Youth Baseball Coaches

[tylerin]

Just wondering if we have any baseball coaches out there. I kind of got thrown into coaching baseball 8 years ago when my son was 6. For 8 years I coached his teams and we hd a blast. He's now a starting pitcher for the Freshman high school team. We've both met good friends through our youth baseball experiences. 2001 I had a club team that traveled to Cooperstown New York and played 64 teams around the U.S and International teams as well. We would have killed the Little League champions that year. We lost in the quarters to the eventual champions. 7 days of baseball, sometimes 3 games a day. 15 kids to New York w/ 1 other coach was trying at times but one of the most memorable events of our lives. 2002 We were Babe Ruth state champs (Ca. broke up into north and south). Just wondering if anyone else has coached youth sports.

 

[Carphunter]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

Well Tylerin, I started coaching my youngest boy, (7 years old), last year and had a blast. I went through 3 years as an assistant to my older boy before trying to coach myself. I did not coach at the level you did though. We have a local Cal Ripken league at my boys school. There are 4 levels of competition based on age - T-ball - Rookie - Minor - and Major. My 7 year old will be in his second year of Rookie, and my 9 year old will be in his second year of Minor.<br /><br />I love coaching the kids, and we have met many parents that we stay in touch with.<br /><br />Its a blast ain't it.

 

[tylerin]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

Carp, Cal Ripken took the Bambino league and created the Cal Ripken league. Bambino league was affiliated w/ Babe Ruth which is the league for kids 13-18. Bambino league was for 12 and under, now called Cal Ripken. They just built a Championship stadium in Maryland I believe, and had there first championship games there last year. Prior to that it was at designated locations. Great up and coming league. I'm actually looking at our Cal Ripken state champs trophey as I type. Its huge. I wanted to cut her up and give each kid a piece(it a plaque). What do I need her for

 

[Carphunter]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

Yeah, when we first started it was called the Babe Ruth league, or something like that. About 2 years ago it was changed to the Cal Ripken league.<br />I like the rules. I believe that the seperation between the different levels is perfect. The only real problem I have is that some of the Coaches shouldn't be coaching. Thats the main reason I started coaching myself. The winning became more important than the teaching to some of these coaches, and at the ages of some of these kids, that just isn't right. Also, I believe that some of the parents look at baseball as daycare. They just drop the kids off and hope for the best. I tried to convince many of the parents that a little practice at home, (just 15-20 minutes a night,2 or 3 nights a week), would make a huge difference. Not to mention that its quality time spent with your kids. Some of the parents "got it", and some didn't.<br /><br />I will be coaching again this spring though.

 

[tylerin]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

Carp. I could write a book about other coaches, parents, ADD, you name it. When I went to N.Y. I was like a pharmasist, w/ the amount of pills I had to give my kids. I never went to draft night in the 8 years I coached. I just said give me the kids nobody wants. We almost won every year

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

I coached both baseball and football when I was<br />younger. one day at football practice a couple<br />kids were picking on a fat kid and I made them<br />run a lap around the field as a punishment.<br />5 min later I ducked a right cross from one of<br />their fathers... was the end of MY coaching career.<br />loved working with the kids, but couldn't deal<br />with the idiotic parents. was living in Cali. at<br />the time, so that prob. had something to do with<br />it too.

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

Aren't the "little league parents" the worst? I don't coach, but I have a couple boys that are in the LL system, and to watch some of the parents just yelling and screaming, it's a total embarrassment. Some are even violent, makes you really wonder if putting your kids into the program was worth it.<br /><br />I did coach 9-11 year old girls basketball for a couple years, it was fun. Practices were the best, the girls listened intently and tried really hard. During the games, the parents would start screaming and telling the kids what to do, all my coaching right out the window. Got burnt out pretty quickly.

