Silly Season Part 2

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Softball sound off with Chris and Mike.

SPEAKER_01 0:06

And we're back, everybody. Finally, after a break, we get to come back and talk about some stuff that uh that's been on social media lately. Hey Mike, how you doing?

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Good. How's it going?

SPEAKER_01 0:16

Good. Uh it's been a while, been a minute, but now that uh high school season's wrapped up and uh I get a little more time to uh discuss uh some stuff that's been on social media lately. Uh and I couldn't wait to get out or back in here and record an episode. Uh so uh before I we get into some of the stuff I saw, uh Mike, what have you what's going on in your world of softball?

SPEAKER_00 0:45

Um so as we're getting into tournament time. What's going on? Um not uh you know, not too many texts about parents upset about their kids' uh playtime yet. Usually that comes a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

You're just ramp ramping up to get into the season.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

We're just ramping up. Um primarily what we're seeing right now is uh from a from a director's standpoint of view, um, you know, kind of ironing out any last-minute uniform issues, um, which is always fun. Uh tournaments with the rain up here, rescheduling. You know, it's just you know, from a logistical standpoint, I'm pretty heavy in that right now. Um, and then also uh really, you know, as one of our last podcasts, tis the season with uh tryouts. I mean, that's just going fast and furious right now, as far as you know, the world of it, who's you know, who's going where, who's staying, and who's, you know, you know, both internally we start looking at, you know, what do the teams look like next year. And I know that you know, there there's two sides to the coin where people say, um, you know, we have barely started, and you know, I'm an advocate of let it play out and see where it goes, but the reality of it is, you know, we're in May and and people want to start thinking about what does their next year look like. Um, it's just a reality of of where we're at.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Yeah, it's and you know, I couldn't wait to get on because I started seeing these posts, you know, there's posts on social media, you know, what are we doing to these kids is shameful. Having tryouts before the current season has even started. Man, that's life. That's how it's working these days. Yeah. Do I agree with it? No. But you either get on board or get run over. Uh, and if you're running a program and you know, people complaining uh they're having tryouts earlier and earlier, you know, you know, have somebody complain saying out you have tryouts in June and July, and you know, we're gonna have ours in August. Great, buddy. You ain't gonna have players because every other organization is doing June and July. So you're gonna like like you had said, you're gonna be posted on social media after everybody's tryouts for the rest of the year looking for players because you waited too long to have your tryouts.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Well, that's and it's so you know, the season, I guess, I don't know, it's about you know, and look, it creeps up on you, right? So, probably about a month ago, the owner of our program, one of the other larger programs, like we we start to talk about, right? You know, I mean, we plan, it's it's a business. So you start to plan when do you do things? Not just because we want to quick get players, but things require planning. You know, we have the space, who could be there to work it? So you you from a from a managerial standpoint, you start planning that. Um, so as we started to look at that one of our other, you know, one of the larger programs in the area they had posted, and the owner of our program kind of was like, Oh, are we you know late? I said, No, we're not late. You know, I mean people post now, people will figure it out. And you know, we try to do different days in other programs because we let we'll see the posting. We'll say, okay, they're doing it these days, we'll do it these days. We don't try like, oh, let's see people, let's let make them choose which one to go to. That's that's silly. So we'll try to do it other days, and I'm sure you know the other large programs do the same. Let let the kids go to the different evals. So the this is where it's it's evolved over the past couple of years. So I think in the past, and your daughter's older, you've been through this, it used to be probably like after nationals. Right. After nationals is when the tryouts would be, you don't do it before. I I don't know when, probably over the years, as you and I have spoken the past few years, with all these new teams popping up and it just becoming a swamp, it becomes a race to get these evals. So, so the whole concept of post-nationals tryouts is it just doesn't really exist anymore. Um, you know, you so now what you're seeing is at least us, we're having them right around that time in nationals, right before. So people can get an idea, coaches could build. Um, because after nationals, you're into August. Come August, there's just a couple of teams that are having tryouts still at that time. And sure, you respect it, you get it, like you want to wait. But the reality of it is most families and players want to have an idea the same way like we plan as a as an organization for what next year looks like, families do the same. So by the end of July or by you know, some point in July, typically families know if they're staying or leaving the program, right? Wouldn't you say that?

SPEAKER_01 5:01

Yeah, they're I mean, if you're not always looking or not always have your eyes open, and it doesn't mean you want to go anywhere, but you should always have your head on a swivel as to what you can get, you know, a better opportunity.

