From the Coaches Bucket

YOU Missed the CALL!!!!!

2008-10-13T11:14:00.002-05:00

Lately there seems to be a lot of talk about Umpires and terrible calls and not knowing the rules or the ever moving strike zone. This talk about umpires is interesting to say the least but the underlying issues I see are 2 things: the lack of respect for authority and coaches who lack the knowledge of the rules. After all an umpire is human and will make mistakes and miss calls, BUT how a coach responds and approaches an umpire is totally in the hands of that adult. OK so a call did not go your team’s way….does that then justify the antics which follow….does that give every parent the right to start hollering from the stands?…..does it give a coach the green light to lose it in front of their players and the families in attendance?

Over the years in coaching I myself have had to learned to show the officials complete respect and acknowledge their position of authority on the field of play. Whether right or wrong, the call is always in their hands. Do I agree with all the calls NO, but if I have a question about a call I simply call time and respectfully ask and whatever they say I MUST accept. Far too often the case I see parents and coaches trying to bully and intimidate umpires….now they just get on AL.COM and slander folks and hide who they are. I challenge any person posting about umpires to leave their real name and what team their child is on…….then I bet you will really start seeing calls NOT go your way. Umpires are people too and most have tremendous positive spirits about what they do…they give up their weekend (for very little money) knowing they are going to get harassed by jerks. To be a coach or an official is not to be thinned skinned. To get on AL.COM complaining while hiding who you really are shows what a worthless human being you are. At least umpires are out there for all to see while AL.COM posters lack the proper balls which are required to play this game.

To all you haters out there GET A LIFE and stop wasting ours with your stupidity!!!! So a call did not go your way…do you really think acting like a jerk is going to help you get the next one your way. If you think about it the Coach and Parents are the ones who are MISSING THE CALL!

Get Ready Maryland!!!!!

2008-07-13T04:18:00.002-05:00

The Mustangs are riding into town!

Next weekend we will be heading to Salisbury, Maryland to prepare for the USSSA 11u World Series. I have no idea what to expect but one thing is for sure we give it our best.

I am so proud of my team! I use the word “team” because that is exactly what they are. From our players and their parents to all their families that support us, we are a team! As with any team we have our moments but in the end we are all working towards the same goal---improvement in ourselves.

This is by far the best bunch of players I have ever coached when you look at the team as a whole. Sure I have been blessed to coach some GREAT players, and still do, but as far as a team goes 1-13 they are thus far the best for they truly get it. They understand what a team means and that it takes each one of them doing their part unselfishly to accomplish our goal to win. Sometimes my players do this easier than their parents but when the parents see our girls together eventually they come around.

This year my girls have played in over 65 games in 14 tournaments. The experience we are gaining is priceless for each player has grown so much this season. I was replacing photos the other day on our team’s web site of each girl and from the fall of 07 to the summer of 08 I noticed huge changes in every single player.

Win or Lose I like knowing that we will do it as a team!

The Time Has Come

2008-07-13T04:00:00.001-05:00

I get emails all the time from folks asking questions about softball. Some of the emails lately have been why I don’t post on AL.COM anymore? It’s simple: life is way too short to waste time on things that matter not in the end. Lately I have been thinking about life and all the lives I come into contact with. See I am not rich when measured in dollars for I work 3 jobs to support my family and my hobby. I do love what I do and I have been blessed with true friends, and a loving family and wonderful players to coach. I am also not perfect by any means but lately I have realized that I am in a unique position and this position has made me stop and think about whom I am and where I am going.

This fall my softball travel organization is growing to 5 teams with a 6th possible, if I can find the right coach, and with this growth comes tremendous responsibility to make sure I do the right thing. One thing for sure was to stop wasting time with folks on AL.COM who sole purpose is to simply poke out at others. See people I once called friends posted that one of our tournaments were cancelled-when it wasn’t, these same people have personally attacked me and others associated with me, these same 2 guys have spread rumors amuck about me trying to discredit me, my family and my Mustangs Organization. So I felt it best if I just removed myself from any further commentary on AL.COM unless it is to promote the Mustang Organization with tryouts or tournament information.

