| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| BREAMKING |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 16:22:27
Was wondering how many parents are paying a hitting coach, pitching coach, etc...?
Was wondering if most parents are putting out the big bucks for this or just taking the time to do it themselves. Seems to me the fun in your kid playing ball is the time spent helping him get better. I hope when he gets my age looking back he can remember all the good times like I do with my dad. |
| 22 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Rocky |
Posted - 01/13/2010 : 09:18:36
It is my opinion the older the more important for private instruction. Usually a 14 and up player can change a swing mechanic into muscle memory in 1 or 2 sessions, a younger player say 8 to 12 may take a whole season. |
| 6bomber |
Posted - 01/10/2010 : 21:17:16
i totally agree. we've met individuals that have given so much positive info without any comp. those who just want to pass along
the correct knowledge. whether you pay or not as long as the kids
learn and work on the correct skills it is a bonus.
props also goes to the dads putting in the time and effort.
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| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 01/10/2010 : 13:17:00
The only way it is a waste of time is if the instruction you are getting is not beneficial to the player. I would never recommend instruction for the sake of instruction, because I see a lot of guys out there I would not have my son receive free instruction from, much less pay for, because of what they are teaching.
On the flip side, there are some instructors that anyone taking instruction from them would benefit because of what they teach.
If you play for coaches that have advanced experienced, then you are lucky. 90% of all kids don't play for coaches that have that much experience. Most of the time it is dads who are putting in a lot of time to coach the kids. If that is the case, you can't rely totally on them to provide all the instruction your kid needs. |
| DecaturDad |
Posted - 01/10/2010 : 10:07:14
When my son first started pitching, I paid for lessons. Why? To help make sure he was using do it right. Not so much to make him a better pitcher, but to make sure he did not hurt his arm. |
| 6bomber |
Posted - 01/09/2010 : 21:12:59
i personally have never paid for ind. instruction.(lack of funds).
been lucky enough to have coaches with alot of college ex. at
different levels. with a couple with minor league ex.
I've heard both side of the spectrum, for some it can be a
positive while others a waste of time. |
| baseballpapa |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 23:18:50
baseballpapa hardly ever disagrees with 10bb but he would be the first to tell you that he knows how I feel about my family. My grandson's are very lucky in that they have so many people supporting them in whatever they attempt to do. I thought from the beginning that 10bb was only pointing out that some of us treat travel ball like a vacation and we all know we all can't afford a vacation every weekend. He was just pointing out ways to save money and still play baseball.
I think we all should do what best serves our family. Some families use this baseball time to get closer to one another. For me I would always want my lovely wife to be beside me wherever I am and as long as I have the dough will fork it out so she can be there. For the ones of you that have met me at the park you obviously know that I married over my head and I don't intend to let her get away now after almost 40 years of marriage.
10BB is a fine young man and I admire and respect the way he is raising his sons. |
| PS Iron Pigs |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 22:00:00
10BB: I give props to every single man out there that has his children's best interests at heart! |
| 10 BB |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 12:37:05
You guys like to make it out as if Im saying that baseball shouldn't be about family. I was trying to show ways to save money and still play Travelball. My reference to the wives staying at home had nothing to do with me not wanting the mothers that are as passionate about baseball as I am being there. No I do not have a wife and am proud of that fact and because of it I have become a better father. |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 12:09:26
Love,
I don't like that conflict of interest, either. If a coach has a team, part of the point of being on that team should be the expectation of the coach to instruct the kids, as a group, or individually, to the point that is going to make them the most successful. If a coach is paid, that should be increasingly so.
I could see it a little bit more if it was a non-dad coach that is volunteering but offers private lessons on the side.
I still think there needs to be regular practicing as a team to work on development. |
| PS Iron Pigs |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 10:52:57
Amen Alter-Ego. I'm on the other end of your spectrum. My father was always one the coaching staff of the teams I was on. (On a side note, it isn't easy being a coaches son, so when you coaches are out there playing "daddy-ball" remember, you're not doing your kid an favors!) My dad is the reason I'm so involved with my son and his personal growth, whether it's baseball or anything else that's important to him. My wife has a full-time job and goes to college, but still makes every effort to make each and ever game we play, and she's not even his biological mother! But if you want to meet my sons real mom, don't come looking for her at any of our games. But I guess that topic is for a seperate website forum! :) |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 10:06:22
Just want to clarify that baseballpapa is disagreeing with 10bb's reference to families going to tournaments. Anyone knows me knows that 90% of the time I am at the park, my wife is with me. Even when we go over to watch the Perfect Game Tournaments. As my wife said, "We didn't have kids to not be there for all their activities." I married a woman that loves baseball as much as I do.
The one thing my dad always said was he wishes he would have had more time to be involved in more of our activities growing up. Because of that, I make sure to do as many things with my kids as I can. |
| bmoser |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 09:40:41
The other side of this question is NOT paying for instruction. I see Coaches/Dads are who unconsciously incompetent. They don't even realize that they don't know enough to develop their son any further along, so they don't pursue professional instruction.
There is wisdom in knowing what you don't know.
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| loveforthegame25 |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 23:13:11
What i dont agree with is teams that dont schedule alot of practice time, and the coaches are emailing the teams parents saying they are offering lessons. I may be in the minority but i dont believe in players having to pay their own coaches for lessons. |
| baseballpapa |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 23:05:15
Alter-Ego: I mean this in a very good way but I care a lot less about what they are learning than I do the time that I get to spend with them doing something that all of us seems to enjoy. You'll know more of what I am talking about when you get older. Time is precious and when I realize that more of mine is behind me than ahead of me it makes the time I spend with my family even more special.
