OT: Have you ever been in the coaches dog house?

[Kemba'sYogurt]

You swim what they tell you to swim.

If it’s a dual meet, the coach is likely trying to steal points from somewhere and you just need to do what you’re told. A dedicated sprinter in high school or most levels of college just isn’t a very useful piece - the shorter races are a spot where a coach can put a less advanced swimmer if he thinks he can steal points moving someone else around. If you’re pouting about having to go 100 or 200 yards, there’s likely a method to his madness and you should get over it. And also swim faster.

If it’s a USA Swimming event and it’s not a dual meet, your coach just hates you and you should consider a new club.

Do you have a background with swimming? Genuinely curious.

 

[storrsroars]

Do you have a background with swimming? Genuinely curious.

His handle/avatar doesn't give you a clue?

 

[JamesinGR]

you and my father would have been at SHS at the same time I believe

Nice. What is his name if you don’t mind.

 

[dennismenace]

You swim what they tell you to swim.

If it’s a dual meet, the coach is likely trying to steal points from somewhere and you just need to do what you’re told. A dedicated sprinter in high school or most levels of college just isn’t a very useful piece - the shorter races are a spot where a coach can put a less advanced swimmer if he thinks he can steal points moving someone else around. If you’re pouting about having to go 100 or 200 yards, there’s likely a method to his madness and you should get over it. And also swim faster.

If it’s a USA Swimming event and it’s not a dual meet, your coach just hates you and you should consider a new club.

Tough love.

 

[Fishy]

Do you have a background with swimming? Genuinely curious.

For years and years.

But more presently, I have a daughter in the pool.

She’s 14, but is near state cuts in NY in the 50-free....but she’s in a similar boat as you seem to be. She rarely swims the 50 in high school meets because the coach can put another swimmer there who might swim a second slower, but will still win. He uses his club swimmers pretty aggressively in the longer races because they’re almost always much faster and in better shape than the kids who just swim for a HS team.

She she may have to swim a 200 free or 200 IM that isn’t really her strength because winning meets is the goal there. (He sometimes makes it up to them by letting them swim leadoff in a relay instead of anchor so they can take shots at cut times.)

The kid doesn’t complain. That’s how the game works. When she goes back to her USA Swimming club, she can swim whatever she wants because those meets are all about cuts and A finals.

 

[Kemba'sYogurt]

For years and years.

But more presently, I have a daughter in the pool.

She’s 14, but is near state cuts in NY in the 50-free....but she’s in a similar boat as you seem to be. She rarely swims the 50 in high school meets because the coach can put another swimmer there who might swim a second slower, but will still win. He uses his club swimmers pretty aggressively in the longer races because they’re almost always much faster and in better shape than the kids who just swim for a HS team.

She she may have to swim a 200 free or 200 IM that isn’t really her strength because winning meets is the goal there. (He sometimes makes it up to them by letting them swim leadoff in a relay instead of anchor so they can take shots at cut times.)

The kid doesn’t complain. That’s how the game works. When she goes back to her USA Swimming club, she can swim whatever she wants because those meets are all about cuts and A finals.

Yup, basically the same experience I had with high school swimming. The 200 IM is super painful. Anyway glad to see another member of the swim world on a basketball board. It intrigued me to read a pretty spot take on club/ high school swimming. Thanks for sharing lol.

 

[Mano]

This one time I was just minding my business, riding my scooter around, when some goon came out of no where and tried to race me. He kept passing me then slowing down, eventually forcing me into a minor accident. What an ordeal! Yeeeesh! Did I ever catch some flak for that, lemme tell you.

 

[pj]

I had one man to beat. I faked him with a feint to the left as I drove to the hoop (I virtually always went left), then went straight toward the hoop for an uncontested scoop over the front edge of the hoop. FORT THE EAD!

It was the prettiest basket I ever scored.

Coach wanted every shot by a non-guard to be shot off the back board with two hands. I kid you not. I had broken two of his cardinal rules. I didn't use the backboard and I shot with one hand. And as the tallest and slowest guy on the team, I was the defacto center.

I was almost immediately benched, and did not see the court again for three games, and then only because the kid he had given my minutes to sprained his ankle. I wasn't great, but the kid that replaced me wouldn't know a rebound if it fell into his lap and we lost the three games I was held out.

Guards over-penetrate. Big men over-dribble. Coaches over-manage. The difference is that there's no one to call the coach out on his mistakes.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Not my coach, but once in high school during an inter-gender pasta party I got busted by the girl’s cross country coach playing spin the bottle with some members of their team.

The man was a professional breakdancer and built like Saquan Barkley. Obviously he couldn’t ACTUALLY physically harm me but knowing that he hated me wasn’t very fun.

 

[RichZ]

Not my coach, but once in high school during an inter-gender pasta party I got busted by the girl’s cross country coach playing spin the bottle with some members of their team.

Nothing good can come of an inter-gender pasta party.
Linguini gettin all tangled with rigatoni, marinara all mixed up with the pesto, and Parmesan all over everything.