If I have something to say then I will blog it and stand behind my words with my name. If I am wrong then I will admit it and re-blog a correction.

At the end of my life I want my works to far outlast my mouth. My mouth gets me into trouble thus I want my works to be what defines me through my actions. If you believe in it then let it show by how you conduct yourself, even when the only person that knows what you are doing is YOU! I have a responsibility to many many folks who count on me to be a good person. I want them to know and see they are not making a mistake!

I was Wrong!

2008-06-10T12:07:00.005-05:00

What is the difference between right and wrong or good and bad? ANSWER: You! In life we are faced with many opportunities. It is during these moments that the decisions we make leave lasting impressions and define who we are and that which we will become. Whether the choice we make is right/wrong or good/bad, is not as important as what we do next after that choice is made. I often tell my players that it is what we do next which defines you as a player/person. When you realize you made a mistake or simply choose the wrong direction it is what YOU do next that really counts.

So this leads me to the following: I had made up my mind about a travel softball organization which over the past few seasons I was not as favorable towards as some others I might have spoke more highly of. I felt this way based on some selfish reasons but really more on my ignorance and lack of tactfulness. Well this past weekend I came face to face or head to head with this organization and it humbled me. The class, respect and dignity which was demonstrated by these folks I found to be simply impeccable. From their players to their parents and to their coaches on the field, I stood by and watch a very classy bunch. After the game I left unable to enjoy the results as much as I would have liked because I was so dishearten knowing I had made mistake (these past few seasons) in judging these folks I did. To say the least I was moved by this event and even more so by the people I was in contact with who showed me by their actions the truly good folks they really are.

I was wrong! So as I tell my players: “What you do next is the defining moment” thus for me its taking corrective action as I move forward. So to the Twisters Organization, its players, family, coaches, and the folks who give so much of their own to make it work I owe you an appology for you guys are a great example of what travel should be for the girls. Congratulations for winning the Mustang Roundup Championship in the 12u division and thanks for doing it with tremendous class along the way.

Rin Smithson

Pudding or AL.COM?

2008-01-07T12:17:00.000-06:00

I know I have not blogged lately but I have been real busy with this thing called life.

But I have a bit of a reason to blog today. I am concerned with the personal attacks by those who represent softball organizations in our state. Since when does it matter what association you play to help develop your child’s softball skills? I did not realize that if you play ASA over NSA your child gets better simply by showing up. For some reason I was under the impression improving ones skills started with hard work and dedication not the name on your jersey or softball sanctioning body.

I have been coaching softball for nearly 15 years which if you know your history is about the time when fast pitch softball came into mainstream in Alabama. So I have seen this great sport growth since birth and what I am witnessing these last couple of years is an embarrassment for true softball enthusiasts. Anyone who goes on AL.COM is bombarded with most of what’s wrong in softball in Alabama. It reminds when I was a young lad when General Hospital, a prime time SOAP opera in the 80’s, was in it is glory days. You could miss Monday thru Thursday’s episodes but when you watched Friday’s show you got all caught up for the week. AL.COM seems to have become today’s General Hospital. The gossip is out of control, personal attacks and character assignations are posted on a daily basis.

But lately the news seems to be which softball association is the best one. My feelings are to start at the top. Look at the people running them and read or listen to what comes out of their mouth. I have noticed that no one representing USFA, Dixie, USSSA or NSA get on AL.COM in a posting frenzy; however, on any given week you will find something being posted by those who appear to represent ASA. Does this reflect the character or leadership of ASA…no not really but in my opinion it does make me wonder why so much is being posted on AL.COM with regards to ASA. Is their truth that where there is smokes theres fire? There seems to be a lot of smoke swirling around ASA these days.

