughters on the team that pitch?
My approach to managing a team would differ if it were a rec vs. all-star vs. travel team, but as another person suggested, making data-based decisions makes your choices easier to explain when/if necessary. Using player metrics to fine-tune the batting order works wonders in my experience!
With a 10u rec team, I think the goal is to make it safe and fun so they'll fall in love with the sport and return again next season.
But regardless, we will work all pitchers equally in practice and we warm all of them up for games regardless of whether they pitch or not.
We don't have a pitching rotation. We go with whomever is performing well recently and who looks good during warm-ups. We currently have 5 pitchers so there's always some grumbling in the stands about who's on the mound or why some pitchers get more leeway than others when they dig themselves into a hole.
We also have parents and players sign contracts so they know what we expect from them and what they can except from us. I think all-star teams are the easiest to manage in a sense because you don't have to sugarcoat things. The objective is to win. If we are all clear on that objective, then it is implicit in every decision we make that we are trying to achieve that goal.
We encourage volunteerism in every capacity from parents because Tapping into their strengths helps the team and makes conversations less awkward since we are already in communication on matters of all sorts in person andbthrough a mobile app (examples: coaching staff, team mom, your walk-up song DJ, scorekeepers, scoreboard, GameChanger, social media, apparel, etc.).
For players serious about trying to earn a position, we will supply them with a plan-of-action that has activities they can do on their own time to improve. They record their stats into a spreadsheet and the numbers automatically come to life in charts and graphs. Visual storytelling helps them to stay motivated and continue tracking their progress. This can have a transformative effect on players and parents alike.
I think there is a tendency to focus on a team's best players when you first start coaching and, as you gain experience, you come to realize that it's improving the other 2/3 of a team that has the most impact.
Team Rule:
The Pitchers have to throw 3 strikes out of seven pitches x times on Friday. In order to pitch on saturday.
Make sure you get with the board of your league and let them know about this parent.
All the comments about stats and spread sheets.
Not sure if his is house or travel. Even the travel ball girls in house are not throwing 4 strikes per 7 pitches
We don’t do the stats beyond balls/strikes but we have 3 girls that throw majority strikes. All our girls have been in lessons for the last two years though.
It has its moments like any kid. Mine got a strike out the other day on 3 called legit strikes and threw a decent amount. The other had a few strikes, but with the umps, not all strikes should be strikes either. Another girl was hitting the zone for 2 batters, then lost it for the rest of the inning.
My daughter has Turner’s syndrome which means she is tiny, like really tiny. She has had the worst strikes called against her so I get it. Strikezones are all over the place at this age lol.
No kidding. At a tournament last weekend, our ump for threes of the games called a ball at the numbers and a strike at the top of the helmet multiple times. I fully appreciate young umps and having to have patience, but just wow.
Give honest feedback. Tell them she’s not ready.
Problem is the parent sees us putting other girls in to get some practice and doesn't understand why here doesn't go in every time.
Use data. At the end of practice, invite any player who wants to pitch the weekend to pitch 10 - 20 throws and count strike %, location, or speed, depending on the level of the team. Have a metric where if you don't hit a certain number you don't get in the rotation. Send the player home with a scorecard.
I'm in favor of this because it also helps you as a coach, particularly if your kid is one of the players at that position.
Had a 10u girl like this. God forbid you put her in the outfield even for 1 inning. She refused to get in the "ready" position and even if all 3 coaches told her to move back or over for a leftie hitter, she'd just stand there and stare at you. Guess who didn't make All-Stars based solely on their attitude?
I think that meritocracy is more mporyant and nearly non existent nowadays. There should ideally be a mechanism where they can compete or “challenge” for spots. That’s how we used to do it in the old school days.
Very true. I also think that a player should not be real warded by playing a certain position if their attitude sucks elsewhere. I don't have the luxury of having a player bench unless they play the desired position.
Just told them unless their daughter can learn to be a team player she can’t be a pitcher. She is playing elsewhere to develop a better attitude.
So just to tag on to everyone else each week all my pitchers pitch a round of live pitch to my hitters. This serves two purposes the first is to get my hitters live pitching. The second is that each pitcher gets to see the whole lineup. They are rated on a few items each week. First pitch strike, how many times she hit the spot I called , total strike percentage and finally I rate attitude. If you get a few hits against you and fall apart you rate low but if you get smacked around and come Back and fight you rate higher. I do the same for hitters and fielding. I started this in 12u and now continue it in 14u. We measure a lot and I love my spreadsheets. It shows them how they progress far better than some random parent doing GameChanger. In 10u-14u improvement and attitude are far more important then outcome.
I had this situation this year (10u). I asked the parent if the kid practiced pitching at all (no). I pointed out that she didn’t attend any of the weekly pitching clinics our assoc. put on, and didn’t have a coach like some of the girls pitching regularly. I said that I was happy to give them info on these options and added that our two main pitches typically practice for 5-10 hours per week in addition to lessons and practices. I tried to be polite about it and let the facts speak for themselves.
