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3strikesurout
2 Posts |
 Posted - 07/28/2009 : 12:40:24
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As our season came to an end, I have had a lot of time to reflect on what this game must mean to my 9 year old and as I look to next year.. what’s important??? Winning ball games or development.. I say developing young men every time..
Would you let your child play for a veteran Coach (10+ years exp), with parents that whine whine whine...but the team has great talent?? Or do you let your child play for the newbie Coach (3 years exp), that has mediocre talent on his team but wants to develop and build the kids into something great? One thing is for sure the newbie coach.. cares for my son.. wants to develop his game and generally has his best interests at heart. No drama on his team
The veteran coach, struggles to find a balance with the pissing and moaning that goes on from the parents, and makes decisions based on ease.. he hates going against the grain.. However, the kids do win.. so he is doing something right.. Hard to argue hes a good coach.. just not sure he has it in him to pull out and remove the drama
How do you strike the balance between winning ballgames.. and keeping your child interested in a game at such a young age with a good mentor?? If you ask my son.. He wants to win ball games.. How do I teach him that in the long run its not the amount of ball games you have won.. or that your on the best of the best team.. What really matters at 9 is that you develop for the years to come.. if he so chooses to go further than travel ball..
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Edited by - 3strikesurout on 07/28/2009 12:48:59 |
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knucklecurve
171 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2009 : 14:37:13
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| No drama and a coach who has your kids best interest at heart is the way to go at this age!!!! You don't want your kid to burn out before it even matters. It sounds like this coach only cares about winning. If he can't find the balance now, I don't think he is going to continue to be a sucessful coach when it really matters and it REALLY doesn't matter at such a young age. We did the same with our son after his 10 year season. What matters now is, are they playing enough in multiple positions and does the coach know how to coach 12 differnet boys(personalities). I don't know how you explain it to your son...... I just told my son that we are the parents and know what is best for him. The drama and bad decisions get in the way of learning and a pleasant experience for the rest of the family. We keep taking this "travel ball" one season at a time. What worked for your son one year may not be the same for the next year. Go with what your gut is telling you!!!! Good luck! |
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ingasven
120 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2009 : 15:00:04
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"However, the kids do win.. so he is doing something right"
Sometimes talent wins out despite coaching and conversely, the greatest coaches would have a tough time polishing a turd.
Do what you as the parent feels is best for your son...at 9 he doesn't have the mental acumen to make that decision or understand it all even if you explain it. Later on he will thank you. |
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Alter-Ego
802 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2009 : 15:28:30
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This is always a tough choice. I would always prefer to find something in the middle. Development but winning at enough of a rate to do two things 1) make the players feel like they are accomplishing something and 2) to have the opportunity to play enough games to see diverse opponents. It does no good going 3 and out every weekend, no matter how much development work is being done. You have to win enough to play far into tournaments each week. That gives more players a chance to contribute and forces coaches to develop more pitchers, rather than being able to just throw 3 or 4 each week.
There are options that fall in between. You just have to do the research and find them. |
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DecaturDad
619 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2009 : 18:05:09
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| My son is also on a 9U team, 10U this fall. We play on a team where the kids have fun, learn alot, and respect the coaches and thier team mates. That is where he will stay. Do they win? Somethimes they do, sometimes they don't. I do feel my son has the skill to play on a higher level team. But at this age, I want him to have fun and continue to develop. |
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billbclk
164 Posts |
Posted - 07/28/2009 : 23:54:09
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3strikes, have your 9 year old talk to a high school coach and he will tell him he could care less how many games or plastic trophies he wins before he gets to his high school tryout. Concentrate on developing your skills.
Remember having fun for some players just means winning and power ratings. For some players, fun is hanging out at the pool of a cheap hotel after tournament games.