I know historically ASA has been the top softball association in the state and nationally. If you want to be seen then playing ASA was a safe bet. But in today’s world does ASA still have a strangled hold on that claim? I think a lot depends on those representing ASA in an official capacity and how they conduct themselves and by what I read on AL.COM what was once a clear cut picture has started to become cloudy.

So what association should you play or support? I say play them all and support them all. This way you can find out for yourself who provides you that which you desire to develop the next “Cat Osterman” or “Jenny Finch”. If your association or team is the best then I say show it in your actions and comments with class and dignity and let others talk about you and stop talking about yourself! Proof is in the pudding, not AL.COM!

Can’t We All Just Get-A-Long

2007-10-28T23:58:00.000-05:00

Maybe I live in a sheltered world or a cave or maybe my mom just did not show me enough love as a child but why can’t adults just get along or at least agree to disagree and simply go their separate ways.

After many failed attempts and several years later I am trying to incorporate into my way of thinking the following both as a coach and into my daily walk: When a problem arises between folks that have the same goal, purpose or desired outcome in mind, my experiences (both good and bad) to simply put it tell me that finding a solution should be well within reach. My experiences have also proven time and time again that when the opposite is true, that being goals, purpose and desired outcomes are different it matters not what is said or done….it just will not come to an equitable solution. SO, I now approach each situation with the above in mind. I know that if we are both wanting or in search of the same thing but find ourselves at a cross road WE WILL find a solution because that’s what WE want, BUT when the two sides have their own agenda and those agendas differ then all that will transpire is a lot of wasted time and words falling on deaf ears. This leads to the conclusion or now where I start: We have 2 choices, if we want too we will make it work because we are adults or its time for you to take your DD and go your separate way!

BOTTOM LINE:

Those who are "Team Parents" persevere and those "Individual Parents" WILL be looking for another team!

Picture of the Day

2007-08-23T02:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes coaching is more about knowing which button to push!

To All My Auburn Fans:

2007-08-23T01:03:00.000-05:00

You're probably an Auburn fan if
... You can play the Auburn fight song using your armpit.
... Your wife's idea of cleaning house is throwing everything out into the yard.
... The Roto-Rooter man stops by your trailer and asks, "What's that smell?"
... You're a member of the Skoal Frequent Purchaser Program.
... You looked up your family tree and your uncle spit on you.
... You joined Alcoholics Anonymous so you can drink and use a different name.
... You looked out for #1 and stepped in #2 !!!
... You won't buy a Japanese car because you're afraid you won't understand what they say on the radio.
... Your kids go to a private school and they won't tell you where it is.
... Your Granny beats you in the tobacky spittin' contests.

To All My Alabama Football Fans:

2007-08-23T01:01:00.000-05:00

....You know you attended the University of Alabama if...your richest relative buys a new home and you have to help him take the wheels off.
....You've ever used lard in bed.
....You think potted meat on a cracker is an hors d'ouvre.
....There's a stuffed possum mounted anywhere in your house.
....You think a six-pack of beer and a bug zapper is quality entertainment.
....Less than half your cars run.
....Your mother doesn't remove the Marlboro from her lips before she tells the highway patrolman to 'kiss her butt.'
....The primary color of your car is "bondo."
....Directions to your house include the phrase, "turn off the paved road."
....You honestly think women are turned on by animal noises and suggestive tongue gestures.
....Your family tree doesn't fork.
....Your mother has been involved in a fist fight at a high school athletic event.
....Your brother-in-law is also your uncle.
....You have refused to watch the Academy Awards since "Smokey and the Bandit" was snubbed for best picture.
....You think "Volvo" is a part of a woman's body.
....The rear tires on your car are twice as wide as the front ones.
....You were conceived in an 18-wheeler at a truck stop on I-20.
....You've hitched a ride back to Tuscaloosa in the back of a hog truck; AND, once you got there, no one noticed the smell.
....You prominently display a gift you bought at Graceland.
....You consider "Outdoor Life" deep reading.
....Your mother keeps a spit cup on her ironing board.
....You've ever worn a t-shirt to a wedding.
....The most overheard phrase at your family reunions is, "What're you lookin' at, jerk?"
....You think beef jerky and Moon Pies are two of the major food groups.
....You think Campho-Phenique is a miracle drug.
....You have more than two friends named "Bubba" or "Junior".
....Your father encouraged you to quit school when there was an opening on the lube rack.
....You think "Grapenuts" is a venerial disease.
....You think the styrofoam cooler is the greatest invention of all time.
....You've ever been too drunk to fish.
....You grew up thinking cream gravy was a soft drink.
....You have a rag for a gas cap.
....You had a toothpick in your mouth when your wedding picture was taken.