 

[bill6319]

I’v had the pleasure of being in coach Ray Ried’s dog house for a couple off the field issues here at Uconn while on the men’s soccer team. Worst time of my life..

 

[uconnfan68]

Do you have a background with swimming? Genuinely curious.

Post/handle?

 

[krinklecut]

Nice. What is his name if you don’t mind.

Direct messaged you

 

[mauconnfan]

Yes. Southington HS baseball summer of 76 between junior and senior year. Forget what I did exactly but punishment was classic coach John Fontana. Had to show up at the track for one week Monday-Friday to run a mile. Roll up day one, look up into the football stands overlooking the field and the track and Fontana’s son Mike is sitting alone up there. That kid was there every day that week to make darn sure I showed up on time and did in fact run my mile. Loved playing ball at SHS, and loved playing for one of the greatest high school baseball coaches of all time.

We played against each other then. You played with Pat Desorbo and that gang. Nice pitching staff for sure forget the SS's name real nice player too, nice teams. Graduated '77 I believe like you I think, we were really good but you guys and Plainville had stud staffs we had no pitching to speak of. I knew Fontana because he also ref'd many of my HS basketball games.

I also had some doghouse issues my senior year with my coach, ex-UConn catcher. I mean I grew up playing baseball for the guy and knew him very well, helped myself and my brother with out games (my bro played for the Mets in the system) from when we were like 12-13 years old. He was a counselor at Thomas Hooker for the summer in Meriden also and all he did was have baseball games all day. I rode my bike 20 minutes to get there all the time. If it wasn't baseball it was cotton ball with the skinny bat, wiffle ball or HR derby on the field. So when I went to HS myself and all the others who went to Hooker were already known and the plans were set. Played varsity from soph-senior always a .350 and up hitter until 8 games into my senior year, captain and hitting .188 or something he was all over me for "being too into a girl and losing my focus"...I was like you're me right, that's BS. Got to the next game vs Pulaski and I wasn't in the lineup, a first and very very unexpected. He lectured me every chance he could leading up to that game for 3-4 days, and during the first 6 innings of the game. I was poised to just say screw this and just get ready for legion and babe ruth. So half a week in the doghouse of a coach who I thought had my back (he did I just didn't know he knew me better than I could imagine, the trim was important to me that I was getting on the side maybe too much so LOL). I got in that game and doubled twice in my only 2 ABs. I told my GF we needed to take it slower (kinda) and I had a crazy rest of the year making him look like he knew what he was thinking. Had 3 4 hit games, one 6-6 game and most others were multiple the rest of the year. Despite no pitching we took it to the state semi's only to get beat by Brian Winters from Waterford 6'8 lefty who was drafted early by the Cubs I believe that year. Had 2 hits vs him too but we got beat 2-1. So the doghouse he put me in changed my senior year in baseball to a very positive one. I thanked him like mad and still see him, great guy passionate. I as well as may friends were lucky to have known him for so long and his doghouse was well thought out, we all saw it at one time or another.. lol

 

[JamesinGR]

We played against each other then. You played with Pat Desorbo and that gang. Nice pitching staff for sure forget the SS's name real nice player too, nice teams. Graduated '77 I believe like you I think, we were really good but you guys and Plainville had stud staffs we had no pitching to speak of. I knew Fontana because he also ref'd many of my HS basketball games.

I also had some doghouse issues my senior year with my coach, ex-UConn catcher. I mean I grew up playing baseball for the guy and knew him very well, helped myself and my brother with out games (my bro played for the Mets in the system) from when we were like 12-13 years old. He was a counselor at Thomas Hooker for the summer in Meriden also and all he did was have baseball games all day. I rode my bike 20 minutes to get there all the time. If it wasn't baseball it was cotton ball with the skinny bat, wiffle ball or HR derby on the field. So when I went to HS myself and all the others who went to Hooker were already known and the plans were set. Played varsity from soph-senior always a .350 and up hitter until 8 games into my senior year, captain and hitting .188 or something he was all over me for "being too into a girl and losing my focus"...I was like you're me right, that's BS. Got to the next game vs Pulaski and I wasn't in the lineup, a first and very very unexpected. He lectured me every chance he could leading up to that game for 3-4 days, and during the first 6 innings of the game. I was poised to just say screw this and just get ready for legion and babe ruth. So half a week in the doghouse of a coach who I thought had my back (he did I just didn't know he knew me better than I could imagine, the trim was important to me that I was getting on the side maybe too much so LOL). I got in that game and doubled twice in my only 2 ABs. I told my GF we needed to take it slower (kinda) and I had a crazy rest of the year making him look like he knew what he was thinking. Had 3 4 hit games, one 6-6 game and most others were multiple the rest of the year. Despite no pitching we took it to the state semi's only to get beat by Brian Winters from Waterford 6'8 lefty who was drafted early by the Cubs I believe that year. Had 2 hits vs him too but we got beat 2-1. So the doghouse he put me in changed my senior year in baseball to a very positive one. I thanked him like mad and still see him, great guy passionate. I as well as may friends were lucky to have known him for so long and his doghouse was well thought out, we all saw it at one time or another.. lol

Yes, Desorbo played first base. SS you mention was Tom Banner who who went to New Haven, Cape Cod League and Orioles system for a few years. Our starting pitchers were all over the top for a high school staff. We lost ‘76 LL champ to Shelton and a kid named Tom Norko who pitched all 16 innings against us and beat us 1-0. Good memories. So as a Meriden kid, did you go to Platt or Maloney?

