The Youth Sports Coaching Thread

No need to apologize Crest. It is frustrating.
Thanks man. I don't remember being just happy to be on the team, I wanted to win. Maybe that mentality is just changing I guess
 
Thanks man. I don't remember being just happy to be on the team, I wanted to win. Maybe that mentality is just changing I guess

I think it is. Maybe the result of all those participation trophies???


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Solid rant there Crest.

Speaking of participation trophies and rants. My hockey team of 8 yr olds has a jamboree today. 3 games of only 30 min each. Worst part is first game starts at 10 and last game starts at 5. It is in another city so what are we supposed to do with all the down time. Of course they won't keep score and everyone gets a trophy. This may be my last year coaching.
 
Solid rant there Crest.

Speaking of participation trophies and rants. My hockey team of 8 yr olds has a jamboree today. 3 games of only 30 min each. Worst part is first game starts at 10 and last game starts at 5. It is in another city so what are we supposed to do with all the down time. Of course they won't keep score and everyone gets a trophy. This may be my last year coaching.

That's just ridiculous.

I know my friend's 3 sons all play hockey, usually 2 of them are on the same team due to age gapping but there's always one on another team, and all three travel. 4am wakeups for games 3 hours away and you have to wait half a day for the other kid to play? I hate to say it, but my wife and I were secretly happy when our son said he wasn't too interested in moving up in hockey and wanted to concentrate on baseball instead.
 
My team took it on the chin yesterday against what was the worst team in the league. The past two weeks have been tough. In a way, it's what you'd expect with kids not showing up for practice, etc. The kids are frustrated and that's showing in bad ways - too many boys crying and fighting with each other, not enough kids smiling. I'm going to cancel practice Tuesday and take them for frozen yogurt and do some team building instead of basketball drills.
 
That's a good idea Frank. We did that with the kids a few times after a poor game, sometimes you can crack the whip but other times it's better to play a bunch of fun games and goof off just to make sure the kids remember to have fun.
 
So I was an asst. coach for my sons baseball team last year. The manager quit and I have been asked to take over the team. Apparently only 4 kids from last year are still with the team and most teams can protect 8 players so there is a 12 yr old baseball draft tonight to fill the teams. I have no idea how this is supposed to work considering I don't know any of these kids, if they are any good, etc.....

Why not just place them on a team that needs players? Seems like such a strange way of doing things.
 
Good for you for stepping up to the plate and taking over the team, jdtox. Not everyone would do that. The draft sounds like its going to be a tough spot for you, the other coaches get to protect so many kids and you don't know anything about the other kids. You might just have to take the approach that it is what it is and roll with it.

In my world, the softball managers for my daughter's league were selected 10 days ago. I truly thought I did an A+ job last year and I'd get picked again. But no word yet, which makes me think I may have not made the grade. I'm a bit disappointed. But at the same time the families with my son's basketball team - not to mention the boys - have been such a challenge that my coaching mojo is feeling pretty low right now. Maybe the universe is telling me I need a break.
 
Thanks yeah its just weird. I have a list of 15 players, names, former teams, etc. I have the first 2 picks, so I should take Jack and Justin, but not Kyle? When the ask me why I guess I'll say because both their names started with "J" LOL
 
Thanks yeah its just weird. I have a list of 15 players, names, former teams, etc. I have the first 2 picks, so I should take Jack and Justin, but not Kyle? When the ask me why I guess I'll say because both their names started with "J" LOL
They must have had tryouts. If so, the other coaches would have rated all players in hitting, throwing, running, fielding, etc. I'd ask to get my hands on those ratings before the draft.
 
Well the draft was a complete joke. Guys showed up late, I had already made my picks and two of them I was told should not have been on the list. One was my sons friend from school who's dad was helping coach another team and the other should have been protected supposedly. Needless to say I was basically told I couldn't have them and had to make 2 more picks. OH and to top it off I was told I had to change my team name because another team moved up into our division and they have been around longer. LOL wow, got to love rec ball.

Ok sorry for rant, hopefully only good things to contribute once the season starts.
 
Kind of in a little pickle with my oldest who's beginning to make the transition from rec soccer to academy soccer this year. She has been invited to practice with an academy team in our town this spring to help with her transition. Practices are Monday/Thursday. The rec team she plays on has practices on Thursdays too but an hour earlier than the academy. I'm torn on having her do both practices each Thursday (leave a little early on practice 1 to make practice 2) or alternate each week between the 2. I guess we'll see how she does this week with both and then go from there. But practices are important so would hate to choose one over the other.
 
I got a kick out of something yesterday. After practice we were talking about the upcoming game. I mentioned our opponent was 6-0. One of the boys interrupted and said "They haven't lost all year long?" Without missing a beat I said "Not until Saturday". They all looked up and smiled. I hope it's an omen.
 
Double OT W for my boys over the #1 team this morning. The boys were ecstatic when the final buzzer rang. I am so proud of them.


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Double OT W for my boys over the #1 team this morning. The boys were ecstatic when the final buzzer rang. I am so proud of them.


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7-1 L for the younger girls today....rusty rusty rusty and looked lost. Lots of running next week at practice!
 
You coaches ever have that "ahhhh ha" moment when things you haven't been able to explain in the past all the sudden become explainable?

Come to find out today that my girls U8 and U10 soccer teams have been playing in the top divisions for the last year and half. LOL. Even though I requested that the U8 team be placed in a lower division at the beginning of this year.

All the sudden, many of our L's have now become clear. Good grief.
 
The Youth Sports Coaching Thread

I think I learned today that sometimes less is more when dealing with young kids.
 
Today is the first day of tryouts/practice. Hope to teach these boys something and make them better men.
 
First day of tryouts went great, looking at cutting 2 guys however. I do have a special needs def student that will be on the team this year. Going to be interesting but I expect to learn and grow from him.
 
Found out to day I'll be manager of my daughter's softball team. After this group of boys / basketball I would have been okay with getting passed over, but I know this will be easier and more fun.
 
Man, what a nightmare tonight. Virtually one by one I ended up benching my allegedly better players for discipline reasons and just playing the less skilled kids because they'd actually listen and try. There was a reasonably stern post game talk to the boys. That was followed up with a talk with a parent about there son's behavior (good talk, the dad was genuinely interested and likely helpful) and now that I'm home I am on my 4th email to a parent about their son's inappropriate behavior. Pretty ridiculous.
 
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We are in the win or go home game tonight for the end of season tourney. Think "1st four" of the NCCA tourney - we're just trying to play our way into the big dance / regular tournament bracket. The season is over for whoever loses. The schedule for the tourney is highly variable - the date, location and time all change depending on if you win or lose the current game. Our opponent tonight is WAY on the west side of town. The way the schedule has broken for them they'd be playing their 3rd game this week at the one school WAY on the east side of town. I got a call from our AD at 7:30 this morning telling me the other school wanted to change the location to their gym. At this point you may recall the assorted posts I've made above about how irresponsible my parents are about getting their kids to the right place at the right time. Anyway, I considered that factor and said no, I wouldn't agree to the change because I can't trust my parents to get to the new location. I knew I'd spend the entire day making calls and trying to figure out who would show up. I didn't want to deal with it. I'm now getting word the other team may forfeit. I feel terrible for the decision I made.
 
So the wife signed me up to coach my daughters soccer team. This should be interesting.
 
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