Just a Reminder!

2007-08-13T23:19:00.000-05:00

During a softball tournament the coach felt he needed to remind one of his players about the importance of team play and good sportsmanship. The coach ask the player if she knew and remembered what good sportsmanship was. They player replied yes. The coach then ask her if she knew she shouldn't curse at the coach or throw things in anger. They player again replied yes. "Good," said the coach, "now could you please go tell your mom."

Joke of the Day!

2007-08-13T12:18:00.000-05:00

There was a group of coaches standing around the batting cages and a softball player walked up and said, "do you want to hear a good joke about softball coaches?" One of the coaches replied, "be careful what you say, all five of us are coaches." "Oh, forget it then," said the player, "I don't want to have to explain the joke five times!"

Picture of the Day!

2007-08-13T11:47:00.000-05:00

OK so I modified it a little bit. It is still worth a 1000 words!

Thanks Mike for the Photo!

Can You Sleep at Night?

2007-08-13T00:58:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or is the bull crap these days surrounding travel ball getting completely out of hand. The last few years I have personally witnessed sponsors paying off parents to have their kid play on a team, while making others pay to be on the team. I hear and see coaches fighting on the field, coaches cheating in games with illegal players, or better yet coaches just borrowing players once another team got eliminated from a tournament. Heck I even hear whole teams are now getting bought. I read on AL.COM that someone mentioned about putting their team on E-Bay for goodness sake, I think they were kidding but I hope you see my point.

Hey don’t get me wrong if someone offered my daughter a full ride I would take it in a heartbeat, BUT only to a college of her choice. See for me, life is too short and my daughter’s moral up bringing is too important for me to put a price tag on it or hang a for sale sign on her. People think money can buy happiness, friends and one hell of a softball team. To those who feel that way I wish them the best money can buy. For me, I will just do it the old fashion way with hard work, lots of help from good people and be thankful for a loving wife of 15 years, 2 wonderful kids who are growing up with Godly morals and ethics and people I call friends because all I have to offer them in return is my friendship and from time to time a grilled steak by Iron Chef Rin.

I often wonder why so many adults are on anti-depressants or take sleeping pills or drink excessively? My 1st thoughts are that they must be travel ball softball parents or coaches……just kidding. But seriously maybe it is because they have problems that at the end of day they simply can’t deal with. It is hard to sleep at night when you cannot even be honest with yourself. When you live your life lying and/or cheating, you find it hard to trust anyone and become extremely paranoid of those who are around you and sadly begin trusting those who care nothing about you.

As I have mentioned before I write from my own experiences and personal accounts of events as I have witnessed them throughout my life. I share my thoughts in the hopes to positively affect someone’s life like so many have touched and continue to touch mine. I am no saint and struggle daily to be a better person than I was the day before, but when the day has come to an end I am glad I have true friends who accept me for who I am and support me anyway for I enjoy a good night sleep.

Tryouts Heat Up.

2007-08-10T01:53:00.000-05:00

As I sit here thinking about all the excitement being generated this weekend with travel ball tryouts in full swing, I can’t help but think about all the players and their parents whose hopes and dreams are going to be pinned on some daddy/coaches evaluation.

