Sam wrote:I, too, was way too tough on my kid. That was exascerbated by the fact that she was doubly tough on herself. It has adversely affected her for the rest of her life up until now. Its a helpless feeling to know that you can't go back in time with the knowledge you now retain and fix yourself. She says that she still cherishes her time playing softball and I believe her. I know that I still look back on those times very fondly.
I was lucky enough to land some positions as an assistant HS Varsity coach with Roosevelt, Corona, and Webb. I'd like to do it again and be able to devote more time to it. Coaching without any family ties to the team is phenomenal. I think I'm very different than I was before and I definitely learned a lot coaching under Ronnie Smith, especially in dealing with umpires. I was so fortunate to coach under his tutelage.
I also owe a lot to Dave Clark, who taught me unmeasurable lessons regarding the game and its nuances.
Now, I'm not coaching and preparing to get married this year. Gonna work for three more years at my current job and then maybe look for something where I can devote time to coaching softball again as well.
If your kid is playing, have your significant other video your behavior during game day. It may help you realize how well your are parenting your kid. I wish somebody would have done that for me.
Sam thank you for coming on. Good luck with everything in your future.