Why make players run after games (win or lose)?

[omg]

Yeah it's funny. I've had kids (13's) ask after a game, "Coach, why are we running, we won"? Also, had pitchers that age ask, "why am I running, did I do something wrong"? I forget sometimes these kids don't know what older players do.

[Jake Patterson]

1. It shows the parents/fans that the coach isn't happy about the way the team played, resulting in losing. The players don;t learn anything from the running. It's all show for the coach. Seriously, did any of you guys as players ever look to each other in the 6th inning and say "Damn, we better take the lead or we're gonna run for certain."? No. Me neither.

2. Pitchers run to [1] increase endurance (day of and sequential days) and [2] increased blood flow carries away muscular waste products and delivers "rebuilding materials" faster to aid recovery; some call it active rest.

After the game, it's all to let everyone in the park know that the coach doesn;t teach his kids to play that way and lose. So, now they must be punished. I always wanted to, but never did, ask our coach to run with us. Oh yeah, he's the only one that did his job at the expected level.

I never had my team run after a game win or lose - and I always tried to avoid using running as a punishment... I always felt running was part of the game why use it to punish? Would we say, "OK you guys played poorly, get out there and catch 100 balls."

Also - I don't think kids enjoy running.... They enjoy running around.

[HeinekenMan]

I'm with those who think it's unnecessary BS from the coach to show that he's no softy. What I'd like to know is how to get a kid to do exercises when he refuses. Today, we did a sideways crab walk to work on catcher mobility, and one kid refused to do it. Another kid refused to run a lap at the end of practice. He jogged out to the fence and walked the rest of the way around the field. Dad said he was tired from going to the beach... My boy used to do the same stuff. He wouldn't run for me. But he ran for other coaches, and he now runs for me, too. Perhaps it's just an age thing. A few of our guys are still 8 years old.

[Jake Patterson]

I'm with those who think it's unnecessary BS from the coach to show that he's no softy. What I'd like to know is how to get a kid to do exercises when he refuses. Today, we did a sideways crab walk to work on catcher mobility, and one kid refused to do it. Another kid refused to run a lap at the end of practice. He jogged out to the fence and walked the rest of the way around the field. Dad said he was tired from going to the beach... My boy used to do the same stuff. He wouldn't run for me. But he ran for other coaches, and he now runs for me, too. Perhaps it's just an age thing. A few of our guys are still 8 years old.

At this age it's not a big deal.... Take them aside and speak with them.

With older players - I never forced a player to do anything... "If you don't want to do it, don't do it, go sit down!" I'll see you after the game or practice. I never had a problem.

[HeinekenMan]

At this age it's not a big deal.... Take them aside and speak with them.

With older players - I never forced a player to do anything... "If you don't want to do it, don't do it, go sit down!" I'll see you after the game or practice. I never had a problem.

I'm not exactly a hard-ass out there. The kids know I'm fairly easy-going. So they take liberties. Although, I have been known to announce that I'm going to throw a kid into a volcano if he doesn't get a hit or if he makes an error.

[Jake Patterson]

I'm not exactly a hard-ass out there. The kids know I'm fairly easy-going. So they take liberties. Although, I have been known to announce that I'm going to throw a kid into a volcano if he doesn't get a hit or if he makes an error.

Threatening to throw them in a volcano can be VERY age-appropriate!

[jbolt_2000]

1. It shows the parents/fans that the coach isn't happy about the way the team played, resulting in losing. The players don;t learn anything from the running. It's all show for the coach. Seriously, did any of you guys as players ever look to each other in the 6th inning and say "Damn, we better take the lead or we're gonna run for certain."? No. Me neither.

2. Pitchers run to [1] increase endurance (day of and sequential days) and [2] increased blood flow carries away muscular waste products and delivers "rebuilding materials" faster to aid recovery; some call it active rest.

After the game, it's all to let everyone in the park know that the coach doesn;t teach his kids to play that way and lose. So, now they must be punished. I always wanted to, but never did, ask our coach to run with us. Oh yeah, he's the only one that did his job at the expected level.

I get this - I don't agree with the philosophy - but I get it.
But my question revolves around the wins. Why make the whole team run after a win, when they all played good?

[jbolt_2000]

So is the consensus that its just the coach showing off - after a win?

