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Online now: 2 members: TABLE SETTER 11, softball4b; 120 anonymousDiscussion: Looking For Some Feedback
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| Jan. 6, 2017 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | Looking For Some Feedback I have a new team starting in 2017. We are partially sponsored--AA/AAA. I recently shared my personal philosophy to our team. Just wondering if others had thoughts or comments or anything that you have developed and shared with your teams. Here it is: 1. Team is important. We win or lose as a team. 2. We leave the game on the field. 3. We support one another; encourage one another; defend one another. 4. We are 65 years (plus); we will not make every play; we will not get a hit every time; NO NEED FOR EXCUSES. Just make a commitment to try and do your best, according to your capabilities. 5. A good sense of humor will help!! 6. If you can throw a strike every time, just ask and I will let you pitch. 7. "Let him without sin, cast the first stone". 8. Always run it out going to first. 9. Use two hands in the outfield, just to make sure. 10. Always hit your cut-off. 11. Coaches at 1B and 3B always. 12. I am not the coach. I am the manager/administrator. I am not a dictator. I need your help; I am always open to suggestions. 13. Our wives who attend, the umpires and opposition, all deserve our courtesy and respect. NO PROFANITY or foul language permitted. 14. Finally, Softball and ALCOHOL/DRUGS do not mix. Off the field is your business; on the field is mine. |
| Jan. 6, 2017 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | Here's our planned schedule. I want to know upfront what tournaments you are committed to. Once you tell me that, I expect you to keep that commitment barring REAL emergencies. You know the tournament dates, plan to get there on time and plan your departure late enough to play in the finals. |
| Jan. 7, 2017 Perl 212 posts | Steve, so glad to hear you're having a team this year. Hope my buddy Dale is playing with you. Word is a couple Pensacola boys are joining you this season. Good luck , have a great year. |
| Jan. 8, 2017 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | Thanks, Perl. Just love to play; win or lose. The gang is all here! Hope 2017 is a great year for everyone. |
| Jan. 8, 2017 crusher Men's 75 524 posts | southpaw, some very good guidelines that can work for you and team. The only thing I do different is in the outfield I only use my glove hand as I found out for me a long time ago I can catch some balls that way that otherwise I could not get to. If I tried to use 2 hands I would miss some catches for outs (in the air). With one hand you can get up to 18 inches in reach. When I play SS or 3B I always use 2 hands on ground balls. Hope you have a great year with the new team and thanks for doing that. C |
| Jan. 9, 2017 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | Thanks, Crusher. |
| Jan. 9, 2017 DieselDan Men's 75 600 posts | Assign a player as bench coach to assist. Make sure your base coaches especially learn the arms of the other team and take charge when sending or holding up a runner. Have a batting order set up so your courtesy runners are spread out and if some guys have speed, try not to have anyone in front of them that is slow. Work with those players who will always stand in the same spot in the batters box and may have problems with the short pitches. Get the team to work out who does or doesn't want a roommate. If not a lady, have a couple of guys do the score book. Have a team rule that no one comes back to the dugout apologizing for a bad at bat (no pick me up comments), or a mental/physical mistake on offense or defense. The team knows it, just be quite and move on to the next pitch or play. I'm sure you and the team knows all this, but sometimes it's good to remind them. Best of luck. |
| Jan. 9, 2017 softball4b Men's 70 1248 posts | If you have the luxury of a big roster: 5 Outfielders, somebody sits every inning. Nobody wants to, but later in the day or tourney, if makes a difference. If you are going to hit among first 3 batters next inning sit the inning before. Pitchers never run, legs go, consistency goes, bat goes. If you are sitting, you are coaching 1st because you are running first. 3rd base coach is always same 2-3 guys. consistency in runners knowing how you coach. Organized BP. I know some people thought I was nuts, but I would break up BP hitting into 3-4 guys groups. One pitcher pitches to those guys then hits with next group. Once you figured out who hit the same, you could put them together. Communicate to the point they think you are nuts. Better more information than a bunch of guys calling you on where we meeting, what are we wearing, are we taking BP. Just my thoughts. Mike Adair |
