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FLABB
183 Posts |
 Posted - 04/03/2012 : 10:56:19
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| Any thoughts on top coaches in the southeast? Does not have to be a winning team as we are trying to get recognition to some good ones out there for a future BA article. Feel free to throw in other age group leaders. |
Edited by - FLABB on 04/03/2012 10:56:59 |
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BballNut
73 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2012 : 17:25:13
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My definition of "Top" is good temperament, player assignment based on skill level, teaching ability, encourages players (even when mistakes are made), and team improvement year over year.
In no certain order:
Mike Kirksey - East Cobb Braves
D'Wayne Hulbert - Georgia Grays
Steve Sisk - Hobgood Thrashers
Brett Stovern - Shiloh Titans
Derrick Simon - Stealth Bombers
Steve Gates - East Cobb Stars
Mike Hostetler - East Cobb Rays
Lester Miller - Middle Georgia Moccasins
Kent Hamrock -Alpharetta Titans
There are others, but these stand out IMO. |
Edited by - BballNut on 04/03/2012 17:30:39 |
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ecbinsider
318 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2012 : 21:35:52
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I think you need to break up the categories, some don't belong on a list but it makes no sense on listing them.
Best Temperment - Hobgood, 643 & Alpharetta Titans.
Year over Year Improvement - Hobgood, Alpahretta Titans, EC Spartans & EC Longhorns
Teaching Ability - 643, Rays, EC Spartans.
My vote for top coach is Chris Healy from the Spartans, does more with less compared to every other team on your list bballnut.
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T13
257 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2012 : 22:25:45
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| Diamond Bears Baseball - Chris Alford.... He ain't paid, he ain't an old pro, but he's beat lots of professional coaches with kids from the same park for years! |
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ivpartner
80 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2012 : 16:13:20
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All of the coaches mentioned are deserving. My son plays for one of them currently. I would add a name however to the group for 12U or really any age.
CJ NITKOWSKI - Alpharetta Braves. It is a new team and not a major. He also coaches a high school team with Paul Byrd. CJ is a high character, incredibly knowledgeable (17 year major league career), and extremely well balanced coach. He has an uncanny ability to communicate and motivate players. He teaches with uncompromising principles. I hope he continues to coach and will coach a major team next year. He will never have trouble finding parents or players to play for him. |
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jaxbaseball13u@live.com
101 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2012 : 16:50:54
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Two from North Florida but in 13u:
Terrance Freeman from Jax Warriors - knowledgeable and instructional
Billy Bone from North Florida Rays - great tempermant and well run, precise and fundamental practices
As for 12u in our area Tony Gibbs with WDYA Warriors has done most with less and has developed some great talent. Only AA I believe but no doubt moving into AAA ranks and will be a major force if they remain together. Not a paid coach, very humble unlike some in our area and doing it for the love of the game and not himself.
There are some solid 12u teams that with better coaching and fundamentals could go far but no other standouts or all star coaches. There are some all star talkers and recruiters with one sided type substance and development. A little humility goes a long way in this game. |
Edited by - jaxbaseball13u@live.com on 04/04/2012 17:01:27 |
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geek
11 Posts |
Posted - 04/04/2012 : 18:41:43
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A little Hollywood trivia - CJ's name appears in the movie MoneyBall. They are looking at a list of potential players to draft and CJ's is listed.....
I have heard good things about him from an old friend who's son plays for him. |
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field6
72 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2012 : 13:18:13
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| Not to stir the pot. You find your best coaches in the smaller communities. The talent pool to pick from is a smaller pot. Small town teams with good records have the best coaches. Let's take a less talented pool of kids and coach these kids up. Then I can honestly look at one and say....That's a good coach. Give me the best of the best I show you how to win, give me the not so best of the best and win....now that's a coach. |
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jaxbaseball13u@live.com
101 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2012 : 13:52:34
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Great point field6 but what about in a big city when all the talent is all spread out? Usually you have one dominant team then the rest. We have found that the better coaches are with the lesser talented teams and they do improve over time.
quote:
Originally posted by field6
Not to stir the pot. You find your best coaches in the smaller communities. The talent pool to pick from is a smaller pot. Small town teams with good records have the best coaches. Let's take a less talented pool of kids and coach these kids up. Then I can honestly look at one and say....That's a good coach. Give me the best of the best I show you how to win, give me the not so best of the best and win....now that's a coach.
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BangTheBox
121 Posts |
Posted - 04/05/2012 : 15:09:24
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Have to agree with you on all three. I will add one Coach Stubbs from the CBC Riverhawks.
On the other point. Isn't funny how you hear some talk a good game and are far out coached by the humble ones win or lose.
quote:
Originally posted by jaxbaseball13u@live.com
Two from North Florida but in 13u:
Terrance Freeman from Jax Warriors - knowledgeable and instructional
Billy Bone from North Florida Rays - great tempermant and well run, precise and fundamental practices
As for 12u in our area Tony Gibbs with WDYA Warriors has done most with less and has developed some great talent. Only AA I believe but no doubt moving into AAA ranks and will be a major force if they remain together. Not a paid coach, very humble unlike some in our area and doing it for the love of the game and not himself.