What really qualifies someone to be called coach in the 1st place and then sit in judgment of your daughter’s ability? Do they go through some sort of training? Do they even have any educational back ground to work with kids, let alone girls? Do these coaches provide you with documentation of a background check? How do you know if this person working with your child is qualified to work with kids or better yet not be some child molester just out of prison? Yea I know I am reaching a bit here but I hope I got your attention.

My wife and I have are certified teachers and have been around softball since my wife played in college. We have both been head coaches of softball at the Jr. and Sr. High Level. We have gone to National Coaches Clinics, Alabama State Athletic Conferences, been certified in CPR and 1st Aide, and held various coaches and players clinics over the years. Does this mean we are qualified to sit in judgment of your daughter’s ability? Answer: NO, NOT REALLY. Even with all of our coaching experience and training we still get it wrong.

My point here is simple. Do not feel it’s the end of the world because you do not get asked to play on a team or feel you child is not good enough because some daddy/coach doesn’t pick here. Let me share with you a few tid bits about typical tryouts:

1st of all tryouts can be a huge meet and greet farce. You got people walking around like they are somebody special and everyone is doing their best to be all buddy buddy with the head guy. There is usually so much testosterone in the air that the State of Alabama will issue a “Poor Air Quality” alert…..LOL But seriously, tryouts should be basic, simple and quick because most teams are not ran by those who teach the game of softball they are ran by daddys looking for players to surround their own kid with and put together the best team of talent possible. Travel ball is a huge male/daddy ego thing. Granted there are some coaches out there who will work with your kid but they are very few and far between and those teams are usually not very high profile which is why you are not at their tryouts.

High profile travel teams are looking for players who can already do it and need little to no coaching, because that is usually what you will get…..very little coaching. Some parents want it that way for they do not want some unqualified coach screwing up their kid, which by the way is usually the same parent you call Head Coach….FYI.

Let me suggest a few things to help with tryouts: 1. Go to more than one team tryout
2. Ask questions about the team and its coaches but don’t ask the team or its coaches unless you came to tryouts with waders on!
3. If they are interested in your child they will not let you leave without some type of offer.
4. If your child is boarder line they will be back in touch if they have only limited spots available.
5. Find out how many kids they are looking for ahead of time and be real with your daughter’s ability.
6. Don’t waste your time trying out for a team you know going into it she has no chance.
7. Be real and only go to team tryouts that best suit your child’s ability.
8. Find out what positions they are looking for before you get there so you know if you even have a chance before you missed out trying out somewhere else.
9. Find out how much it will cost you to play on this team.
10. Find out if your daughter is going to be 1-9 or 10-?.
11. Before you commit make the coach commit to your daughter about playing time.

Well I hope this helps someone. Good luck at tryouts and I hope your daughter is what someone is looking for.

Pitching: 101 The Begining

2007-08-08T01:44:00.000-05:00

I have worked with pitchers for over 10 years and I consistently get asked this question by parents: Which comes 1st, Speed or Control?

My answer is………it completely depends on who you call your pitching coach and the natural ability of your child.

I have worked with pitchers from park ball thru college who all have their own private pitching coach. In order for me to be help the players I coached I had to learn the terms and philosophy of their pitching coaches. Over the years I have discovered that regardless of who you see for pitching lessons there are some very basic fundamental truths about the fast pitch pitcher (more on this subject in a latter post). Early in a young pitchers development they can be classified into one of 2 categories of pitcher: Speed or Control. Neither is wrong or a bad thing; however, this is when what you as a parent choose to do next, will be critical in your child’s pitching development.

The 1st thing you do as a parent when your daughter says she want to pitch is eventually get a bucket, buy some balls, read a book or buy a pitching video. Then you ask a friend whose daughter pitches to get a few tips and then several bruised shins later you decide it’s time to get a pitching instructor. THIS is the single biggest decision you will make that will impact your child’s growth.