SPEAKER_02 5:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

Um so so but if you are completely happy where you're at, you don't need a head on a swivel, but correct you should always be looking to improve, just like the team should always be looking to improve. And that whether that's planning, you know, assessing your team and whether you're gonna cut a player or two, you know, after the season, you got to plan ahead and you should always be trying to get better.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

So I'll give you an example. This is actually uh this is uh this actually is very relevant. So we we try to have the eve, we're we're doing RE vows right around the time of nationals, right before, you know, make sure it's not during nationals. And the reality of it is if a families are looking to leave, they usually know by nationals. And I even had a family that I know for a fact going into nationals, um, figured that this was going to be their last tournament with the program and they were gonna move on. So, so the typically the families that are looking to move, they they know that going in. They, you know, you you hope that they stay with the, you know, give their 100% door nationals, but typically by that time. So that's why you're seeing these programs nowadays, you know. Again, it's everyone's trying to get ahead of it. The problem with, you know, and again, it's everyone do what you want, whatever you feel is best. But some of these programs that are standing on soapboxes right now, that we're waiting till after, how dare everybody else. Some of these those programs, what you find September, October, November, December, just looking for one more player, just looking for one more pickup player, because everyone else had already gotten settled. So while they want to act like how dare everybody else do evals at some point in July, we're looking at posts for them for the next six months, still looking for players. Like, how is that how is that any different?

SPEAKER_01 6:58

No, it's just it's it's it's business, you know. And I see another post about or comment, uh, it's all about the money. There isn't an organization out there that cares about the kids, they care about the money. That's you're just an idiot. I mean, it's you're just a salty person. Like, that's not true. Organizate there are organizations that care about, but it's also a business. It's a it's a fine line that the organizations have to have to deal with. Ultimately, it is a business. It's that's how it works. If you can't you can't see that and acknowledge that, then you're just gonna struggle through this whole whole deal.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

So, to that point as well, there it like you said, it is a business. Budgets are based off of rosters, roster size, every you know, tuition. You add up the tuition, it's it's math. This is simple economics, you know, macroeconomics here. You've got each child, each player is a tuition, that's how a budget's created. The budget then transforms to how many tournaments, uniforms, all that jazz.

SPEAKER_01 7:57

So, of course, programs want to make sure which just like any other business, you're planning for the few the year later. Of course, you don't you're not making those decisions in the moment. You have to plan a year out.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Correct. Look, I've had coaches internally like say, like, oh, why don't we start hosting you know evals in December? Like, I like you said, we get it. We're not like sure, it would be great if everybody could work together and say, hey, all the major programs in the area, this is when we're gonna start doing evals. Let the kids play, but it doesn't uh it unfortunately it's become well.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

That's how somebody on here said you USA and UTRIP should say make make a uh date. That one has nothing to do with the other. Yeah, uTrip has no control over these private businesses. Correct. These these programs are their own entity, correct? UTIP doesn't control them, so you can there's nothing UTIP or USA can do. It's gonna take thousands of families all to decide on this at the same time, we're not gonna attend tryouts until August. Correct. That's the only thing that's gonna do it. And we all know that's impossible.

SPEAKER_00 8:57

And it's like I said, it's not it's not it's not about you know, it's not like, oh, we don't care about everybody cares about everything. It's just, but at the end of the day, it's you wanna, you know, you want, and what you don't want to do too is right, so it's become it all leads back to some of the core things we've spoken about. You know, you want to build a program that's got solid players, that's got good players. And you know, then the fear kicks in, you're gonna miss out on the good players. All the all the solid players are kind of being hit up, they're being poached. You know, I mean, my daughter got an offer from another program weeks ago. Right. Um, and you know, and that's what goes on is some of these programs, they start kind of reaching out to the better players, like, hey, if you're if you're interested next season, we're looking for someone, these these wheels are in motion before you even see the tryout post. So, you know, there's all these things that are going on, and and we get it, like I get it as a director. Like, I yeah, sure, like I would love to wait, but the reality of it is, you know, we want to have a competitive program, you know, or and the in these some of these, you know, better players, they're getting they're getting calls and emails and you know, texts from other programs before way before evals are even announced. So it's it's you're already there's already a whole group that's kind of going off the table before evals, and then you get evals, and then it's like so it's you get the some of the higher-up players are getting kind of privately hit up first, then the evals, and then there's like the next wave of players, and then it's like after that, what's left? And like come August, September, where you'd say, Oh, I'd much rather do that, give the families after um nationals, give them a break, and then let them eval for next year. Yeah, I mean, it's a great idea, but you just it won't work.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

