Coaching Through Statistics

[Fanof12]

How many of you get into keeping and using stats?

I keep record of the individual pitchers we face as well as categorizing them as junk ball, control and speed pitchers. Then I measure how my hitters do against them.

Based on that knowledge, and who we are facing, I make up the lineups.

Do others do this? Also what other ways do you use stats to make your team win more games?

[3rd Base Coach]

I have been using 'stats' since I was 9 yrs old - 96 yrs ago. My buddys & I would figure out the Major League standings during the summer mornings. It took us awhile to figure out how a team could be 4 1/2 games ahead or behind. Using math to find out batting averages was fun also.

Stats are very important for travelball & high school teams. I make my lineups out according to batting averages & 'on base averages & who's 'hot' & who's not. Maxpreps is great for high school teams. During the season I may go to Maxpreps 2-3 time per day. And last year they began a new feature called 'Pregame'. You click on 'Pregame' for your next opponent & see how you 'match up'.

I don't usually change my lineups once I feel it's set. And I don't change my line up when we face a 'junk pitcher' compared to a fastball pitcher. You just teach your batters to adjust. So I have kept the same line up for fast or junk pitchers. If a batter can't adjust then they shouldn't be batting.

[GIMNEPIWO]

Stats are very important for travelball & high school teams.

Agreed ... but does that mean our HS team is supposed to know how to keep stats ?

[Stubs]

Stats are very important for travelball & high school teams.

Agreed ... but does that mean our HS team is supposed to know how to keep stats ?

Most HS coaches in my area have enough to do keeping their egos inflated .

[BonezMom]

Stats are very important for travelball & high school teams.

Agreed ... but does that mean our HS team is supposed to know how to keep stats ?

Most HS coaches in my area have enough to do keeping their egos inflated .

Oh you must live around me

[Fanof12]

[quote="BonezMom]
Oh you must live around me[/quote]

Yea me too but with some of these parents you couldn't pay me enough to coach school ball.


I should clarify a little that I'm working with 12U this year. So I don't have or really need anything real sophisticated like Maxpreps.

I do like to track who can hit a change or a good fastball. Also who is improving. At this age there can be a lot of change over the course of the year. I'm just curious what others do.

[Clean_up]

I keep stats on our girls, but coach doesn't use averages so much. I provide basic details like F8, L-4, KL, etc. and pitcher/team faced on a spreadsheet. Also, Avg, OBP, slugging %, fielding % and calulate walk% and Stikeout %.

We have a couple kids who have lower averages, but hit the ball far consistently with a low strike out percentage, etc. So, line ups are made with a who's hot and who's struggling mentality, moving good hitters who may be struggling a bit down in the line up to see maybe some fatter pitches, build confidence and so forth.

Being 12U, our coach tries different things to make sure all our girls develop and give them opportunity for success throughout the season. If that means moving them from #3 to #6 for 2 months and then to #4, he does it to see who handles the pressure best, where players perform best within the line up. No one on the team cares where they are batting as long as they all improve personal and team success.

We played this past weekend and batted the 10 healthy batters we had all tournament, it's still early and the girls need to see at bats. When it comes to States and hopefully Nationals, the strongest 9 will bat. Will that be based on stats? Partially, but not on averages - it will be based upon who is most consistent, who's hitting the long ball, who get's the bunt down consistently, OBP and who's the most confident at the plate.

[hotwheels]

I keep stats on our girls, but coach doesn't use averages so much. I provide basic details like F8, L-4, KL, etc. and pitcher/team faced on a spreadsheet. Also, Avg, OBP, slugging %, fielding % and calulate walk% and Stikeout %.

We have a couple kids who have lower averages, but hit the ball far consistently with a low strike out percentage, etc. So, line ups are made with a who's hot and who's struggling mentality, moving good hitters who may be struggling a bit down in the line up to see maybe some fatter pitches, build confidence and so forth.

Being 12U, our coach tries different things to make sure all our girls develop and give them opportunity for success throughout the season. If that means moving them from #3 to #6 for 2 months and then to #4, he does it to see who handles the pressure best, where players perform best within the line up. No one on the team cares where they are batting as long as they all improve personal and team success.

We played this past weekend and batted the 10 healthy batters we had all tournament, it's still early and the girls need to see at bats. When it comes to States and hopefully Nationals, the strongest 9 will bat. Will that be based on stats? Partially, but not on averages - it will be based upon who is most consistent, who's hitting the long ball, who get's the bunt down consistently, OBP and who's the most confident at the plate.

We've played you guys a couple times....Don't you have a line up full of girls who hit the long ball?.....

[Clean_up]

I keep stats on our girls, but coach doesn't use averages so much. I provide basic details like F8, L-4, KL, etc. and pitcher/team faced on a spreadsheet. Also, Avg, OBP, slugging %, fielding % and calulate walk% and Stikeout %.

We have a couple kids who have lower averages, but hit the ball far consistently with a low strike out percentage, etc. So, line ups are made with a who's hot and who's struggling mentality, moving good hitters who may be struggling a bit down in the line up to see maybe some fatter pitches, build confidence and so forth.

Being 12U, our coach tries different things to make sure all our girls develop and give them opportunity for success throughout the season. If that means moving them from #3 to #6 for 2 months and then to #4, he does it to see who handles the pressure best, where players perform best within the line up. No one on the team cares where they are batting as long as they all improve personal and team success.

We played this past weekend and batted the 10 healthy batters we had all tournament, it's still early and the girls need to see at bats. When it comes to States and hopefully Nationals, the strongest 9 will bat. Will that be based on stats? Partially, but not on averages - it will be based upon who is most consistent, who's hitting the long ball, who get's the bunt down consistently, OBP and who's the most confident at the plate.

We've played you guys a couple times....Don't you have a line up full of girls who hit the long ball?.....

LOL, well almost all of our girls are pretty consistent contact hitters.. but not ALL consistently hit Long Ball... About half...

[AM Softball]

My daughter played for a team that didn't keep stats and it drove me CRAZY to be honest!

How can you not use stats? That tells you who is consistent and who has been consistent all year. We do stats on EVERYTHING! I'm so anal! (maybe it's because I teach Algebra) Very important part of the game though at every competitive level. Plus, it keeps the players competitive throughout the entire season.

You compete as individuals to earn spots but as a team to earn wins. I want to see a number I can reach rather than going on my coaches feelings and instincts. That is a part of it too but stats are the majority. In college, you see your stats and so does the whole world. The kids need to get used to this now. You gotta compete and prove it. That is pressure alone having to see it everyday.

I send team stats to my parents every week and give them individual stats every few months. They keep these and track their progression. They can see their strike-outs, strike outs looking, walks, stats alone tell you what the hitters tendencies are. Some have kept them for 3 years and that is your answer as a parent. Stat don't lie if done accurately and consistent and it's like a test; you see what's going on, right then and there...immediate and long term feedback. HUGE to me!