I'm willing to bet that in ancient Greece during the first Olympic games there were coaches that had problems with parents.  It's a problem that's older than any sport, and one that isn't going away, probably ever.

One thing I have figured out over time is that it's all about presentation.  First accepting and acknowledging that you don't know everything, but then again neither does "Dad".  Try something like "Let's have him try this bat and see if it helps, if it doesn't, then we'll try something else."  Basically try to make it sound like you aren't disagreeing with him, but that you want to explore all the options.  I think the quickest way to get a parent to let their kid try your way is to make them think it was their idea.  Maybe the bat isn't his problem at all, who knows, but until he gives it a good shot you'll never know. If he's only 9 it will be quite a while before he's allowed to use a big barrell outside of the travel team.  I have a 110lb. 11 year old that is nailing them out of the park with his 29" 16oz 2 1/4" bat.  Remember too that a bat should simply feel like an extension of your arm.  What may feel to one person like the best bat in the world won't do a thing for another.  It's a very personal choice.  Maybe have him just close his eyes and hold one bat at a time until he feels the one that he needs to swing.  It doesn't have to have a certain "name" or "number" on it, it just needs to feel like it's part of you.  It's hard to get kids to understand that the bat doesn't have to be some certain brand for them to get big results with it.

Good luck, and try to have lots of patience!

You need to establish who is running the team. You make the decisions, not the parents (at least on 'technical' things). As a competitor, coach and sport psychologist the best environments that I've experienced there were clear ground rules for parents, and they were kept at arms length. It is better for everyone, and if they can't accept the ground rules, then they deprive their kids of the chance to play. They need to understand that the ground rules are there for the benefit of the kids and, ideally, parents could be involved in their creation (but don't let them derail you from what's best). Let them have their voice, but be prepared to challenge and make the case for what you believe is right.

Rob Robson

Sport Psychologist

I think that kvarner hit is nail on the head with regards to how to handle the parents.  If the parents think that you are being one sided then it will be an uphill battle whereas if it seems as though you are being openminded they may be much more receptive.   I have to say though that I do not believe that the big barrel bat necessarily gives a child an advantage, it is more what the player is comfortable with.  You may find out that when the player uses the big barrel bat that he is still going to be off balance, then will you be receptive to allowing him to convert back?

The other thing to remmeber through all of this is that the parents may not want the child really like the bat bacause of financial reasons.  Baseball is no longer a cheap sport to stay in for families.  I understand that initially the player will be utilizing team bats, but if the player really likes the bat will the parents feel obiligated to purchase their child the big barrel bat (basically doubling the cost for bats for the family one for rec and for travel).

The other item is that will utilizing the big barrel bat effect the player when it is time to move back to the rec league?  I know as a parent and manager in a rec league that I would not want travel ball to adversely effect the players.  What I mean there is if the player makes contact with power 75% of the time, will it discourage the player when contact is made left often and without as much power when the player returns to the rec league. 

Remember that part of managers and coaches jobs should be to instill a love of the game into the youth.

Frank

The type, The size The weight of a bat and all other personal equipment  plus price has been the personal preferrence of parents and athletes from day one, although good knowledgeable advice is always very helpful but all a coach can do is offer what they feel is good advice and hope they have convinced their people that what they recommend is the way they should go,There is no perfect or near perfect situation here, also from day one there has been a very divirsified number 0f opinions on what type and kinds of equipment to use especially with bats, I played a lot of baseball and was very fortunate enough to have been able to play some professional ball in the Philadelphia organization, I some how decided at a very early age that i could handle a light thin handle bat which also felt much better in my hands than the thicker heavier one's, I also found out that if my approach to each pitch was faulty it made no difference what kind of bat i had in my hands, one season with good consistant approach to pitched balls i was fortunate enough to break a league home run record, so, coaches, teach your players how to properly approach each pitch During my years of playing there were many players from the big leagues on down would not use thin handle bats due to the fact that when a ball hit the handle the bat either broke or the ball weakly left the bat into a weak ground ball etc.in those days heavier thick bottle handle bats were a preference more so than in the later years before metal bats were introduced into the amateur ranks, there are many more professional players using lighter thin handle bats now than in the old days.It is and has been my experience through the years that coaches attempt to or do dictate entirely to much to their athletes a coach actually does not have the right to take certain individual aspects from an athlete, I say this because of a particular  conversation i had with a player on our summer college age team here in Springfield,Mo. The team plays in the Mink League, His dad and him told me that his college coach ordered him to throw the ball underhanded from his shortstop position or if not he would be playing the outfield,they also told me that he was hitting good with rotational hitting and the coach demanded that he change to linear hitting which immediately took his hitting out of syncronization, They assured me that the coach was serious,[Bottom line, coaches need not to get themselves into dictating and to know where to draw the line, As far as the big oversized barreled bats are concerned  I personally have found that once players get to player pitch they need to start using bats which are made to wood bat barrel diameter size, it behooves me to see high school and college players using those oversize barrelled bats.Losing balance and power is not caused by any size or lack of size of a bat, Teach them proper approach to each pitch and how to make good hard contact under good balance,  how to stay with a pitch keeping their hands inside the ball and hitting up the middle and to the opposite field on the pitch on the outer portion of the plate, teach them ,[c-main] and how to stay with a ball as long as possible, Teach them how to let the ball come to them, forget about home runs and power, whatever power a hitter has will show up during good hard contact,if there is no contact there is nothing.You say the young boy,[c-main] Remember he is only 9 years old, very young and impressionable, not an adult, Stay on his/her mental and physical capabilities and help each person mature mentally and physically as their capabilities will allow them,[There are some aspects that simply cannot be rushed  or forced,] Kirby Pucket in particular used a 32"-28-30 oz bat, as i mentioned it is not the bat size it is all in the proper approach to each pitch each time at bat while under good  balance.Also one of the most important negative facts in dealing with especially young people is that we tend to treat them as miniature adults instead of staying on their mental and physical level, This is very difficult to do due to the fact that these two levels do not mature or progress at the same time and speed,concequently, by not staying on each one's level we get them confused which actually slows down their learning process whether it be in sports or in their everyday life's progress.

all comments and opinions are certainly welcome and appreciated.

Don Ervin,

kom_ervin@yahoo.com