And then we get we got one guy on here that says the organizations already posting tryouts are the ones families should probably avoid anyway. You're just narrow-minded, you have no idea how this works. And you it yes, again, like we said, ideally, it'd be great if no tryouts happen till August. Yeah, but that's not gonna happen. So instead of standing there being all you know high and mighty, that yeah, we're not having them until after August, until after nationals, and your ass is gonna get run over by other all the other programs. So, like I said, you either join, you either jump on the train or get run over by it. Yeah, there's nothing, unfortunately, that's how it is.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

Well, and plus I I've seen some of the people that kind of say that, like these how dare these organizations, yet they're signing up for evals all over themselves. Because they know that this it's like I said, like you've said, we get it. It's not that we agree or disagree, it's just the it's just the environment right now. It is what it is.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

We don't create it, yeah. But so this is it's kind of like having uh call-ins. I just go through and read these, read these comments and we'll just we just talk about them. Like um, sorry, this person here. Worst part is when people think their coaches won't find out, it puts everyone in an awkward position. If you're a coach that has any sense about you, you shouldn't care. Yeah, you coach the players that are in front of you. You can't worry and and spend your time worrying about, oh, is this person gonna leave? Or or whoever whoever's there is there. That's who you coach. Like, have it like the mindset I do in high school is we don't we can't recruit, obviously. Well, I guess you could, but that's a uh topic for another time. But I I coach who's in front of me, I coach who's there. So if your coach gets butthurt, like if you're coaching a team, why would you get butthurt over hearing somebody's gonna leave? You want to leave, leave. I mean, me and you have always been on the same page where if you want to leave, then leave. I'm just gonna I'm gonna coach the 12 girls that are in front of me.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

It it it I I I used to take it more personally, you know, I don't know, it's like one of those age-old sayings. Um, you know, once you kind of get burned, you you kind of grow, you know.

SPEAKER_01 12:46

Come cows to it.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

Yeah, and and that's you know, and that's you know, after you know, getting burned a couple of times, you kind of like that's like my mentality going in. I tell some of the coaches, because you know, they'll come to me and say, Hey, I heard someone's like, okay, like then they go because you know what are you gonna do? Because I do truly believe, like, if if somebody's not happy, it's like a job, like you gotta go where especially for a kid, like let it go, go be where they should want to be. If this isn't the right program, then it's not gonna be the right program for everyone, then then let them go. Like, and I've said it a thousand times, and I even had the conversation with somebody a week ago, and I think I told you about it. I said, Look, go explore, you know, if you want to explore other options, do that. I don't I 100% go for it. I'm if you decide to leave the tis and right program, I support it. Um, just do yourself a favor, leave the right way, don't leave like an asshole. Um, you know, and he kind of laughed, and but he knew he's like I agree. I said, Look, I you leave the right way, shaking you know, hey Mike, this isn't the right program. Because who knows? You you know, you go to the where you think the grass is greener on the other side, and all of a sudden you're like, oh shit, call me back a year later and like Mike, this wasn't come on back. Absolutely. You know, it's it's good sometimes to try the things. I mean, think about adults in life. How many adults have gone to companies, they leave to go where the grass is greener and they call their old job back, like hey, I fucked up, I want to come back. That's life, so it happens, but it's all how you do it. Leave the right way, you know. So, and we spoke about this. You know, if if you are gonna leave, we have the conversation. Do you tell your coach? Um, you know, and that all depends on the yeah, and that's on the relationship you have and and your own choice.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Okay, so this the next caller, the next poster, um said uh agreed if your organization is hosting trials in June, they are scum and only in it for the money, profiteering off your children. They certainly aren't thinking of what's best for the kids. No, that's the parents' job, asshole. It's not the it's not the program. Again, they're a business. Again, again, we didn't create the system, the system is in place. Yeah, you know, in uh the ideal world, we would there would be start dates and stuff, but there's not. So until the government gets involved and creates you know sanctioned times for for kids' sports, there's nothing you can do about it. So you gotta play the game.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

So with that said, and now to kind of dive into that a little bit, we've spoken about this. So like we host trouts. Some programs, I guess, ask for an answer within 24 or 48 hours. That we don't do. So like we may host our trout. I don't know, when are e bells?

SPEAKER_01 15:21

I thought they were end of June, early July.