You all know that I love 10U baseball but this is why I disagree with him on the wife thing. The travel baseball we do is about being together as a family and you can have all of my money as long as you don't take the time spent with them away from me. And when I say family it includes all of the Bandit family because this is what they are. I hope the New Year brings you all the joy and happiness that being around these fine people has brought me. |
| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 14:32:10
baseballpapa,
You are right, it is great to take those coach pitch kids and work with them developing all those foundational fundamentals that they can build on later.
The problem is 95% of parents can't teach their kids past the basics. That is where the paid training comes in. That does not mean there will not be things the parents learn during these lessons that they can work with their kids on in between lessons. |
| baseballpapa |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 12:13:55
Or you could do it like Papa and teach the instructors so that they can teach my grandchildren what Papa taught them. I am getting to be an older man but still look forward to every session of catch we can work in. I have been throwing to these boys since they were 3 years old and for a long while every single day.
Now I have a new generation of Coach pitch grandkids coming along and hope to be able to hold out long enough to help them through the same way I helped the first 2 through.
My dream is that it will be as much fun with the next 2 as it was the first 2. I have been involved in every single inning of my grandson's games that was possible and as long as I can crawl to the baseball fields will be there until I can't go any more.
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| SMASH |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 11:42:20
Dad says,"Son, keep your weight back" What the kid hears, "Son, your doing it all wrong again". Instructor say's, "Johnny, keep your weight back" What the kid hears, "Johnny, stay back, feel the weight on your back side" It"s not so much about what is being taught but how it is perceived by the kid. At this level of travel ball kids are more apt to learn from a third party, professional Instructor. It's as much about focus and proper mindset as it is fundamentals and mechanics. Todays kids are advancing at a fast rate. If you want to keep up with the Jones's and maximize your kids potential I suggest looking into private instruction. Baseball is a game of repetition and muscle memory. As with most things in life, "Preparation is the key to success"
With all this being said, Dads, continue to work with your sons. Private instruction does not replace the Father-Son time that is so important to their developement. The two relationships can and do exist together. One last peice of advice if I may. Dads, remember to always keep the game FUN. When practice, training, or lessons become a chore or a negative experience, the kid will loose interest and desire. Positive incouragement will drive them to want to get better, not constant criticism. Happy Holidays to all!
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| Alter-Ego |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 09:41:07
As I brought up in another thread, my son goes to lessons. Both pitching and hitting. There gets to a point, for most parents, that the players progress past the skill set you can help them with. They eventually know more about mechanics than you do. (If you don't believe it, get up there and do it yourself to see if you can do it.)
While I can watch his instructors and mimick some of the drills, which definately need to be done between lessons, rarely can I see the detailed fixes that need to be done. I understand them when they are pointed out, but don't always see them ahead of time.
It's kind of why many coaches can be successful through 13U but struggle after that. It is not that they all of a sudden because bad coaches, it is because the game, and players, got past the basics of what needed to be taught and they just don't know the advanced pieces to teach. I think people forget that sometimes.
It is just hard to compete at a Major or Elite level without advanced training. It is also hard to benefit from training if you don't work on it between sessions. That is where the parents come in. There is always something we can do with them to help them develop. It just may be as a supplimentary role. |
| TAZ980002 |
Posted - 12/29/2009 : 09:27:34
I take my kids to lessons when I see them struggling with pitching or hitting and it's not getting better with my help or the team's practices. This off-season I have 2 of them going every Monday until practices start up in Jan or Feb. It ends up costing me about $70/week during this off season but like Breamking said, I have a lot of fun spending time with them while they are getting better. Heck, if I take my whole family to the movies, it costs me more than $70 with the popcorn, candy and drinks. Ooh, and nachos !! |
| touchemall |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 22:55:41
Lessons will never replace the time father and son spend together. My son takes lessons in the off season but not during the travel season at this time. So far it works but if he needs some lessons during the season and he is willing to work towards correcting issues he is having then we may change it up a little. We still sneak off to the park or the front yard and toss the ball or hit the cage. The difference is now that he plays travel ball and I believe in the organization he is part of and its' coaches, I can work on the father son relationship and not on his swing or throwing motion. Some parents know more about the game and some rely on outside resources. I got to a point where I no longer knew what to teach him on the field and knew if he were to progress someone else would need to do it. I will happily turn that over to someone who does know and pay the price. There are plenty of other areas in the development of my son outside of baseball that I would rather focus my energies on (family, school, church, etc.) which I feel I can be more helpful in. |
| bballman |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 22:22:04
We do lessons for pitching and hitting. More pitching. I realized when my son turned about 9 that he needed more than I could offer. Prior to that we played catch and worked on some basic fundamentals all the time. Had a lot of fun. Since he started taking lessons, we have played catch and worked on fundamentals all the time. Still have a lot of fun. He is 16 and we still go out and play catch. I still catch bullpens for him and give him advice on his mechanics.
Going to the lessons has taught me a lot about pitching as well that I can take to the field and work with him on. It doesn't have to be one or the other. A big difference at this point is that he has far surpassed me. We do long toss in the off season and I have to bounce the ball back to him. Catching bullpens is not easy anymore either. 86 mph fastball with movement and a wicked breaking ball have left a few marks on the shins.
Lessons don't have to take away from what you do with your son. It can actually enhance it if you continue to do what you always do with him. |
| bmoser |
Posted - 12/28/2009 : 22:05:15
$30/half hour hitting or pitching. They know a lot more than I do about it. I brought my son as far as I could on my own, then needed to get professional help.
quote:
Originally posted by BREAMKING
Was wondering how many parents are paying a hitting coach, pitching coach, etc...?
Was wondering if most parents are putting out the big bucks for this or just taking the time to do it themselves. Seems to me the fun in your kid playing ball is the time spent helping him get better. I hope when he gets my age looking back he can remember all the good times like I do with my dad.
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