If you son is driven by winning then that's what likes. As he continues to play it may help drive his development. As his parent you can control just how wrapped up he gets in winning versus getting better. |
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Rocky
290 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2009 : 07:04:40
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| DecaturDad is one that has it right. |
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C. MORTON
1051 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2009 : 09:57:03
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| My son is not that young but when he was he was on a team that DIDN'T win much...It was our first year of playing travel baseball and we learned a lot..Most kids take pitching and/or hitting lessons because some coaches rather they do it that way or don't take the time to teach kids that MAY not be there the next year..A coach be be good one year and all the kids leave for greener grass the next just because the parents wanted the team to win more...Travel ball is about playing the best and winning..I don't think anyone wants to pay to play and lose. If most coaches aren't winning they won't have a team the next year. Plus every year just about every team is looking for better talent..Some of you may say you would rather have the OTHER coach that doesn't win more games but teaches lil Jonny the game. But the rest are going with the coach that can win because that what most PARENTS want!!!!!! To play on the best team that they can get on, at time no matter what the cost is...In the end its all about winning..Thats what gets most of them to the next level, being on a winning team.... |
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BREAMKING
323 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2009 : 10:08:44
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"One thing is for sure the newbie coach.. cares for my son.. "
I think you just figured it out. If you are lucky enough to play for a coach before the big field that genuinely cares about your son you can not go wrong with that. Years later that guy will follow your sons baseball playing days and enjoy watching him develope. Sounds like a no brainer to me. Do not get sucked into wins and loses before they get to the 90-60 game. |
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Alter-Ego
802 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2009 : 11:48:35
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C. Morton,
Define a winning team? Do you have to be a top 10 in the nation team to be considered a "Winning team" or have the ability to compete, win 70% of your games, and win at least 2 or 3 tournaments a season?
Where I think the misnomer comes in is when people try to believe that the only way to get to the next level is to play on teams that are nationally ranked. That is certainly not true, and dispelled every day.
I see so many kids that are good at the early ages getting passed up as they get older. There are several reasons, one primary one is the other kids getting better instruction. (The other is getting passed up in size, but they have no control over that.) |
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C. MORTON
1051 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2009 : 13:52:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Alter-Ego
C. Morton,
Define a winning team? Do you have to be a top 10 in the nation team to be considered a "Winning team" or have the ability to compete, win 70% of your games, and win at least 2 or 3 tournaments a season?
Where I think the misnomer comes in is when people try to believe that the only way to get to the next level is to play on teams that are nationally ranked. That is certainly not true, and dispelled every day.
I see so many kids that are good at the early ages getting passed up as they get older. There are several reasons, one primary one is the other kids getting better instruction. (The other is getting passed up in size, but they have no control over that.)
No you don't have to be on a RANKEd team just a team that wins more than it loses...Like I said no one wnants to lose..I Coach A is a good coach and teaches the game like it is supposed to be taught and the kids get better, but lose more than they win, the PARENTS will be looking for another team..Now Coach B has the best talent that he really doesn't have to teach much just manage the game..And he is playing late on Sundays. The thing with travel ball isn't the coaches it's the parents..They have the options to go play wherever lil Jhonny can make a team..There was a Majors team last year that some of the kids were actually practicing with another team during the season while they were palying for another team...Parents are the ones that want the best for their kids..Good coach or not... |
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bigcatsdad
22 Posts |
Posted - 07/29/2009 : 18:29:56
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| Being on a team that doesn't have the best talent while developing them, teaching fundamentals and being successful against the better teams brings out the best in the coaches and players. We've had coaches that prayed before every game, had devotion on sun morning trying to teach life lessons and still had parents that weren't happy. We won a lot more games than we lost.(won a state tournament) At that age please have your son with someone who cares about the kids and teaches the fundamentals, has family get togethers etc. so the kids can bond. |
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3strikesurout
2 Posts |
Posted - 07/31/2009 : 15:54:35
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| Thanks for everyones feedback.. No decision has been made yet.. However, we do need to decide soon. Alot of pressure from both coaches to commit.. Just dont want to make a hasty decision and pay for it all season.. not to mention piss 1 of the coaches off... Maybe we just look for some other team and take our chances on a new situation... |
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Decisions.. Decisions