SPEAKER_00 15:23

Yeah, I think the younger, the younger ages are end of June, last week in June, and then the uh older are like sometime in July.

SPEAKER_01 15:32

Um, so yeah, again you're talking about commitment times. Commitment times.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

You don't so that is where I do think that I think is a little bit more that can be controlled a little bit better. Yeah. Because that and can be controlled by the organization. So, you know, again, it's like you said, if you if you're if you want to wait and you know, kind of be righteous and say we're waiting till August, that that's your call. I mean, uh, it's every everyone has their own business to run. You can't tell someone how to run their business because that's the business part of it. Because and the reason it's the business part of it, because you're not gonna have the the players available, amount of the same amount of players available to come to evals to fill the roster. So there is that component of it. However, with that said, if you say, Look, I I get it, but you know, you you host them earlier, and you know, people say, How how dare you post now? Like we posted, but ours are in July. The only reason we post because people are marking off dates on calendars and we actually vacations and things like that. So we've had I've had numerous emails from people saying we can't make that date for whatever reason. And I'm like, absolutely. Then, you know, you come to you can come to an open practice, come to a trial sometime either in July or August, whatever works for you. So, you know, we have that's why you do it now, is so people could plan accordingly. With that said, you host your trial. Let's say we have ours in July. So people, the first thing they say, if they get an offer, the first thing they say, when do you want to know by? We tell them typically a week, seven days. However, if you know, we understand you probably go into a couple other, just let us know what works for you. At some point, though, after a certain amount of time, so after like seven days, so if we give them an offer, seven days, you're that spot is held for seven days. However, after seven days, it's not like the offer's pulled from the table. That spot just becomes available for somebody else trying out for the program. So at the end of the day, it's you know, the offer, your spot's held for seven days.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

Well, the spot's held until it's filled. I mean, again, it's it's held, it's held for you for seven days, correct. But the spot's still there until somebody fills it.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

So now we have I have had people that say, Oh, we're actually signed up for an eval for 10 days later, you know, and I'm like, no problem. So what day would work for you? The the 12th day, that would be great. Then go to the 12th day. Like I said, we're not if you force, like we're not looking to force someone into a decision. We do have to put some type of parameter on it, though, because it it's the spot should be filled.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

Right, because you can't go, you can't go the next two months not knowing if you're gonna have that. And again, it's gonna come down to the tuition spot. Yeah, like this person, it's a money grab for some of these organizations. No, it's a money grab for everybody. Yeah, it's their businesses, they have to at least be break even. If not, you can't, you're not gonna have these programs to to have your kids play softball and that you want so bad.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

It's not a money grab, it's just it's a budgeting tool. I mean, it it's you know, and that's everybody has to have it, and that that's what people, you know, the these travel organizations cost money. There's a fee. And that, you know, it's not the fee isn't going to, you know, yachts and and Porsches.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

Or your your your beer fund. It's it's it's going, it's at at worst case, it's going just to survive, to break even.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

It's it's going to the equipment, it's going to the boxes and boxes of softballs that cost insane money. It's going to the two uniforms, it's going to the helmets, it's going to I mean, it it's to the paid pay uh pay to play pay to play, it's going to the uh play to stay or whatever the hell they do that.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

That racket. You won't talk about racket. That's a that's some bullshit.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

Stay paid, pay to stay.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

Yeah, stay to play or something. Like, come on, tell tell me that's not a racket. But um, anyway, that might be for another show, too.

SPEAKER_00 19:19

And and that's you know, that's where all of these fees, because I get that question. Oh, you know, where does all the money go? Like it goes to the rental of the you know, the lease for the indoor facility. It goes the insurance has gone up this year a fair amount at all these parks. That's why you're seeing the raise in the tournament prices. So it's you know, it's not that these everyone's posting for money grabs, everybody's trying to just make sure that they've got their rosters and their expenses covered. Yeah, and they just want to make sure that their rosters are are at least close to filled. So the budget they plan, you know, you budget, you make create a budget per team per roster, per, you know, with each kid's tuition. If you're one or two kids short, you know, it throws the budget for that team off. Because again, you there's not a ton of room built in there. Like I know I, you know, I there's not a lot of room. So when you lose one or two players, you know, a few thousand dollars in tuition is gone, that that hurts the budget. That that goes right to the bottom line. When you've got players that, you know, two, three months in decide we're going over here. We don't like this coach, it affects the whole team. You're not affecting the program, you're hurting the team because now that team has got to fundraise, they got to do something to make up that money. So, like, you know, these parents think they're sticking it to the coaches or the program. You're not. You're you're you're affecting the the team itself. Um, so it's again, it's we're not as a program, it's just you're you're trying to plan, you're trying to get these things set. You know, you announce them now so people could plan. Like I said, we posted ours, but ours are until July. So we you know, it gives everyone time to plan. Like I said, I've already gotten emails of people asking, hey, we're not around that time. Sure. Let me know as time gets closer what date works for you to come in for a trial, whether it be July, August. Like we work with that all day long.

