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PerfectGame
55 Posts |
 Posted - 07/29/2010 : 09:18:22
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We are new to travel ball. My son has been offered a spot on a few different teams. I have some basic questions for the coach/manager but was wondering if anybody here might know some good questions that I may not know to ask. We feel travel ball is a huge commitment and don't want to walk into it blindly. I'm not even sure "interviewing" the coach is typical but I don't see any other way to determine the best situation for my son.
Thanks for your help! |
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DecaturDad
619 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2010 : 11:42:30
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As a dad whos son moved to travel ball two years ago, you need to ask questions. This will be a big part of your life, make sure it is a team you are comfortable with.
-Do you want a team where freindships come first or winning? (You may not get both)
-What level will the team be playing? I assume if he is new, it will be AA or maybe AAA.
-Where does the coach see your son fitting in skill wise? Top 20%? bottom 30%? or the middle? They all have advantages, but you should have some idea.
-Will your son get a lot of playing time, or will he spand a fair amount of time in the bench. Travel ball is not rec ball. Kids do not get equal time. Some teams make playing time a higher priority then others. But it will never be 100% equal.
I am sure there are plenty more. Also, the age of your son makes a difference. My son will be 10U this fall. If he was older, I may have other questions.
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12uCoach
357 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2010 : 12:07:23
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Ask about goals and how the coach hopes to achieve them.
Does the coach teach his players to play 9 positions, or once the starters are picked, they will never see another position (except pitcher).
Does the coach plan to add kids next year, or does he want to keep the same 12 (or 10, or 11, or 22)?
What's the tournament philosophy February to Memorial Day? How about June and July?
Does the coach want to play any league or pick-up games? Why or why not.
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mrbama31
252 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2010 : 12:38:26
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What is the $ commitment
How much over night travel is expected?
how many weekends a month will they play?
Will your team play holiday weekends...mothers day, 4th of july, memorial day etc
What will be the policy/idea on picking up players during the season.
Team practices..how many a week, days etc
How many players will your team have?
What is the coaches style of coaching..high energy..laid back..screamer..cussing
Ultimately what are some of the teams goals in regard to achievements and level of play
will this be an everybody plays and bats team or is this going to be the best 9 play and bat team.
What does the coach see as your sons strengths a and weaknesses...
What is the teams strengths and weakness and how does that match up with your sons
Ask the coach what he feels like are his strengths and weaknesses as a coach.
hope some of these will help |
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coach0512
123 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2010 : 13:41:26
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I ask the following:
What are the teams goals and how will you achieve them? (Are they aligned with what you want to do this season)
How many tournaments are you expecting to play?(Can gauge the total games to be played and is that too much or too little for you)
At what level will you play-AA,AAA,Major?(Is the team playing at the same skill level as you think your son should be playing)
What did you see in my sons tryout that you liked and did not like?(Lets you know if the coach has the ability to pick out a players strengths and weaknesses)
What is your philosophy on playing position and time? (Will he be giving players chances to earn other playing positions or will he just put his favorites where he wants them whether they are the best for that spot or not)
How does my sons hitting compare to your other players and do you have any thoughts on where he would bat? (Lets you know if the coach is able to pick out good mechanics and hitters and knows where to place them in the order)
What is your and the other coaches backgrounds in baseball? (Will your son be coached by well meaning, and in lots of cases very talented, dads or by coaches who have played at higher levels of ball)
Then you should ask other parents who have played for that coach, if you can, if he has the ability to transfer his baseball knowledge to young kids. Some coaches have all the knowledge in the world but can not communicate well with young kids and transfer that knowledge so whats the use?
Then, most importantly, ask your son if he wants to play with that team. This is the deciding factor. If your son does a 2 day tryout with the team and none of the returning players or other candidates talks to him or makes him feel comfortable, find another team.
Let me expand a little on the ability of the coach to pick out a good player in spite of what happens at tryouts: On any given day a kid could have a fantastic tryout or a crummy tryout. The coach has to have the ability to know a player is good even if his tryout stunk. They should be able to separate excellent pitching mechanics from the result of the pitch. Several pitches might be out of the strike zone that day but if the mechanics were solid the coach should be able to see that the kid is a good pitcher having a bad day. More important than the wayward pitches should be how the kid reacts to struggling. Does he give up or does he stay with his mechanics and fight back?
Same with hitting. He might hit 2 or 3 poor shots and 1 or 2 average shots but if the swing mechanics are very strong the coach should be able to see that and ignore the resulting hit.
I have seen very strong players have weak tryouts and get passed over then those players come back and decimate the team that let them go.
Be wary of a team that touts one of its players constantly. If they are doing that at tryouts then during the season your son will only be part of a support system for that player.
My son was offered a spot on a high AAA, pushing Major level this season, team and turned it down because the entire two days of tryouts all he heard was the coaches and parents saying how incredible one kid was. They stroked that kids ego constantly. He hits the long ball but does not pitch, can not field well and his throwing is always off target. But since he hits the long ball he was worshipped. He either fouled off or hit it to the fence so personally, if I was the coach of the other team, I would intentionally walk the kid and ignore him. But thats another topic......... |
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PerfectGame
55 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2010 : 14:21:09
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Thank you!
