Coaches' Call: Too many Showcases?

Showcases, team jumping, and specializing too early. Are showcases taking it's toll on youth players? We talk to Division I softball coaches Ken Eriksen, Jennifer Steele, and Tyler Bratton about their best advice to coaches, parents, and players.

What's your best advice to softball parents?

Ken Eriksen, Head Coach, USF & USA National Team: Let your kids have fun. Hopefully, they're involved in this game because they love to play the game. I think the business aspect of youth sports, entrepreneurial aspect, of investing a lot of money in travel teams and lots of money in lessons is phenomenal in respect of total dollars spent. I don't know if that translates into having fun. I'd really like to see them emphasize the kid going out there and having a lot of fun and playing the game.

Jennifer Steele, Jacksonville University: The biggest the is probably let them be kids as silly as that sounds. I think that they're specializing really early and they're having to go to private lessons at ten years old. I think the more sports they can play and the more things that they can do when they're younger it helps them be more well rounded by the time they get to college.I think that they're specializing really early and they're having to go to private lessons at ten years old. I think the more sports they can play and the more things that they can do when they're younger it helps them be more well rounded by the time they get to college.

Tyler Bratton, Mississippi State University: Let the kids be kids. Let them play the game hard. I think there's a lot of getting on to them maybe on some stuff that shouldn't be warranted. But you gotta want them to play the game the right way. But there is also an important time when you have to let them go through their own experiences on their own. And let them make their own mistakes on the field. As long as you going at a 100%, you're going all out some mistakes are going to happen. But just make sure the kids learn from them and learn from their own process as well. You see some parents that are irate and they holler some things from the stands and you're like, "Really? You're saying that to a 14 year old or a 15 year old." I think there's a point in time when kids need to be kids and let them enjoy playing the game.

What can club coaches do to prepare players to play in college?

Ken Eriksen: That's a great question, you know I think that's a real dangerous question. I'd like to see club coaches prepare players to play at the club level. Right now, we're not player developing a lot of people, they're just going out there to showcase people a lot. And we'd like to see teams sticking together more instead of jumping from travel team to travel team. Establish an organization over time, the more you keep people the more valuable they become and especially in sports. The left hand has got to know what the right hand is doing. So I think in team sports, instead of having teams jumping around, players jumping around, try to keep a unit together. Players develop a philosophy in the game itself in one stance instead of multiple stances. Multiple stances meaning so many different teams, so many different organizations. I'd like to see club coaches prepare players to play at the club level. Right now, we're not player developing a lot of people, they're just going out there to showcase people a lot. And we'd like to see teams sticking together more instead of jumping from travel team to travel team.

Jennifer Steele: Maybe put more emphasis on practicing instead of showcasing so much. I know these kids get camped out going to so many showcase camps, so many private college camps on certain school campuses. The kids I'm not sure if they're training as much anymore. They're kind of becoming robotic. Maybe to be able to play in more qualifiers as well would be helpful.

Tyler Bratton: I think that playing at big time tournaments, expose them to the type of pitching they may see at the next level. Try to get them involved in good competition. As the cliché goes iron sharpens iron. So I think if the kids are going up against solid competition, being able to have reps, live reps against good players is the ultimate thing that is going to make them better at our level. You certainly don't want to have a kid that steps into the SEC and they're never faced a front line pitcher before. You want them to see somebody's who's got some real spin. See somebody who's got some velocity because that's what you're going to see at the next level.

What books would you recommend to players or coaches?

Ken Eriksen: The book of common sense. That would be the one I want you to read. If it sounds stupid, it probably is. Use your common sense you can read all the motivational books, you can read all the instructional books you want, but if it doesn't make sense then stop doing it. There's a lot of teaching going on out there right now that hurts people. Throwing. Hitting. And Pitching. There a lot more injuries that occur. Jennifer Steele One book that really helped us in year one with our team was Toughness by Jay Bilas. I feel like that's a book that if every coach could get into the hands of their athletes it's pretty good.

Tyler Bratton: I read the Lone Survivor. That's not really a sports specific book. It's about Marcus Latrell. Obviously they made a movie about it. But the movie leaves a lot of segments out. The mental standpoint of the Navy Seals, the guys that go overseas and defend our freedom. The never die attitude. You're never out of the fight attitude, there's a lot of correlation that a lot of sports people can learn from. That mentality of a Navy Seal. The training aspect that goes in. There's a whole chapter devoted to their training. I think that's something that can be very beneficial from a mentality and a mental toughness standpoint with college athletes. The never die attitude. You're never out of the fight attitude, there's a lot of correlation that a lot of sports people can learn from.

Find news, updates and schedule click here University of South Florida Softball
Follow on Twitter @USFSoftball

Find news, updates and schedule click here Jacksonville University Softball
Like Jacksonville University Softball on Facebook
Follow on Twitter @JUSoftball

Find news, updates and schedule click here Mississippi State University Softball
Like Mississippi State on Facebook
Follow on Twitter @HailStateSB
Follow on Instagram @HailStateSB

Music by Bensound.com