SPEAKER_01 21:11

Yeah. It's so here's uh our next uh poster. These people didn't realize they would be on our show. I'm just not naming them. Uh uh, let's see. No, I know this is a pointless statement, but don't attend early trials. No one is forcing anyone to attend. Teams posting trials so early seem desperate. Again, it's not a desperation thing, it's a planning thing. But he is writing the other statement. If you don't want to go to the trial, don't go to it. I mean, if you if you want to be on that team bed enough, you're gonna go to the trial when they have it posted.

SPEAKER_00 21:42

Correct.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

That's how it works. Then don't no you're right. Nobody is making you do anything in this world. Don't tend to any of the tryouts. If you get butthurt because somebody's having their tryout in January or April, then don't go to it. Yeah, it's that simple. You have your right to make Your own choice.

SPEAKER_00 22:01

Or do, you know, like I said, we I've had requests for people for rescheduling because they say, you know, vacation, whatnot. If you want to wait and not think about it, reach out to the director and say, listen, appreciate you, you know, we we were interested in your program. We see you've got tryouts or evals in July. Do you mind if we come in like the first week in August after the nationals? Like I I would say absolutely, you know, what age group, you know, connect them with the coach, let them know the deal. Now, with that said, you are taking a chance. If there was a spot available, it won't be available. But, you know, if that's if that's the route as a parent and player, you're always, and if a program says no, you have to come, which I I can't imagine a program would do that. But if you're as a parent, you know, truly believe that, hey, what we want to look into next year, but we really want to wait till after nationals, we don't want our daughter to get distracted. That's that's fine. Reach out to the program that you're interested in, a couple of programs, and express your thought. Like I if I got that email from a family, I'd say that hey, I respect it absolutely. I'll put you in touch with the coach, set up a time for her to, you know, your player to come in for an e-val after. Good luck. You know, have a great time in national. See you then.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

The next uh next one. It's giving me anxiety. Can we please wait till the season is over? Why is this giving you anxiety? If it's giving you anxiety, I feel it's giving you anxiety because you're looking at leaving. Yeah, if you don't, if you're not looking at leaving your your program, no and nobody else's trial date should matter. Why are you getting anxiety?

SPEAKER_00 23:29

Up your meds. Well, the the other thing too is you know that there's two sides to this. So as a parent and family, you feel this way. How do you think the coaches feel? Like, right, I know when I coach, so like, do you think we don't wonder? We don't look at the say, oh, who's who's looking, who's going to these tryouts? Of course, as as a program of coaches, it's not our favorite either. Because as you all like said, like, oh, you know, this is you know, these poor players, like the coaches now have to start wondering, you know, is little Jenny going to five different tryouts this week. Little Jenny didn't come to practice this week. She had a tryout this week because I know ABC down the road was hosting their tryouts this week. And like I said, it's a small world. We get calls, I get calls and texts all the time when players are looking. Um, you know, and I'm like, okay, um, you know, that's that's their right. Let them look. It's, you know, I mean, I hope they hope they see the value in our program and come back. Well, if not, then then it's not the right program for them. Um, but you know, there's that side of it too. So I I can promise you, the coaches and the programs aren't sitting back, like, yeah, let's let's keep doing like this isn't our favorite either, because every coach every week has to wonder at this time of year when players aren't a practice, are they at other evals? So you know, there's two sides to this coin that it's but as we've said, it is what it is.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

