Coaches, do any of you have grooming standards for your players? I.E. Hair?
This is starting to become a problem for one of my players, (The other I cut after he got hit in the face with a line shot because his hair got caught in his eyes, looking like Sangaya was more important than playing baseball so.....his 0.87 GPA didn't help either)
Since this is a new program I am more focused on making sure kids learn how to play the game.....but I do have one of my players (Kid has never picked up a bat before) who has "80's hair band" locks and it is covering his eyes which makes it hard for him to pick up the ball in the field and at the plate.
I STRONGLY recommended that he cut his hair for his own personal safety and he keeps looking at me rather dumbfounded.
The previous week he said the team caps were pushing the hair into his eyes (I make all the kids wear their caps to practice to get used to wearing them under game conditions). I told him wear his cap or enjoy time on the bench, he forgot his hat again and I benched him for the 1st game for not following the policy.
I keep in mind that these are 9th graders in a small school and the kids are still learning the game but this is High School and I really dont think the young man "gets it". The rest of the kids have their hair cut short, or it is manageable.
The AD agrees with me, and I want to address the issue with his mother, for the most part it is a SAFETY issue and the kids dont want to throw the ball with any "english" on it to 1st because they dont want to hurt him. (He is a 1st Baseman who is very limited defensively as all of my 1st Basemen are)
So in short, should I write out a grooming policy for my team for next season? 90% of the team will probably be in my class next school year and I dont want the other teachers to think I am imposing my classroom standards on my athletes. (Granted, the parents are all for it!)
You are the coach and those are your rules. If they don't want to follow those rules then they need to be removed. If something as small as a hair cut turns into an issue what do you think will happen when you get onto them for not paying attention, not hustling or making a dumb decision after you have went over something.
Long hair is what is popular and I tell my guys that we have to find a middle ground between looking good for baseball and doing what is popular. My rules are the hair cannot be in their eyes and cannot come over top of their ears. Anything else has to be cut.
When life hands you gators - make Gatorade
Posts: 1227 | Location: Kentucky but soon to be North Carolina | Registered: May 12, 2006
Coach is right - but its more - its about repect for the game, school, players and coaches. I heard one travel ball coach say "parents, if your son was meeting the president, the Pope, etc, how would you want your son to look". They are, like it or not, representing more then just themselves.
To our military men, women and families - You are all awesome - that flag is yours and I thank you for the opportunity for giving me the honor of removing my cap prior to every baseball game I see.
Posts: 1041 | Location: Lanta | Registered: February 21, 2005
If you don't set standards and follow the standards yourself your boys will bend and break all the rules. "If you take care of the little things, you won't have any big things". JMHO
Formerly gogolf18. Baseball is a red-blooded sport for red-blooded men. It's no pink tea, and mollycoddles had better stay out. It's a struggle for supremacy, a survival of the fittest. – Ty Cobb
Posts: 142 | Location: FL | Registered: January 25, 2006
Our 13U travel team has grooming standards. Most HS, college and pro teams (minors) do. Our goal is to get them ready to play at those levels...why not have standards?
Posts: 3326 | Location: VB, VA | Registered: December 26, 2002
BEE, I have no idea how to respond to those pictures. The second picture reminds me of Micky Mouse with a stache.
To our military men, women and families - You are all awesome - that flag is yours and I thank you for the opportunity for giving me the honor of removing my cap prior to every baseball game I see.
Posts: 1041 | Location: Lanta | Registered: February 21, 2005
Young man still has not cut his hair and spent the last 2 games on the bench. (Had to play him this week since I benched my other 1B for serving detention on Friday) and he promptly made 4 errors in the 1st game of our doubleheader this weekend.
Had to sit him down in the 3rd inning after he dropped the 4th routine throw from across the infield, and held the bag while a cutoff throw came to the plate from CF (I asked him where should he have gone on the throw and he pointed at the spot between the plate and the mound). He was sat down as soon as we could get 3 outs.
His mother was in attendance and I addressed the hair issue with her.
Originally posted by Glove Man: is it not something he can tuck under his hat?
This kids wig is out of control, he has to constantly pull it out of his eyes all the times even when he has his cap on. (Picture an Asian kid with hair like Steve Tyler from Areosmith)
The AD has talked to him and his mother and showed her where it is affecting his visibility. I really wanted to tell her to get him a "High and Tight" but that may be a bit extreme.