 

[DJ]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

 

[Carphunter]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

Djohns, my boys are in a similar basketball league, and everything is great. Practices go very well, and the games are played without any real problems. The area that I live in is primarily a basketball area, there is a basketball goal in every driveway. I believe most kids around here are exposed to basketball more than any other sport. Maybe thats why practices and games go so smooth. <br /><br />For the most part, baseball goes pretty smooth too, just not as well as basketball.<br /><br />Tylerin, what kind of pills you givin those youngins?

 

[DJ]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

 

[snapperbait]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

"idiotic parents" <br /><br />Thats why my Dad and I both quit..<br /><br /> My Dad was involved with little league and babe ruth baseball for more than 20 years as a coach, leauge president, umpire, whatever the need was.. It's a shame really, the man really loved it, but he just could'nt take the crap from the parents anymore...<br /><br /> I coached t-ball and minor for a couple years and occasionally umpired a few games too.. Most of the time I was wondering what the parents would think if they could just see themselves acting the way they do durring a game.. Un-believeable.. <br /><br />Now, the parental mentality is even worse from what i see and hear, at least around here.... <br /><br />Leave the kids alone and let em play.....

 

[DJ]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

 

[tylerin]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

I hear you guys. I was involved on the board, umpired, coached etc., thinking I could make a differance but, its nearly impossible. I eventually started my own "club" team and just played in tournaments all over the US. I hand picked my team, and if there was a good player that had over bearing parents I passed. Ended up with a good team, and have a lot of good friends because of it. Nobody told me what to do. and everyone was welcome to help coach.Now my sons playing H.S. sports so I've been coaching my 8 yr old daughter fastpitch softball team. What a change. They are still competitive but there seems to be a friendlier atmosphere. The girls seem to listen and take in everything you say while alot of the boys are told to listen to there dads only, even if its not correct.

 

[P.V.]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

I live in a small town (approx. 30,000) in centrel Washington. Big in youth baseball although my sons did not indulge (basketball and football).And our town is big-time in wrestling too!!! I hear talk from other parents and their kids how "political" it is getting/staying on the "proper" teams so that you get on the All-star teams so that you get to play on the "elite" teams that get to go to state/reginal/World Series. Our town has held three or four World Series for a couple of different age groups. I guess you get to automaticaly enter as the "home" team, in spite of how good your team may be. Anyway, three or four years ago, our team ,16 or 17 year olds, had many "come from behind" wins against very good teams from around the country, and almost won the whole thing! Our team is called the "RiverDogs" and that was the year of "Who let the dogs out??" Man, the place was wild for that week!!! All the visiting teams had a blast and was very memerable for them as well as for the local population!!! Sorry, I got carried away!! I've been told it's "who you know" as much as it's "how good your son is"!! Our town/area has had a few of our boys go to the big schools on scholarships and some even to the big leagues. This means alot of youths strive to go far with baseball, makes the competition that much tougher!! I have watch'd a few overbearing parents go at it with the coaches and umpires. Too bad for the kids, some parents have no clue!!!

 

[deofc]

Re: Youth Baseball Coaches

Used to be involved in all that coaching, upiring, 1st Dad off the bench, whatever was needed through my oldest son's athletic careert. I liked to be a "good" assistant coach but occasionally had to be the head coach. I found that I really enjoyed upiring and was probably better at that than coaching. I really really liked being behind the plate expecially for the older kids (14, 15, 16) leagues. As he got into high school sports I filmed games for the football team, kept stats for the basketball team, helped the baseball coach during practice and kept the "book" during games. I found that I liked the behind the scenes/sideline stuff better than I ever liked "coaching". There is polictics involved in all of it and "parents" and "bad parents" but all in all It was enjoyable. The hardest part of being a "little league" parent is learning and knowing your limits and being able to trust that other people know more than you about what they are doing. In our leagues we were lucky to have a lot of dedicated people involved. Made a lot of friends. My son was able to play for some good coaches (and some that werent' so good) from his 6 year old team through American Legion (they made it to the American Legion World Series). Lots of memories....mostly good. Lots of stories about the bad.