Yeah, and there's there's some comments here about you know the disgrace that your their organizations are posting tryouts um and all this stuff how early, but um what they don't realize is you if even if let's say this great organization or whatever came down and said you can't post or have tryouts till the month of August, do you think recruiting stops? No, there's gonna be people chirping and talking, and the whole thing it happens, it's all year long. So all you're doing is setting up. You ever go to Disney? Do you ever go to Disney? You ever go when they open the gates at eight o'clock? Yep, everybody's pushed up against the fence, wait until they hit those gates, the gates, and everybody takes off running. That's what you're gonna create by having this hardline date that at August 1st is when you can have tryouts. Well, guess what's gonna happen the first weekend or the first day in August? It's just gonna the dam's gonna explode. Yeah, but that's because throughout the whole year ahead of time, people are talking, working deals, negotiating. Hey, come over to us. So you're not really changing anything. No, you're just changing when they have the tryouts.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Well, that that's and that's like what I said. Like and I if you my honest opinion from what I've seen, um, and I I I do think it's almost like it's I don't know how to kind of describe it, but it's like stages, right? So you get some of the higher level players that kind of get that cut that call text early on before tryouts are even posted. So you're gonna have that kind of wave, you know. What are we in? What was we may? So like when did when did my daughter get that that call?

SPEAKER_01 26:28

Was that probably two, three weeks ago?

SPEAKER_00 26:30

A few weeks ago before tryouts were even posted. Um and I've had a couple of other coach, you know, like I've spoken to other coaches um before tryouts even happen. Um so that happens then, you know, and I and you know, the reality of it is people think like probably like, oh that's just silly, you know, like you, why would your daughter ever go somewhere else? You know, there might be a day where the where I am running a program is not the right program for my daughter. Yeah. Um, you know, and I and that's that's reality. Um, you know, like right now I I believe it is, but I would be foolish to not, you know, always want to make sure she's being challenged and make sure she's in the right environment. Um, you know, and I think people know that about me, which is why we do get a couple of calls, like, hey, you know, if you ever want to make a change or let your daughter come play somewhere else, um, but I also know like, you know, some of our coaches will speak to players uh here and there. So I I do think it's waves. I think April is when some of the better players start getting kind of recruited a little bit, and then you get the next wave, like where the evals, and then it's you know, then you get the rest. And I think that that's everyone's somewhat aware of that, and I think that's why you see e-valves laid out the way that they are, where everybody they do want to get them in um around the same time, you know. Do I think hosting them like now? I mean, I don't know. Is any I don't know if I've seen anyone having them this early. I think this early is silly because I mean it's you haven't even given your team a chance yet. Like July, like I said, by July, right by nationals. Typically, if players are looking to make a move next year, they know by then. They do. Like I said, I I know I know players that have, you know, have already made up their mind and they say we're gonna finish nationals and we're gonna look to make a move next year. So I housting in July, I don't think you're changing anybody's mind. I think by July people's minds are made up at what they're doing in the next season because you've already had a couple of months of tournaments under your belt. So by by then, you already know.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

All right. I think we beat that one up enough. I just it's just some of these posts are just so dumb. Um, so what I want to let's do one more, uh discuss one more thing here. Um that I just I just came to my head now because I'm scrolling uh through social media. Um let me just say this. Just because you play in college, whether it's D3, N A I A, um whatever, any low level to high level, doesn't mean you're a private instructor. I see so many posts about it's like instead of getting a summer job like a normal kid does, everybody who plays softball comes home from school and thinks they're an instructor. Yeah just because you play it doesn't mean you can coach it.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

I I like a thousand percent.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

I know it's hitting defense, catching, uh, you know, 40, 60 minutes, you know, all the all this stuff. Like there's from these, like again, I'm not saying everybody's like that, but it's so money out there that everybody's an instructor now.

unknown 29:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:51

It's well, and that's look, and I and so every program, one of the you know as well as I do, what's one of the big things they advertise when they advertise players. College players. It's something we do it. Right. Yeah, we we do it, and and we we you know, we have a fair amount, probably one of the most college player, former college players on our staff at any program out there, or at least recent. Some may have old college players, but from like 30 years ago. Like, I mean, ours are recent college players. With that said, I can firsthand, like, not everybody's meant to coach. No, you know, some players are great athletes, great competitors, great players, but like when it comes to coaching, it's it's it's a it's it's a different mindset. And and I've said it, you know, as much as everybody wants to bash the parent, you know, there's an element of like that that nurturing that's there that is part of what's needed. Um, they need to be, they absolutely need to be, and and you, you and I coach very similar, like no bullshit, you know, which is why you and I are probably so well loved, right? But but again, you know, we create expectations, we want accountability. That's all it comes down to. You know, as a parent, of course, I see like, and if I see something like, you know, the parental part of me kind of comes right out. Um, where some of these young women who are entering, you know, just exiting college and getting into coaching, they don't have that and it's kind of missed sometimes. Like for like team bonding things, like they'll they'll kind of miss that. And I'll say, hey, I I haven't seen like now, granted, I'm not saying they need to be sitting around a campfire making s'mores all the time, but there is the cultural element that that sometimes gets missed with with some of these.