These are great questions. Some I had already written down but you have all provided me with additional questions that I would certainly want answers to.
Although I think there are some good aspects of travel ball I am still very wary. I don't like a lot of what I see, especially at such a young age (the politics and lobbying by parents is nuts!) but he really wants to give it a try so we are going to try to find the very best fit for him.
Would it be offensive if I were to ask the coach what HIS credentials are and what the credentials of his coaching staff are? I've been told the "big" reason to go travel ball is better coaching. While I see some teams that do have really good coaches, some are just the same old Daddy Ball guys from the rec league who happened to get a travel team. I'm not really willing to pay for that mess ... or put up with the semantics that will likely ensue throughout the season. Can I ask that question?
I appreciate the help! |
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baseballready
188 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2010 : 16:20:27
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| Definitely MUST ask that question. If coach is offended because you want to know his background before entrusting your son to him, run away! |
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atlbaseball
17 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2010 : 20:33:06
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quote:
Originally posted by PerfectGame
Thank you!
These are great questions. Some I had already written down but you have all provided me with additional questions that I would certainly want answers to.
Although I think there are some good aspects of travel ball I am still very wary. I don't like a lot of what I see, especially at such a young age (the politics and lobbying by parents is nuts!) but he really wants to give it a try so we are going to try to find the very best fit for him.
Would it be offensive if I were to ask the coach what HIS credentials are and what the credentials of his coaching staff are? I've been told the "big" reason to go travel ball is better coaching. While I see some teams that do have really good coaches, some are just the same old Daddy Ball guys from the rec league who happened to get a travel team. I'm not really willing to pay for that mess ... or put up with the semantics that will likely ensue throughout the season. Can I ask that question?
I appreciate the help!
You need to ask that question, coaches should be able to provide you with a bio and then once they do google them...you would be amazed how creative some get! |
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coach0512
123 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2010 : 20:51:17
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Definitely ask his credentials. If he is offended, run away to another team.
I fully understand your apprehension and you are 100% correct about how nuts it is with the parents jockeying for teams and positions.
But if you ask the questions as suggested, if your son likes the kids on the team, and you realize it is much more important to play with a team your son likes and where he gets playing time then you can avoid the "Nuts" and have a great experience in travel ball. |
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longhornpapa
27 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2010 : 08:03:37
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Please pardon the testimonial...
listen to 12ucoach. it took a while, but i did.
actually, at first, i heard what he said. two years of mediocre ball clubs that were "fun" for the kid. finally found the best fit overall. listened to what the coaches said. asked questions. questioned alot of the things. sometimes found myself (as other parents did) questioning the judgement of the head coach. wondered what the heck we had done. always kept my mouth closed. he's the coach. i wasn't.
the kids had a blast. they worked the butts off all season. there were good wins and bad losses. but it was always positive and when's the next game.
In the end, he knew what he was doing.
And, last weekend, they won the 15u perfect game World Wood Bat Assn NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Afterwards, I called to thank him and to tell him I finally "got it".
Listen to those who've been there.
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Edited by - longhornpapa on 07/30/2010 08:51:20 |
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gabulldogs
29 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2010 : 08:46:00
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quote:
Originally posted by PerfectGame
Thank you!
These are great questions. Some I had already written down but you have all provided me with additional questions that I would certainly want answers to.
Although I think there are some good aspects of travel ball I am still very wary. I don't like a lot of what I see, especially at such a young age (the politics and lobbying by parents is nuts!) but he really wants to give it a try so we are going to try to find the very best fit for him.
Would it be offensive if I were to ask the coach what HIS credentials are and what the credentials of his coaching staff are? I've been told the "big" reason to go travel ball is better coaching. While I see some teams that do have really good coaches, some are just the same old Daddy Ball guys from the rec league who happened to get a travel team. I'm not really willing to pay for that mess ... or put up with the semantics that will likely ensue throughout the season. Can I ask that question?
I appreciate the help!
Sorry my last post did not take. I think you should ask that question for sure. Unfortunately you will only get the answer that you want to hear and not saying it will always turn out the opposite, but they wont tell you there is Daddy ball going on for they truly believe that they don't play Daddy ball. Most of the coaches are pretty good, but there are A LOT out there that get and keep a travel team for their kid is not good enough to tryout and get on one so they have to coach in order for them to make a team. Unfortunately you will not know this until after you get started, so my advise would be at tryouts, find out which kid is the head coaches and see how good he is. If he is mediocre at best, run for he will have the best position on the field and never see the bench no matter how good or bad he plays. Trust me it is a fun time, but it can be very hard at times. Hope you have a thick skin...Good Luck. |
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bmoser
1633 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2010 : 10:19:05
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Gabulldogs said: "...at tryouts, find out which kid is the head coaches and see how good he is. If he is mediocre at best, run..."
Agree 1000%. Most teams my son was on where the Coaches son was one of the better players, the season was great. Most times we got onto a team where the Coaches son was not a top player, it was a trying time. My son only had 1 exception in last 4 years of year round travel ball...about 8 Coaches. This goes for the Assistants too, so watch them at tryout as well.
