new coaches

[knowitall]

Baseball has always had long established summer leagues with their own dedicated coaches. In fact I would argue that summer baseball was traditionally more important than high school baseball.

[say_oww]

I absolutely agree with you on that point. In fact, you don't even need to play high school baseball to go on to college. As I mentioned, several h.s. assistants coach summer teams for their players, primarily in legion baseball.

However, I still believe high school head coaches have a duty to their players, just as football and basketball coaches. The question is, why is it acceptable to be a do-nothing h.s. coach. especially, when you are doing it for a paycheck?

[knowitall]

There's no systems in baseball. You don't have to learn an offense or a defense. You just go out and pitch, hit and field. It's not necessary for the high school coach to also coach his players in the summertime.

[peytonsaturday]

I have a friend who is a HC in both sports up there and the pay is not even close Corey!! He got 11k for football and 5 for baseball.

[pas2326100]

Knowitall, even though i agree with you to a point, I do believe that a high school coach in any sport has a responsibility to take ownership of the entire program. Too many coaches, when there seasons are over dont have any indication of what there kids are doing until the next season. They do not need to coach the summer seasons but they should... make sure there are quality people at all levels including J. High and elementary. They should also take an active interest in making sure that kids are getting into good off season programs. With football there should be an involvement getting kids into weight rooms, summer camps, skill camps, off season conditioning programs and things of that nature. In baseball, they should make sure that kids are involved in pony leagues, teener leagues, legion, AAABA, travel ball and avenues that will challenge and help to improve each kids skill set.

[Crimson's Ghost]

Pfeil from McCort is both a HS and summer coach. His assistant Josh Day is as well, along with the other Pfeil who is a Johnstown assistant, and perhaps the coach in waiting down there anyway.

[knowitall]

To coach all of one's players in the summer time one would have to possibly coach a junior league team, a legion team, a colt league team and a pony league team.

Hey, it's opening day!

[say_oww]

There is a lot more to baseball than pitching, hitting, and fielding. Maybe we should just simplify even more and say see ball, hit ball, throw ball, catch ball.

My question isn't why aren't more h.s. coaches coaching in the summer, its why aren't more h.s. coaches coaching their own players in the summer and fall. McCort's coaches do a lot of off-season activities, so they aren't the norm. But a hs head coach who coaches AAABA isn't doing anything for his high school team by coaching college kids for three months. Nor are the ones who don't even watch their own players, but instead watch AAABA games instead. That is more self-fulfillment than anything. On the flipside, coaching Pony and Colt is like Legion, those kids are the same kids who will be playing together in high school.

The next time someone asks why travel ball is so popular, you can tell them that parents have to do something because MOST (not all) h.s. coaches don't do anything extra for their baseball players.

[deepcreek]

Travel baseball is popular especially for older kids because of the presence of college coaches at tournaments. College recruiting budgeting are low and most colleges will never scout a high school game when they can go to five summer tournaments and find players. This is why so many good players fall through the cracks. Most kids given the choice would rather play local but that isn't a good way to get noticed

[Husker33]

The local area is having a hard time right now fielding summer Pony (grades 7-9) & Teener (9-12) league teams. Usually the best players are playing either on traveling teams or for the local legion team, so it becomes tougher to field the summer teams. Also most football coaches are running summer programs (weightlifting and conditioning). I do agree that coaches should be dedicated year round, however that can be very difficult based on a number of factors.