SPEAKER_01 31:42

Even as a hard ass I am with with coaching, I have a booster club that puts together team bondings. Yeah, I don't attend them because I'm a guy and it's weird to attend a bunch of girls you know bowling or making cookies, but I that's I support that, you know, give it opportunity to bond, but it doesn't have to be that's all you think about is where you're going to after the game to eat cookies or ice cream. So but back onto this, yeah, not everybody's a coach.

SPEAKER_00 32:10

Not everybody's a coach or like an instructor. Like, so so I you know, look, uh, you know, if if you're if you're you see someone local to you, because look, it's not always easy to find local people giving instructions either. So if you see someone pop up for them, like, ooh, this could be good. I just I I would probably stick around as a parent for the first lesson to see how it goes. Like, are they going through drills? Are they doing a warm-up? Are they just jumping into like you know?

SPEAKER_01 32:33

Yeah, it it's and how like yeah, again, like you said, the number the first lesson is so when I give lessons to somebody new, like a tenure girl, it's and it's hitting lessons. If you're you shouldn't be doing hitting lessons more than 30 minutes with with kids with kids, it just it's get they get burned out in that hour. 30 minutes is enough for hitting. I agree. Um and my first lesson with a new new hitter, I video them to and then slow down their swing and see what and then we start from the ground up. We start fresh and start over. If they just go straight into like front toss, that's not with my people when I first start with them. They the first probably four to six weeks, they don't see front toss. It's all teamwork because you gotta build the foundation. So like some of these, I'm looking at one right now where you know she was a four-year starter at a at a high school, you know, there she coaches a certain program. Like it's just what why? Because you've played since you were nine, gives you the credibility to be an instructor. I saw another post where a girl has a hitting instructor from a girl that is one year out of high school. Their first year in college, they played had one at bat all year in college, and she's your instructor. Uh, she still needs instruction. So, how can your instructor still need hitting instruction? Yeah, like come on. I mean, I get it. You I get it, these girls are trying to make some summer money, but when is it becoming you're stealing people's money?

SPEAKER_00 34:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:09

Instead of working for it.

SPEAKER_00 34:10

Yeah, and that's like I said, it's it's you know, as a parent, I would kind of sit back and watch, are they making the adjustments? Are they are they just like you said, just throwing front toss and okay, good, good. Because we've seen that for your 40 bucks. Yeah, and we we've seen, you know, so you know, if you want to sign, like I said, not you know, could be she could be the greatest person. I know it's not easy to find, you know, good instructors in areas. So if you you live in an area and you see, you know, recent college or you know, someone home from summer break that's a college player giving lessons, they go, you know, give it a try, go for it. But as a parent, I definitely would kind of just want to observe from the background and just are they making adjustments? Like if the swing's off, or they just great, great, that you know, so just pay attention to that. Are they making the adjustments? And is your player bonding with? Like to me, that's always a big part of it, too. Like my daughter's gone to a couple of pitching instructors over the years, some she's bonded with more than others. Um, you know, her current pitching coach, you know, she's she's close with her. Um, because you want them to feel comfortable, you want them to give feedback. Yes, if your child is just sitting there like not really bonding, they're not giving feedback, it's not going to be successful. Like those are little things to look out for.

SPEAKER_01 35:18

And I've had that with my with me. I've had players come to me once or twice and they wouldn't talk. I mean, I'm not, I'm probably a little intimidating, um, but it's okay. It's not a fit, it's not a fit then. Yeah, yeah. Don't I don't want you to come to me just so I can take your money. If it's not a fit, it's not a fit. Go find somebody else. I'm not opposed to that. But these these girls that are home from college, I'm not look, they may be good coaches, they may be good instructors, but it's just crazy that like nobody gets a normal summer job anymore.

SPEAKER_00 35:49

There seems to be this year, I actually noticed there seems to be much more this year. Everybody's in the I used to see one or two postings for that. I've seen five to ten in the past couple of days. And like you said, they may be they may be great. And you know, uh, it's it's always people are always looking for an instructor. Just make sure I would go, I'd watch it. Are the is the are the is the instructor making adjustments after each exercise? Um, and is your player comfortable giving feedback? Because it it's it has to be communication's gotta be there where the they say, Well, I'm I'm noticing this when I swing. Okay, great, let's work on making that adjustment.