IMHO...not all these Coaches and Assistant coaches of the less talented players are doing this on purpose. Some are just like non-coaching parents, they cant see where their son really fits in. Kind of like the movie Sixth Sense where you cant see something as its happening, but once you look back from a different perspective, the light comes on.
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Edited by - bmoser on 07/30/2010 10:53:30 |
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WPBulls Coach
99 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2010 : 15:14:06
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Some Other Questions:
How long have you coached this team?
You can do some background checking.
What positions do the coaches sons play?
I had a very good friend whose son tried out for our team at 13U and was a catcher. I was honest with him because 3 of our catchers were coaches sons and I didn't see him getting to catch as much as he wanted or should.
What has the player turnover been like? Why?
There are many reasons, good and bad; but it is best to know ahead of time.
How long do you plan to keep the team together?
Depending upon your plans you might not want to get involved with a one and done team. |
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ECB_Insider
54 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2010 : 15:48:41
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One component not talked about, but is important as well is how good of a game manager is the coaching staff. I see a lot of teams that have good talent, and the coaches do a lot of good things, but get beat in key games because they don't know how to think 2 steps ahead.
This can make for a challenging season as well. It can run you out of tournaments and never allow you to get in all the games you could. Especially if you plan to play many wood bat tournaments. That takes a different approach, contrary to popular belief.
Unfortunately this takes watching them coach games to see. If you make a priority list, see if you can catch them playing games. |
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smartplay
5 Posts |
Posted - 07/30/2010 : 21:06:25
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That is another facet nobody is talking about. Everybody is so focused on the daddy ball, rightfully so, it does exist, even at East Cobb, mainly in the younger age groups. By 12 yo daddy coach is like a weak player, you can't hide him. He gets out coached, his players fall behind, even the good ones he was able to recruit. Soon everybody sees it, an it's time to move on. But to what, which is kind of the answer to your point.
The best coaches are going to be the coaches who have played the game at a higher level. If your son was going to be Soccer player, Diving, swimming, wrestling, lacrosse, whatever...the best intentions of a dad coach with no experience other than coaching an All star team ain't going to cut it. Anybody can hit grounders and have them throw it to first. Anybody can be a 1st or 3rd base coach. NOTHING beats a coach who has lived it and understands it and played it. Sorry!! Youger ages parents, don't get caught in what level they are playing. That is a "COACH EGO" problem. Really listen to what some of the folks are saying on these post regarding teams, coaches, try outs, etc..Be very aware of coaches who don't have any experience playing baseball and are trying to play at the highest level,, it's a recipe for disaster. |
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ECB_Insider
54 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2010 : 18:25:35
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Smartplay,
The only thing I disagree with is that the best coaches are the ones that have played at a higher level.
Two myths:
1) all former ball players make good coaches.
2) if you did not play ball after HS, you don't have the knowledge to be a highly competitive coach.
It comes down to being a good student of the game and knowing how to convey information to players. Sometimes players that played well did so on natural talent and don't know what it means to have to work at being good.
My main point is, a coaches coaching experience is more important to me than their playing experience. I see coaches get an auto pass because they "played in the pros" but don't do as good of a job at managing a team or their games.
Do your research. |
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smartplay
5 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2010 : 00:45:32
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Ok, There are the exceptions. I can agree and live with that. I was talking from what I have seen in years of travel ball. In this day an age, the pressure put on these kids/ATHLETES a ex-player/coach can help a kid work through a slump, mechanics, etc.. more than a just a dad/I got a travel ball team type. I know what you are saying. There are those are special people, an easy to tell the difference between from what everyone is talking about.
"But he must have played for a great HS coach!!"" LOL Heres my homework.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/
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Alter-Ego
802 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2010 : 11:24:53
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Smartplay,
I think what ecb_insider is trying to emphasize is the auto pass a lot of former players get. The best combination is for a head coach, who is a good game manager (knows how to manage pitchers, subs, calling plays strategically, etc.) to have two asst's that can help with development of pitching, fielding, and hitting. The asst's should have played and still know how to demonstrate what they are teaching.
It sounds like you are both on the same page but arguing two different points. One being development and one being game management. |
Edited by - Alter-Ego on 08/01/2010 13:57:22 |
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smartplay
5 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2010 : 23:14:22
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I noticed that there are 2 ECB insiders. Who is the real insider??? One seems to be a 10U person/Coach. The other is someone that seems to have been around a while. I will take take the "been around a while". I can relate to him better. |
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AA17Dad
211 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2010 : 10:40:31
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quote:
Originally posted by PerfectGame
We are new to travel ball. My son has been offered a spot on a few different teams. I have some basic questions for the coach/manager but was wondering if anybody here might know some good questions that I may not know to ask. We feel travel ball is a huge commitment and don't want to walk into it blindly. I'm not even sure "interviewing" the coach is typical but I don't see any other way to determine the best situation for my son.
Thanks for your help!
I recommend " Water Boarding " all potentail coaches.....just kidding, but I do think a good point to make is that you expect the coach to take his committment as seriously as he expects you too. |
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Questions for a Travel Ball Coach