Since you know basically nothing about pitching and really have no idea what to look for in a pitching coach/instructor, I will spend the next few moments on some basic things you need to know that I hope you find helpful:

The most important thing you need to know is if your daughter is classified as a speed or control pitcher. If she just rare backs and throws the piss out of the ball with reckless abandonment and you spend most of your time yelling “just hit the mitt” then I would bet she is a speed pitcher 1st, control 2nd type of pitcher. If your daughter is consistently hitting her targets and you find yourself saying to her “throw it harder or faster”, then I would bet she is a control pitcher 1st, speed pitcher 2nd type. WHY is this important, let me explain.

Since I stated there are 2 types of beginner pitchers (speed and control), then there must also be at least 2 types of pitching instructors as well. If your daughter is a speed 1st pitcher and you are taking lessons from a control 1st instructor then you are wasting valuable time and your hard earned money, and vice versa control 1st pitcher going to a speed 1st instructor. This is why so many parents change pitching coaches because eventually they are not seeing the results for that which they are paying. It is classic for an instructor to blame your daughter for her lack of improvement, and if that’s ever the case then STOP right then and find someone else to give your money too. The reason you are not seeing improvement is more so that your daughter’s natural ability is different than the pitching methods the instructor is trying to make your daughter adapted too. Another classic cover-up is for an instructor to try to teach several pitches at one time. Since your daughter can’t possibly learn them all it hides the fact that she maybe be struggling, not at learning the new pitch, but at how she is being taught to throw because you have the wrong combination of speed Vs. control instruction going on.

Bottom line: 1st find out what type of pitcher your daughter is and do not force her to be what she is not naturally. 2nd find a pitching instructor that fits your daughter’s natural ability and not one that you are forcing your daughter to fit their style. 3rd stay away from an instructor, or find a new one, that insist your daughter learn anything but fast ball and change-up under the age of 10. When she moves up to the bigger ball in conjunction with the further pitching distance, then it will be time to begin working on her 3rd and 4th pitch. Learning anything prior to that will be for reasons not related to your child’s development but rather along the lines of instructor issues or a parent wanting their daughter to be the next Kat Osterman at age 10. Remember this: ALL Pitches derive from the fastball. If you have trouble with your fastball then you will have even more trouble learning other/new pitches. There is no quick fix in fast pitch with regards to pitchers. They have to throw and throw and throw to develop. It takes time, a lot of time and then they may still never make it. At least if you are going to put in the time and throw and throw and throw, be sure to find an instructor early in your child’s development that best fits her natural ability and will work at developing her unnatural talents.

For the record: These are my thoughts and in no way should be taken as anything than an opinion. I am sure people out there will dispute what I write and that’s fine. It takes all type to make the world go round. Since I have nothing at stake or anything to gain by taking my time to put my thoughts into words, I hope you will consider your source. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at: coachrin@charter.net.

Why the NEW Name

2007-08-06T23:56:00.000-05:00

Well to be perfectly honest it was brought to my attention that the term “crusader” had a meaning which was not representative of our organizational goals and lent to a characterization which is not what we wanted to be associated with, thus the name change to Birmingham Mustangs! So instead of joining our “Crusade” we ask you to “Saddle it Up” or be prepared to get kicked if you get in our way! GO MUSTANGS!!!!!

Tips for Parents

2007-08-02T23:19:00.000-05:00

After reading some posts on AL.COM I thought maybe I would offer some tips myself as the tryout season jumps into full swing. Below are things I have 1st hand knowledge of and not anything I am directing towards any team or organization.

Beware of those who make promises or guarantees which are followed by a dollar amount statement or request.

Find out what positions the coaches kid play before making a decision about joining a team where your child position is the same as theirs.

Ask where all the players are from. See if any are coming from out of town. Sounds like a stupid question but if 3 or 4 are coming from out of town then this means you will never have a full team at practice. At first is not that bad but then “playing time” Vs. “practice participation” will be an issue, especially if you are the one who comes to every practice then lose playing time to those who are not penalized for missing practice.