SPEAKER_01 36:24

And and make sure they're they're they're giving the why to the player. Like, why am I making why do I want this adjustment made? And like I'm a mechanical thinker, like I break it down and explain to them mechanically why it should be doing this.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

Yeah, um, but yeah, so you know, look, it's it's most of them are not charging a ton. So if you're looking for an instructor, it's it's worth uh you know 40 bucks for half an hour to see if it's a good fit, you know, roll the dice with it. And if it is great, you found a good one. Um, if not, you know, one lesson's not gonna do anything in you know, 40 bucks, you know.

SPEAKER_01 36:58

And if you don't like that instructor, just go on Facebook. There's thousands of more other instructors you can pick from. But uh no, I just uh I wanted to get on it's been a while. Um, and these Facebook and social media posts are just killing me with the stupid comments. Um, so I felt like we need to talk about it.

SPEAKER_00 37:17

About the e-vals. Well, like I said, that's we we said it the last one, tis the season. This becomes a crazy time. This is where you get a lot of emotion. And like I said, it also is it's a it's an interesting time from a coach because if you don't think that this time of year, we we know the coaches know that these e-valves are going on all over the place, and then they almost you don't want your coach, they start to feel like shit. If this player, you know, or this family gets pissed at me again, they're gonna look to leave the team. And you know, it's it's an interesting time on a lot of levels. Um, and I'm I'm sure all programs would love to be able to get through the season without any stress. But, you know, over the years, the landscape has changed. Um, you know, I I could tell you us as a program, like I said, we hold them in July, because to me, by July, people know what they're doing. They do. Um, and uh, you know, we give the people the time that they, you know, we give the a good amount of time, and if they request more, we typically give it. Um, so just you know, make sure you're you're comfortable with where you're going. Um, you know, the the evals are happening, that it's gonna be what it's gonna be. So if you find a program you like that's having evals, and either A, you're not available, or B, you want to wait till after, reach out to them. If they're if they're a sensible program, they'll say absolutely what what works for you.

SPEAKER_01 38:38

All right. Um, I should stop scrolling because it's bringing up more stuff. Um, but let's real quick last two minutes. Uh we've got about two minutes left. Um social media is is just uh it's a it's a you know from Doom scrolling. That's why they call it Doom Scrolling. But what I want to bring up the number of tournaments. This is crazy. I'm just scrolling and like I've been scrolling for the last two minutes, and there's a tournament. There's tournaments everywhere. So you wonder why you have four teams at a tournament. You wonder why you have tournaments that cancel. There's so many damn tour. I I don't know what's where there's more. Is there more programs or is there more tournaments? Well, holy crap.

SPEAKER_00 39:21

I could, you know, my daughter's team, we had a reschedule we had a reschedule a tournament because there were two teams signed up.

SPEAKER_01 39:28

Yeah, it's stupid.

SPEAKER_00 39:29

And we're in next, I think next weekend has I think actually next weekend there's about eight teams in it, which I was surprised to see that many teams.

SPEAKER_01 39:38

And I get it, you know, you want more opportunities to play, but what when you go into a four-team tournament, that's terrible. Like, come on, like get into you want to join get these bigger tournaments where there's like you know, 16 teams.

SPEAKER_00 39:53

Yeah, those are you know, they're still out there, some of them. Um, but there's there is there's definitely been an influx in tournaments, and the problem is you're you know you're only getting a handful of teams out there.

SPEAKER_01 40:02

You know, but they're turning they turn into round robins, it's turning into its own business where people are just hosting tournaments as a business. Um which I mean, hey, it's not a bad idea if you have the the fields, but man, there's tour just page after page after page of tournaments. Ugh. But anyway, so hey, thanks for listening, guys. Uh catch us on um Spotify, Amazon Music, uh, Apple Podcast. Hit us up uh for suggestions to talk about. Hey, and uh going forward, we're gonna have uh I'm gonna get an umpire on here. Uh we're gonna discuss what it's like to from an umpire's point of view.

SPEAKER_00 40:41

Yeah, so that's if you have questions or comments about issues with umpires, how you think umpires should be handled, rulings, rulings. We're having the one of the the head umpires in the area on the program discuss what she sees, what she encounters, the feedback she gets from her umpires. Um, so I'm I'm excited to hear that one. That's gonna be a good one.

SPEAKER_01 41:03

Um so yeah, thanks guys. Um, and we'll see you next time. Later.