There are some solid 12u teams that with better coaching and fundamentals could go far but no other standouts or all star coaches. There are some all star talkers and recruiters with one sided type substance and development. A little humility goes a long way in this game.
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bankerheel
34 Posts |
Posted - 04/06/2012 : 19:03:12
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quote:
Originally posted by ivpartner
All of the coaches mentioned are deserving. My son plays for one of them currently. I would add a name however to the group for 12U or really any age.
CJ NITKOWSKI - Alpharetta Braves. It is a new team and not a major. He also coaches a high school team with Paul Byrd. CJ is a high character, incredibly knowledgeable (17 year major league career), and extremely well balanced coach. He has an uncanny ability to communicate and motivate players. He teaches with uncompromising principles. I hope he continues to coach and will coach a major team next year. He will never have trouble finding parents or players to play for him.
Having coached against CJ in a game last month I whole heartily agree with your comments. Although my team won 1-0, his team should have won if not a blown call on a 2-run homerun that was ruled foul.
At no time did I witness anything but professionalism and respect for the game and his players responded accordingly. I overheard him tell his team to not worry about the bad call, and that comes with the territory and to control what you can control.
In my 4 years of coaching travel ball, and having played major Div 1 baseball and being drafted, I find that the more experience a coach has in the higher ranks of baseball ( as demonstrated by CJs 17 years of MLB experience) are inversely related to how much they care about winning vs developing players for the long term.
The discussions on this board by some fans and coaches around teams, players shed light on how much they really don't get the true purpose of travel ball.
Hats off to CJ, I wish there were more coaches out there like him. |
Edited by - bankerheel on 04/06/2012 22:10:53 |
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maryland
96 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2012 : 16:14:56
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| Bucky Smith and Ryan Davis assistant coaches for Georgia Scrappers. Former college players giving back to the kids and do a great job with teaching and development. Totally agree with the comments for CJ. Never know CJ, Bucky and Ryan could be a great coaching staff for next year. They know each other and play out of same ball park. |
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bb4life
20 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 12:50:04
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| I think you should remove those coaches from the list who have a habit of getting tossed from games and that use tactics aimed at getting into the heads of 12 year olds . Don't think beating a lot of professional coaches (whatever that is suppose to mean) is a good way to recognize a good coach. A better way would be player development, character exhibited on and off the field, ability to keep a group of players together for several years, and doesn't engage in player tampering at the park. (soliciting players on other teams) |
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peashooter
297 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 15:15:34
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The true measure would be how his players do in 5 years (not only baseball, attitude, hustle, grades...those are all part of what a good coach should stress) , and how long he had each player. That is the only way. Pralgo has a good record there.
I know for me, I want to come back in 5 years and see some of my kids being successfull in HS games, knowing how to field a dead ball bunt, lead-offs, etc...Of course my heart will break if I see them going back to bad habits after I have coached them 8-) |
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BangTheBox
121 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2012 : 16:55:20
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That knocks out a ton here in NE Fla. quote:
Originally posted by bb4life
I think you should remove those coaches from the list who have a habit of getting tossed from games and that use tactics aimed at getting into the heads of 12 year olds . Don't think beating a lot of professional coaches (whatever that is suppose to mean) is a good way to recognize a good coach. A better way would be player development, character exhibited on and off the field, ability to keep a group of players together for several years, and doesn't engage in player tampering at the park. (soliciting players on other teams)
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jaxbaseball13u@live.com
101 Posts |
Posted - 05/01/2012 : 09:20:33
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To keep up the positive coaches subject matter. You have to go with the Blue Claws Navy coaches for the same reason. Successful in rec ball and transferred it to travel ball with success as well. Done so with same core group. Players that are not with the team are playing key roles with other teams that shows the coaching credo is working. The Blue Claws black team is making noise with a win over Stealth and keep on chugging along. They may be the best 12u out of the two on any given day.
You cannot ask for a better cat than old Coach Rusak he knows just enough about baseball to be dangerous but to coach is an art and he is a Rare da Vinci.
Thanks Coaches.
quote:
Originally posted by DecaturDad
We have a coach that I truely think is one of the best: Bo Broom with the Decatur Vipers. I was at the local rec field last night, looking at a banner from an 8U all star tournament 4 years ago. Six of the kids on the banner are still with the team today. The team name has changed over the years. But the core group of kids and coaches has stayed the same. We have never had an open try out and have moved from all-star to AAA with good coaching and local kids.
Thanks coaches Bo, Rob and Kelley
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Edited by - jaxbaseball13u@live.com on 05/01/2012 10:07:48 |
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