Ask the person making you an offer to guarantee you are being offered a starting spot and not just an opportunity to play or be on the team.

If you child pitches find out if she is being considered for a “Pitcher Only” spot or is being guaranteed a fielding spot when not pitching.

Typically teams have a roster of 11-14 players. If you have a calculator handy do some math on the dollar numbers being asked of you. A common practice among teams is to back load the number of players to the roster to financially support the top 9 players.

Ask if there are any players who are receiving any kind of financial scholarship or free ride to play. Teams will often make a side and private deal to what they feel are the top kids trying out. Then the cost is passed on to YOU!

Another common move is the coaches of the team offsetting their portion of the cost by spreading it out over the other NONE coaches kids amount being paid. Thus if your kid is not one of the 1-9 players then you are paying for others to play while yours sits and watches.
Find out if you have to make a contribution to the building or facility fund which is not refundable.

If they say they are full funded team or you have no cost out of your pocket BUT then say you have to do fundraising, in the end you probably will have paid out of your pocket in supporting the fundraising more than what it really costs to play anyway be careful. Sometimes FREE does cost you in the end!

Find out if you quit or are asked to leave the team if you get your money back.

Find out if your money is being used to support the teams play or being used to purchase training equipment which becomes the property of the coaches/team.

Ask what their policy is on picking up players during the season which can affect your child’s playing time and the financial commitment you have made verses what the pick- up player has not made.

Check Back for there is MORE TO COME!!!!

Enough Already

2007-07-31T22:33:00.000-05:00

How far are adults willing to go in the name of travel softball? Lately I am becoming alarmed at the number of negative issues I read on AL.COM revolving around the conduct of parents, coaches and organization sponsors.

In just the last couple of days I have read: story’s about a national recruiting service that sponsors a fast pitch team caught cheating at a national level with illegal players, another organization starting fights after losing a game and then its players and/or coaches assaulting each other, and then their seems to be no loyalty of team for players hopping teams/organization to go win at all costs.
What’s next? What does this all mean? I frankly have no idea, but those involved must be real proud of the examples they are setting for little girls and what does it say about the parents who support this behavior?

I will share this. I have met over a dozen families at our private tryouts looking for a new team for their daughter. If there has been one common theme among them it is this: They are looking for a team or organization that is willing to separate themselves from the above mentioned issues and are just looking team where their kids can play because they love the game of softball.

But as long as winning is the motivating factor, teams that are formed for the love of the game seem more times than not at the short end of the stick. This then will lead to team’s folding or the adults running these teams will cave in to the Win At All Cost approach.

Even with all this said and so many folks knowing about it, I doubt things will ever change. Sure the people may change but year in and year out there is someone ready to pick up where the others just left off thus the situations simply are recreated with new faces……….and it’s done all in the name travel softball for our kids!

Again I write pointing a finger at them knowing full well 3 more fingers are pointing right back at me. I am not innocent by any means but I hope to have learned my lessons from the many mistakes I have made. I am trying to get it right and I hope for all the kids and parents who support me that I do!

From the Bucket: Rin Smithson

Why I want to Coach

2007-06-30T22:23:00.000-05:00

As a young boy growing up in a divorced family environment, I found myself getting into trouble whether I was looking for it or not. I blame part of my troubles because I lacked the guidance at home but moreover because I simply was a mischievous lad who lacked moral and ethic decision making abilities. My father worked all the time and spent little to no time with me. His way of showing affection/love was to throw money and gifts at me. My mother was a socialite and seemed to live by the “don’t ask, don’t tell” philosophy or simply choose to not believe what was really going on. The 1st time I remember hearing the words “I love you” from either parent was when I was 19 years old and off in the military serving in the United States Navy—Submarines. I prefaced this to say the following:

The reason coaching and working with young kids means so much to me is because athletics saved my life and definitely had a huge impact on the type of person I am today.
The influences made in my life by those who coached me established rules that I had to adhere to play ball. Playing sports in high school was all I felt I had of any value. Playing sports gave me purpose, popularity and a sense of being a part of something. I wanted to belong, be needed, and most of all I wanted to be good at something where someone would take notice of me in a positive way. Hearing a coach’s praise is what gave me a sense of worth and that I was all wanted…….to be good enough.

