Coaches vs. Saviors

The problem with most of our sports programs is that everyone wants to be a savior, or to have coached the savior of the program. Heres news for you, YOUR KID WILL NOT PLAY PROFESSIONAL SPORTS!!!! Once you get that through your thick head, then you are ready to become a coach. Oh, and remember, if you are planning on your kid paying for college with a scholarship for his/her athletic ability, you should also be ready to kill a rich relative just in case that doesnt work out. Dont believe me, check the professional ranks of any major sport and see how many players each team has. Then look at the number of kids playing LL or HS sports. Chances are that you will win the lottery before your kid plays professionally

Coaches realize these basic facts, and they understand that they have a duty to make their players the best they can, sportswise and human wise. Saviors want to parade around with their chests out proclaiming that "THEY" won the Lincoln LL title last season or 3 years in a row. Guess what you didnt win jack S#!T, your players won it, and in most cases they overcame the other team and your incompetence to win.

Look at our little league baseball program, we are so worried about who wins that we are teaching no fundamentals. We run, and that is basically all we do. I saw a kid in a game last year, late in the game, his team down 3-4 runs, 1 out and runners on first and third. The defense coach yells to the catcher, throw him out if he steals (talking about the runner on first). The other coach thinks that is a joke. Guess what, runner on first gets thrown out, and the runner on third scores. Great you scored a run, and now you have two outs and your are still 2-3 runs behind. Easy win for the other team. What did the coach prove for the offense. Better to score a run, even if you give up an out. Watch any good HS team, college team, pro team. Do you see this happen. No because good coaches understand not only the score, but also the situation.

If not for good HS coaches at Lincoln we would be pitiful. But we put them at a disadvantage because they spend so much time teaching 15-18 year olds things they should have learned at 8-12 years old. If not for some knowledgeable parents of our HS players last year we would have been in trouble. (examples, Paul Young-played lots of HS basketball, George Miller-played some college basketball, Steve Ralston-played lots in HS and coached at many different levels) Think it is just a coincidence that these guys children helped turn our program around.

Look at our LL, how many of those guys played past LL. If you did not play past the time you were 10-11, you dont know how to make your kid better than an average 10-11 year old. Simple rules.

Quit trying to be the savior. Work on your skills as a coach. Teach fundamentals for the age you are coaching. Remember your kid is not your retirement, but you are his/her only hope for growing into a quality human being. You only get one chance, use it wisely.

Go PATS, we can overcome the dumba$$es and still turn out good programs. Prediction for Saturday, passing game gets going, Pats win a shootout 34-30. Also, Chase and Cody, if you read this, get well, long season need you for the district and playoffs more than we need you for early season.