Editor’s Note: To motivate their players, many coaches love to ask “Who wants it more?” In this series, though, we’re asking whether the player or the parents want it more.
As an instructor, I have the good fortune to work with about 50 kids every week. Some I see every week, others not quite so regularly. The skill levels of these players vary. Still, I feel very fortunate because the vast majority of my clients are good players.
There’s one thing all of my kids have in common: parents who are very supportive of their kids and their desire to play fastpitch softball at a high level. These moms and dads are paying for instruction, chasing their kids all over the map and supplying them with every opportunity you could ask for.
So when I ask who wants it more, I don’t want that to come across as an indictment but rather as a thought to ponder.
I’m very lucky, and maybe seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, in that I don’t think I have any kids who don’t want to be there. Not everyone is super enthusiastic every lesson — that would be a very unrealistic standard — but I do believe that my kids do want to be there working on improving their skills.
So, at least for me, the answer is both. I see kids who want to play and parents who want to support them.
What does the other side of this equation look like? We’ll discuss that soon enough.
About the Author: Tory Acheson brings a wealth of knowledge to the Fastpitch Prep staff. He has coached at all levels of the game, including the last 25 years at the college level at the University of Wisconsin – Parkside, Tennessee Tech and Kennesaw State. He began his coaching career at the high school level spending 9 years Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wis. and is now working as a professional softball instructor.