My coaches believed in me and in turn I listen, respected and hated them. I hated them because they made me do things or make decisions that I did not want to do but had to if I wanted to stay on the team or for that matter play. I listened to them because I respected them and I respected them because I feared them. I feared them because of what they could do to me; by taking away the only I had in my life that gave me a sense of worth…….playing sports!
Now I did not have your average run of the mill coaching influences. See I went to a private Christian high school and I graduated from a private Christian University, so my coaching influences were all what I knew to be Godly men. I attended of the top prep schools in Tennessee which was/is well renowned for its athletics programs. I only got in and stayed in this school because I played sports…..football, basketball and baseball……for if I had not they would have kicked me out for sure because my grades were terrible and the trouble I stayed in. Playing ball gave me chance after chance to get things right in my life after I made poor choices.
My coaches taught me right from wrong, good from bad, and forced me to walk away from things that would jeopardize my being on the team….remember being on the team was all I felt I had in my life.

These men greatly influenced my life. So now I want to coach because I want to give kids a fair chance that so many do not get because of politics and daddy ball. I want to coach because I feel it is part of my calling to give back that which was given to me by these great men who coached me. I want to coach because I want the kids I come into contact with to believe in themselves as I did when someone believed in me. I want to coach because I want the kids I coach to know that they are loved and most of all that I believe in them. I want to coach because if there is a kid out there who needs what I needed I hope to be there for them as others where there for me!

School Softball or Travel Ball?

2007-06-30T20:21:00.000-05:00

Being a former Jr. High softball coach who came into coaching thinking I knew all the answers I can speak completely from my own experiences. 1st let me say Jr. High Coaches are not the authority on a player’s ability nor do we have all the answers. There is a reason someone coaches Jr. High and I will not go into that on this post.

Being a former Varsity High School Coach who came in to coaching after making every mistake possible at the Jr. High level, I will again speak from experiences. 1st let me say not all high school coaches are the authority on a player’s ability either. It’s sad to say that many high school coaches are NOT softball coaches 1st and again I will not go into that on this post.
So where am I going with this……….travel ball organizations or private instruction are the best way for a player to develop and get exposed to opportunities to advance their play. The days have long passed that picking a ball up in February and putting it down in May will get you far in school ball or to college. A school ball coach is telling you, that to have a chance to make the school team you need to play travel ball…..what the school ball coach means is that there is very little development or teaching in school ball. Most parents/travel coaches/private lessons instructors know as much as about softball as school ball coaches and in some cases they know more. These school coaches hold tryouts and pick the ones WHO can do it already. There is very little player development done at school ball. Also school coaches come and go with the wind which will affect your daughter’s college chances. This leads me to the following:

The major discussion between travel ball parents is more splitting of hairs between folks who have a financial investment or chosen one organization/team or instructor or recruiting group over another to help them advance their daughter ability and opportunities for the future. Nobody wants to admit their choice was wrong so they feel the need to knock others for simply having a different opinion or because they chose this person over that person. Everyone who speaks about their experiences on this forum have reasons for doing so………..listen, learn and decide for yourself.

Last thing: Not all Jr. High or High School coaches are bad. Over the past 5 years I have witnessed a major positive swing in more qualified school coaches and the running of some GREAT programs. However this is because parents such as you and travel ball and recruiting organizations out there are dedicated to seeing that your DD has options. Fast pitch Softball has become big business for some and extremely competitive for ALL. It's like asking someone if they "drink Coke or Pepsi?" and then the debate begins. I say have a coke and smile!
Any more questions about this you can e-mail at coachrin@charter.net