 

[Mr. French]

I was born in the coaches doghouse. Luckily I now do the dog housing.

My name: Daniel Hurley.

But no for real, the above is factually correct. People who played with me would be slightly surprised that I’m a coach now. I wasn’t the “future coach” material. But that also shows the prevalent near sightedness of my coaches, to a large degree.

I could post on this topic dogmania style, but I’ll spare you the boring stories.

 

[the Q]

I was born in the coaches doghouse. Luckily I now do the dog housing.

My name: Daniel Hurley.

But no for real, the above is factually correct. People who played with me would be slightly surprised that I’m a coach now. I wasn’t the “future coach” material. But that also shows the prevalent near sightedness of my coaches, to a large degree.

I could post on this topic dogmania style, but I’ll spare you the boring stories.

Oh no. I need someone else to drop a big story.

 

[LBird33]

Still in the dog house with my high school coach. I married his daughter. Still hasn’t forgiven me

 

[mauconnfan]

Yes, Desorbo played first base. SS you mention was Tom Banner who who went to New Haven, Cape Cod League and Orioles system for a few years. Our starting pitchers were all over the top for a high school staff. We lost ‘76 LL champ to Shelton and a kid named Tom Norko who pitched all 16 innings against us and beat us 1-0. Good memories. So as a Meriden kid, did you go to Platt or Maloney?

Maloney. Actually born at Bradley in Southington lived across from Rec Park on the 8th hole until 4 years old. Got to know Pat and Skip Desorbo when working a summer at Lori Lock. You grad 77? What position? Good ol days.

2 of the pitchers Koeller and Lembo??

 

[the Q]

Mine lasted over a year.

I was a pretty good player locally growing up. Freshman year, the first day of class the coach came up and introduced himself to me (he apparently knew who I was already). He was a damn giant. A very intimidating man for a 14 year old.

I played JV as a frosh, and almost got called up after the starting catcher quit towards the end of the season (we found his stuff littered all over the locker room when we got back....no one had any idea what was going on at the time). The dude legit just up and left after getting into some kind of disagreement with the Coach during the game.

Sophomore year I was a part time player on Varsity. I did ok. Wasn't earth shattering. That summer though I really shined. My team won the Senior League state championship and played in the eastern regionals (where I got to play against future big leaguer Jon Lannan, and even got a hit off him, but they won the game). I did the baseball camp circuit as well...had some interest from some pretty good local college coaches.

Junior year was supposed to be my year. Upperclassmen gone, gave me lots of opportunity. I was in the stereotypical "best shape of my life." This was going to be a great year. Our team was loaded and one of the favorites to win the Class M title. We play 4 pre-season games where I just rake. I'm hitting cleanup. There's going to be a lot of coaches around because 2 seniors ended up playing college ball (one at UConn, another was supposed to go to New Haven...but something happened and he never went, ended up at one of the directionals, don't know the details...).

First game of the year, I start off 0-2...ok, no big deal.

About to get up for a 3rd time, getting loose in the on-deck circle...coach calls me off and has a sophomore hit for me...(his clean-up hitter).

I....was....fuming.

Our field was weird. it was 295 to right, 365 to left, and 305 to center...with a 30 foot net acting as a wall. Behind center field was a small walking path and then the fence to the track. The fence was probably about 6-7 feet behind the center field wall.

This kid popped one up that landed between the 2 fences.

3 run homer.

I'm not going back in.

As I sat there, I remembered back to that senior catcher from my freshman year. He just up and left. I thought long and hard about this. My bag was packed. I untied my spikes. I was ready to do it.

I stopped, realizing that doing that would mean I'd never play HS ball again.

I debated it for the next few innings, but never left.

Next day I get up extra early to get some extra BP in. Talk to the coach. He tells me "I'm not hitting" (after 2 ABs after earning the clean up spot in the pre-season...).

He didn't speak to me again for the rest of the season. I rotted on the bench, save for the occasional pinch-hit duty. Even then, the assistant coach would call me in. In fact he didn't speak to me again until the next year during the season when I finally got to play again. (what happened to coach's favorite clean up hitter?) I ended up being the first player to hit over .500 in over a decade.

But...

Guess who stopped reaching out to me after that mess of a season? College coaches were now long gone.

For a 16 year old obsessed with baseball, my whole dang world (and future) came crashing down.


@Mr. French you're up bro lol