How to be a parent coach
For EVERY baseball parent this is a MUST READ!
I have been in the game of baseball for nearly 40 years. Beginning as an amateur competitor, then on to play D1 university, junior college, MLB, overseas, national team, and Olympics. As a national team pitching coach to local guest coach, conference presenter, private and group instructor, strength and conditioning coordinator, program overseer, and pretty much any other avenue you can think of. Point being, I have seen it all. And there are many things I see that I do not like and I see too many parents getting taken advantage of and unfortunately it is our kids that suffer and are under developed and missing out on opportunities. This frustrates me to no end because isn’t the purpose of a parent to help their child reach their dreams and goals? And shouldn’t we be able to trust in the competence and integrity of baseball coaches and educators we are entrusting our kids, time and money to?
The truth is, you as the parent are being let down by the baseball community and ultimately your child is the one paying the price. And that great price they pay is never knowing their full potential and never knowing what opportunities there could have been. We as parents pay a price too, literally! But what hurts more than our wallets and purses being pillaged is the fact that we will see our kids deal with the heartbreak of an unfulfilled dream. Don’t fret though parents, baseball doesn’t have to break the bank or break your hearts. We are in this together, and whether you are a Sportz University student or not it doesn’t matter. I will 8 points to help you in your baseball journey.
- DON’T ASSUME THAT EVERY COACH KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING:
This can be challenging to accept given that the coaches our kids have are not often our choice. They could be volunteers, parents, or paid, but we sign up for a team and we get the coaches provided. We love volunteer coaches and are very thankful for parents stepping up to coach but that most often equates to inadequate instruction. The solution to this is twofold. One, do not accept everything a coach says as the ultimate truth or resource. You must be able to verify that what they are being taught is accurate. Two, in order to verify accuracy you must have knowledge and understanding of your own. Wow, you are now overwhelmed because you thought you could trust your coaches and it’s their job to teach and not yours! Don’t be overwhelmed, start taking some initiative and invest in your kid’s career by learning on your own!
- STOP USING WEIGHTED BALLS:
Weighted balls are not safe. Weighted balls put your kid at a tremendous increased risk of injury. Weighted balls are not the only solution to gain velocity. Weighted balls lead to career ending surgery. It’s simple, the elbow and shoulder become overloaded, over stressed, and pushed to a range further than experienced before. Add on a growing young pitcher with delicate joints it’s a recipe for disaster. Don’t believe the internet hype, don’t fall prey to the mass marketing and velocity promises. Is it worth putting your kids’ career at risk? Especially when you don’t need weighted balls to reach your max velocity?
- AVOID INSTRUCTORS THAT USE CLICHE WORDS OR DESCRIPTIVES THAT NEED A PHD TO UNDERSTAND:
Sophisticated descriptions are a cover up for lack of knowledge and experience. I have read certain pitching instructors breakdown of pitching mechanics and I don’t even understand them. Then I see their product and they teach the wrong things. How could an “average joe” even hope to grasp what they are talking about with all the fancy terms. Teaching pitching is simple. The mechanics are basic athletic movements. Kids learn with clear and applicable teaching. Whenever I teach in person I encourage parents to be there and listen to learn. My job is to make the pitcher understand, be able to apply, and walk away with the knowledge to implement on their own without my help. The parents need to completely understand too. If I speak in words that make me sound smart but they walk away with nothing but a scrambled brain, what’s the point. Simple is always better.
- YOU DON’T NEED GADGETS:
Stop buying the newest gadget that promises more pitch speed. Every pitcher can gain maximal velocity without gimmicks. So if it seems too good to be true it probably is. Weighted balls are included in this. Here is all you need for maximal velocity: Sound mechanics, understanding how the body generates power, long toss, strength training, conditioning, strong core, mobility, flexibility, balance, work ethic, and commitment.
- STOP PAYING FOR HIGH PRICED PRIVATE LESSONS:
I had a new pitcher come to me for an hour lesson. I received a message from the parent later that evening thanking me. He said that his son had been going to another pitching coach for a full year, and in one hour with me he learned more than he had in a full year with the other coach. This made me sad, but more than that angry. Who was this coach charging over $100 per hour and not teaching anything that benefitted the player? It’s funny I say this because I have offered private lessons for years. What I do tell everyone is that I don’t want them to come back. I should be able to teach them so well that they don’t need me any more. That they are empowered with the knowledge and tools to be their own pitching coach. It’s not that hard. Everyone can do it. Remember how I said I always have the parents with me during the lessons? Now the parent has learned as well and between the parent and player they have become the expert and I am no longer needed. That’s always my goal.
- VELOCITY ISN’T A PRIORITY:
Velocity is important but not the priority. Pitchers that throw hard are everywhere, but there aren’t that many “pitchers” out there. Make sense? Real pitchers command their fastball, work down in the zone, have a changeup they can throw for a strike in any count, have consistent off speed, have sound mechanics, control the running game, etc etc. “Throwers” can throw hard but can’t pitch. “Throwers” don’t make it very far. So where do we find the balance? Its easy, focus on developing as an athlete (strength/condition/core/stability/balance), grow as a pitcher, have a progressive throwing plan, learn to read hitters, devise a plan on the mound, develop composure. The beauty is that velocity will increase with all of these. A proper plan covers every aspect of pitching and allows for safe velocity increase. Every pitcher is gifted with a maximal velocity, and every pitcher will reach that maximal velocity in their own time with the right work. There are no short cuts.
- THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS:
Don’t get duped by guaranteed velocity gains. EVERY PITCHER GAINS VELOCITY OVER TIME, and every developing pitcher will throw harder with natural growth as well as a structured plan. Don’t take the quick fix and waste your money. Old fashioned hard work always pays off and it’s much safer!
- STOP TRYING EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET
Just because there is a video online and it has lots of views doesn’t mean it is appropriate or safe for your kids. So how do you know what and who to trust? Do your homework. Step one, understand how the body generates power to throw. Hint, its rotational power through the hips. Step 2, do your research on how to protect the arm and what the major threats and potential injuries are. What muscles do we need to strengthen to protect the arm. Step 3, Understand efficient and safe movement patterns. For example, a squat, a side lunge, sprinting, jumping, these are all athletic movements that have close relation to how the body works when itching. Hint, glute load and hip extension. Step 4, try these movements on your own. Feel them. Understand them. You are capable.
These eight issues are the beginning to your understanding and empowering you, the parent to make confident decisions and protect your young pitcher. I will follow this up with more notes for parents to help you on your journey. The most important message is that you must know you are in control of your kids dreams. And the beautiful thing is, you can do this yourself! This is why we designed the Parents Online Course. To enable and empower you to be the one to guide your kid to that scholarship and to the Big Leagues. DIY pitching. Stop hoping everyone else has your kids best interest in mind or the ability to take them to the next level. Do it yourself!