We have our PLAYERS set the standards! As coaches in our area, we aren't allowed to force a kid to cut his hair...but the players have always set the standard to be closely groomed at all times. Players that complain? I usually remind them that our boys swim team SHAVES THEIR HEADS before the state tournament to help them succeed and do it GLADLY for their team - seems to take care of the whiners! Gotta look like an athlete - not sure why any athlete wouldn't want to look the part!
QUOTE: ". . . and he promptly made 4 errors in the 1st game of our doubleheader this weekend.
Had to sit him down in the 3rd inning after he dropped the 4th routine throw from across the infield, and held the bag while a cutoff throw came to the plate from CF (I asked him where should he have gone on the throw and he pointed at the spot between the plate and the mound). He was sat down as soon as we could get 3 outs."
It really sounds like this kid just can't play the game, regardless of his hair. If he had a crew cut he'd still be making the errors you describe. You selected a kid for your team that just can't play. The hair thing sounds more like an excuse on your part. I'm pretty sure the length of his hair wouldn't be a topic for discussion if he was your stud player.
Posts: 257 | Location: New England | Registered: January 20, 2006
TrHit- I hear ya. Back in the day, didn't players want to be noticed for how they PLAYED and not how they LOOKED? Maybe I'm wrong...but I used to think that was what was important. I always have players that want their names on the back of our jerseys and I tell them "if you are truly a stud, you won't NEED your name on the back...everyone will ALREADY know who you are!".
Originally posted by dad10: It really sounds like this kid just can't play the game, regardless of his hair. If he had a crew cut he'd still be making the errors you describe. You selected a kid for your team that just can't play. The hair thing sounds more like an excuse on your part. I'm pretty sure the length of his hair wouldn't be a topic for discussion if he was your stud player.
dad10
The difference between the "stud" player and this kid is the stud would not use this as an excuse, the problem would be fixed.
The kid stated the hair was a problem, not me. I recommended he get it cut to where it no longer interfering with his vision. So if he continued to drop balls he no longer had an excuse.
I am dealing for the most part with a group of 9th graders who were playing slow-pitch softball in grammar school a year ago and are adjusting to 70 MPH heaters at the High School level.
There are 3, maybe 4 kids on my team who have a chance to play at a higher level if they continue to elevate their game (Have the grades and ability) and there are some that are here because they wanted a uniform. The biggest challenge is keeping the studs from getting bored and developing them as leaders.
When you have a pool of 75 boys to pull from in a 1st year High School that have the discipline to maintain the academic standards (The best players have the worst grades), this is what you will have to work with, and the job at the end of the day is to make them respectable on the ball field and COACHABLE.
The young lad has NEVER played baseball before and has lived in the states for 2 years (Was adopted from China is 6'2 about 160 soaking wet, best sport is Basketball)so where he gotten to under our tutelage is commendable. Freshman ball is developmental, we still have a chance to win our conference, but kids have to get playing time to get better so I have to prioritize.
There are 5 others I have on my roster who have never played organized ball until High School and as the season goes on and we come up against better teams,they are getting EXPOSED. Will he ever pick up the sport? TBD:
I am not giving up on him and I continue to work with him daily on learning how to play the game, if it comes down to him not grasping the game by the time we are a varsity level program, we may have to shake hands and part company.
I learned in High School 20 plus years ago that any coach can work with talented kids, but what can they do to elevate a marginal kids game that wants to learn?
It's my 1st year at the helm, and I wanted some feedback from some people that have been doing this for a while. Do I have all the answers? of course not! There are some schools out there that will cut a kid if he wears the wrong colored shoelaces to practice.
I keep in mind everyday that they are 9th graders, but I also emphasize to them that they as well as me will set the precedence for every kid that comes into this program behind them as we continue to build. Some of them "get it" some of them dont, they all dont grow up or get serious about the game at the same pace.
My 13 yo son had hair that was shoulder length. Well kept and typical California "surfer" style. But, he knew that it was important to have a cleaned up look and that at some point he might be looked at by others that may be able to affect his future. He was in a national tournament this weekend and for a "gift" he cut his hair off and presented his locks to his coach. He is now looking like the typical American boy. Still misses his hair but doesn't have any regrets. Doesn't want something like hair to weigh a part in any future plans. I think it was a smart choice even though I did like his hair longer
Posts: 542 | Location: Northern California | Registered: November 10, 2004
especially if he's good
