Don't Leave Your Young Softball Coaches Hanging

Guest post by Ken Krause, Life in the Fastpitch Lane blog

I actually had this idea before I saw this thread from a coach who is frustrated by her new softball organization wanting to put one of their own on her staff (http://www.discussfastpitch.com/coaching-softball/4658-should-i-insulted.html). While she is wondering whether she should be insulted, the situation is actually the opposite of what happens most times.

In my experience, programs are so anxious to obtain coaches — particularly former players — that they essentially throw them to the wolves. They provide little to no training, and little to no oversight. That's just wrong.

While former players can bring game experience to bear, there's a lot more to coaching than the Xs and Os. In fact, that's often the easy part.

The tough parts are things like dealing with angry parents, or the drama that often goes hand-in-hand with pre-teen and teenage girls. For that they're often ill-prepared.

Those parents love the idea of a former player coaching their daughter, until something (such as questions about playing time) come up. Then the tide turns, and the parent is all over the coach like a starving man on a Christmas ham.

Of course, for that coach in her early 20s it can be difficult to deal with a 30-something or 40-something parent. She doesn't have the life experience in dealing with such confrontations, and often the balance of power tips toward the parent. It can make for a very ugly situation.

That is less likely to occur if

A) the coach has received training and experience in these aspects of coaching and/or

B) there is a more experienced coach attached to the team. The latter may not be a full-time coach, but instead more of a mentor who is visible to the parents and the team.

You might think that, having been a teenage girl once herself that the coach would at least be able to handle the drama issues. But generally speaking the type of player who goes on to excel in college — and who is thus a desirable coaching candidate — tended to avoid the drama when she was a young player.

Top-level players have little time for all the drama and egos. They are focused on improving themselves and winning (as they should be), so they're not too interested in the other stuff. As a result, they have little experience in sorting through the issues and resolving the conflicts. Or even recognizing the root causes.

Again, this is where more extensive training and/or mentoring can help. Someone who has been through it can advise new coaches on how to resolve the conflicts peacefully and keep the team pulling in the same direction. That experienced coach can also help the newbie avoid those situations entirely through a concerted effort at team building.

Yes, it's tempting to look at the day you bring on a coach for a team as the day all issues are solved. But that's not fair to anyone — the players, the program or even the new coach herself. Take the time to set up a mentoring program, and actively participate in it, and you'll find it's a better, more successful experience for everyone.

Anyway, that's the way I see it.