Just be up front and have a chat with the parent. Coaches make the coaching decisions, and they decide what is best for the TEAM, not what is best for Sally Softball. Attendance is the bare minimum in life. Just showing up is expected for your commitments school, family, teams, worth. Attitude and effort count more than attendance because that's the easy thing. Learning how to: be coachable, be a good teammate, to succeed, to fail, to work hard, to try new things and get out of the comfort zone, and to to rise above the struggle or the disappointment at times is what sports are ALL about. Preparing kids for the real world. Pitching is the hardest thing to do. The rotation is the best thing for the team, learning multiple positions will make them well-rounded players with a better understanding of all positions and the game, which is the ultimate goal. And we can have fun too if we have a good attitude about it. Plenty of kids don't have the opportunity to play at all. Pointing them in the direction of a local pitching coach or some specific drills to work on if that is her ultimate goal is a good idea. Pitchers practice more than everybody else, forever.
Around here, if you don't show up to practice without a valid reason, you don't play the next game. Eventually, the bad apples will find a different basket.
If I’m coach here, I handle it this way: Broach the subject, respectfully and in private, with them after a practice. If they want to discuss ways their player can improve and earn starting/playing time in her preferred position, then great! Let’s have conversation about what she needs to do to show she is an asset to this team and deserves the consideration she thinks she does. That discussion is welcome, and I’ll look forward to seeing the changes this player makes to earn her time. However… Come at me critical of how I’m coaching this team, of the decisions I’m making to benefit ALL of the girls and improve each and every one of them? Nope. “Grab the stat book, here’s my cap, and don’t forget the schedule and call list. Enjoy your time coaching”. They signed on to be a part of this team, I expect them to respect my decisions. If they don’t, they have three choices: find another team, take over the coaching responsibilities, or sit down and keep their opinions to themselves. I’m not about to give the squeaky wheel the grease here. Sports should be a meritocracy, you earn your spot through both effort and attitude — and the attitude portion extends to families in attendance. Respect the coaches, or find another team.
Are we talking about rec ball, an all-star team, or a travel team? Excluding outside lessons, how much time is allowed for pitchers to work on their craft during practice? Is that time equal for all pitchers? How many of your coaches have daughters on the team that pitch? My approach to managing a team would differ if it were a rec vs. all-star vs. travel team, but as another person suggested, making data-based decisions makes your choices easier to explain when/if necessary. Using player metrics to fine-tune the batting order works wonders in my experience! With a 10u rec team, I think the goal is to make it safe and fun so they'll fall in love with the sport and return again next season. But regardless, we will work all pitchers equally in practice and we warm all of them up for games regardless of whether they pitch or not. We don't have a pitching rotation. We go with whomever is performing well recently and who looks good during warm-ups. We currently have 5 pitchers so there's always some grumbling in the stands about who's on the mound or why some pitchers get more leeway than others when they dig themselves into a hole. We also have parents and players sign contracts so they know what we expect from them and what they can except from us. I think all-star teams are the easiest to manage in a sense because you don't have to sugarcoat things. The objective is to win. If we are all clear on that objective, then it is implicit in every decision we make that we are trying to achieve that goal. We encourage volunteerism in every capacity from parents because Tapping into their strengths helps the team and makes conversations less awkward since we are already in communication on matters of all sorts in person andbthrough a mobile app (examples: coaching staff, team mom, your walk-up song DJ, scorekeepers, scoreboard, GameChanger, social media, apparel, etc.). For players serious about trying to earn a position, we will supply them with a plan-of-action that has activities they can do on their own time to improve. They record their stats into a spreadsheet and the numbers automatically come to life in charts and graphs. Visual storytelling helps them to stay motivated and continue tracking their progress. This can have a transformative effect on players and parents alike. I think there is a tendency to focus on a team's best players when you first start coaching and, as you gain experience, you come to realize that it's improving the other 2/3 of a team that has the most impact.
Present 1st pitch strikes WHIP Strike % HHB% “Here’s where your kid stacks up, this is why we need to figure out pitching”
Team Rule: The Pitchers have to throw 3 strikes out of seven pitches x times on Friday. In order to pitch on saturday. Make sure you get with the board of your league and let them know about this parent.
Everyone here is a lot more serious or has a lot better pitchers than we do in u11.
What do you mean?
All the comments about stats and spread sheets. Not sure if his is house or travel. Even the travel ball girls in house are not throwing 4 strikes per 7 pitches
We don’t do the stats beyond balls/strikes but we have 3 girls that throw majority strikes. All our girls have been in lessons for the last two years though.
We had 2 in lessons also for the winter. Some were talking about stats like whip and other advanced stuff.
Yeah we don’t do any of that. But if they take consistent lessons there is no reason they won’t be throwing 4/7 strikes pretty shortly.
It has its moments like any kid. Mine got a strike out the other day on 3 called legit strikes and threw a decent amount. The other had a few strikes, but with the umps, not all strikes should be strikes either. Another girl was hitting the zone for 2 batters, then lost it for the rest of the inning.
My daughter has Turner’s syndrome which means she is tiny, like really tiny. She has had the worst strikes called against her so I get it. Strikezones are all over the place at this age lol.
We have a girl this year that is December birthday and small besides that. I hate trying to pitch to her.
No kidding. At a tournament last weekend, our ump for threes of the games called a ball at the numbers and a strike at the top of the helmet multiple times. I fully appreciate young umps and having to have patience, but just wow.
Do the other pitchers show up to practice also?
Yes. This family also went on vacation for a week and when I had asked if the kid had pitched while gone, the kid told me "no."