| Jan. 9, 2017 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | Thanks, Dan and Mike. Really good points. I have been in senior softball for 15 years--managing/coaching. Most of those years were as non-sponsored teams or partially sponsored. I usually supplied uniforms and everyone chipped in for tourney fees and had their own personal expenses. As a result, my primary concern was in trying to be fair to everyone-playing time, rotation, etc. Deserved or not, I had the reputation at times of not really caring about winning enough. Actually had players quit after telling me that. What do others say about winning at any cost? |
| Jan. 9, 2017 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | southpaw, it must be a pleasure to play on your team. Good guidelines. As to winning at any cost, I think the solution is to be upfront when forming the team. If you are a win at any cost, then marginal players from the start will know they will likely ride the bench in important games. In my experience, there are such players who enjoy being part of a winning team or playing with friends or just the joy of the friendships, who will not complain about being skipped in order to bat the best 10 in an important game. There are also players who will rebel at this (and usually they have a higher opinion of their skills and worth than do their teammates and manager) so they should play with a different team. I have been on both types of teams. I enjoyed both experiences. I did not enjoy when managers were not clear at the beginning about how it was going to be, and the dugout suffered from disgruntled passed-over players or irritated good players who saw lesser talents in their position in important games. Communication of your expectations is vital. |
| Jan. 9, 2017 swing for the fences Men's 50 1224 posts | Omar, it helps when guys are honest with themselves...Even Starters! I remember coming back from achilles issue this last year and didn't have my legs 100 percent in Westerns, I took a backseat and let my other teammates help me out especially in the Outfield.. I had to be honest with myself and say to myself, others around me were probably going to get it done better than myself at this time...I know that typically Bench players are always looking for time and probably thinking they are a bit better than they really are.. I like that kind of ego to a point, but don't like when it gets the dugout Vibe down.. fine line for sure! I so much appreciate the bench guys, running for guys and helping out whenever they can... Thankless job, but not in my dugout, because I will personally thank them! |
| Jan. 10, 2017 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | Thanks, Omar, you are too kind. You and Swing certainly gave thoughtful responses. My wife tells me I talk way too much, so I think I have the communication/team part down pretty well! I have also served as a Baptist Pastor for over 35 years, so I think that helped. To be honest, we have not won a lot of games over the years, but were competitive most of the time. As primarily a AA team, it was always an uphill battle against AAA and Major teams a majority of time (at least until Dalton). Winning for me has never been the most important or ONLY reason to play Senior Softball. So, I just let the chips fall where they may!! |
| Jan. 10, 2017 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | southpaw, A Baptist Pastor who talks too much?! Tell me it isn't true! But I do believe that you, sadly unlike some managers, do communicate the team style when the team is forming and thus avoid many problems. I played on a team once where at the beginning of the year the TEAM decided what their style would be for the season. Didn't work any better than when the manager does it, because there are always some guys who have a higher opinion of their skills and feel overlooked or under appreciated. Either way, these "overlooked" players will still be grousing about the manager and his "poor judgement". I like swing's statement about expressing appreciation, whether for your manager or fellow teammates. It is very healthy for the team. One year I was out of action a couple of months for rotator cuff surgery, but I could still run, so I went to every tournament and became a rabbit. I never fielded or batted or pitched, but I was available off the bench every inning. My manager more than once expressed his appreciation as did some teammates who were gassed and enjoyed the rest. I enjoyed that period of time even without full faculties because I was still recognized for my contributions. |
| Jan. 11, 2017 southpaw Men's 70 1077 posts | I may have shared this before: In June, 2013, I almost died twice in six days due to acute pancreatitis. That occurred one month after gall bladder surgery, wherein, gall stone material fell into my bile duct, causing the pancreatitis. Anyway, after two days of being unconscious, I awoke for just a few seconds. My wife was holding my hand. I opened my eyes, looked at her and said "baby, I love to play softball!" and immediately passed out again for another whole day. Needless to say, still trying to live that down!! |