[HeinekenMan]

Threatening to throw them in a volcano can be VERY age-appropriate!

I said it one 11-year-old before he walked to the plate this spring, and he thought that was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. The kid almost struck out because he couldn't stop laughing. Every pitch, he looked down at me, and I raised my hands above my head and acted like I was using both arms to toss something. We were younger and less experienced than the other teams, and it showed in your win-loss record. But we sure had the most fun.

[HeinekenMan]

I get this - I don't agree with the philosophy - but I get it.
But my question revolves around the wins. Why make the whole team run after a win, when they all played good?

I think it's to show everyone how disciplined the players are. And I think that's also the coach showing off.

[Jake Patterson]

So is the consensus that its just the coach showing off - after a win?

In my experience - yes.

I should add - I never had any problems running after the game if the players were doing so for a purpose. More times than not it's the coach standing out there like he was a ticked off D.I. I have always felt that you don't mold or develop athletes by beating them to death (figuratively). You have to motivate them into wanting to do it for the purpose of improving.

[Standballdad]

So is the consensus that its just the coach showing off - after a win?

It makes him feel good about himself, and feeds his Ego.

[omg]

Maybe some coaches do it to show off (we're talking about after a win). As I mentioned before, there are certain considerations as to whether a team should run. The big thing probably is that, inherently, the game of baseball doesn't involve, often, a lot of running. Unlike basketball. Still, I bet that in basketball at the high levels, guys who don't get in the game much will have to do post game conditioning just to keep their conditioning at the level of the guys that get the minutes.

So running after a game is a good thing. Plus, if you see an open field staring you in the face, you want to take advantage of it. With weather factors, field permits, schedule, etc. you might want to jump at the opportunity.

But I understand the "showing off" thinking. Here I am coaching a team that just got hammered. I've decided to not have my team run and the other team is out there running, looking like a well oiled military platoon. It will get under your skin.

[CircleChange11]

So running after a game is a good thing. Plus, if you see an open field staring you in the face, you want to take advantage of it. With weather factors, field permits, schedule, etc. you might want to jump at the opportunity.

I've played BB from T-Ball through College, and played in lots of areas with teammates from every part of the country except the Northeast.

I've ran after games plenty of times (probably more than most, heh heh) as part of a team. I've NEVER heard anyone say anything about running after games to supplement conditioning, except for pitchers.

Every time, the stated reason has been because we "didn't do X very well, and X is important. So, until we can do X well, we're going to run."

I got an idea coach, let's spend the time practicing X more? Sorry, I spoke without permission. I'll run.

HS baseball players are likely active throughout the year with football, basketball, soccer, and wrestling. College baseball players participate in 3 hours practices as well as morning conditioning on a daily basis ... all for ht esport the requires the most standing around.

I'd like to think that there was a higher purpose for the running in baseball ... but it's not like basketball where you run your balls off and then shoot free throws to get used to shooting important free throws with tired legs. There's only one or two guys that's "tired" at the end of a baseball game.

I also think it's incredibly STUPID to have your catcher, who just caught a double header in heat, to run sprints because the team made too many errors. Of course, they'll ask that kid to catch tomorrow and the next day and the next day. Then when he allows some passed balls because he's beat, make the team run for it.

There have been some coaches that I have respected A LOT who made us run for some pretty stupid stuff, including for "not playing well, where we've beaten teams by quite a few runs".

[omg]

I've ran after games plenty of times (probably more than most, heh heh) as part of a team. I've NEVER heard anyone say anything about running after games to supplement conditioning, except for pitchers.

Not even in college? I understand what you are saying though as that has largely been my experience as well. But think about it, it is very common to run at the end of practice, right? Like I said, running after games is not an every time occurrence but there are definitely times when it is appropriate. You run at the end of practice for a reason as you would at the end of a game. What if your team played Friday afternoon and wasn't practicing or playing again until next Wednesday? A coach has to know whether a team can benefit from a workout and when it will be detrimental.

I played for many good coaches who would occasionally use running after a game-or other times- as punishment. They do it out of frustration because they've probably tried everything else. I don't have a problem with it but I don't believe in it for myself.

The main reason I think running after a game, even a win, is not done more frequently is because the whole "game" thing can be a freaking time consuming ordeal. In one scenario, both teams take bp, both take infield, game might drag on, then there is travel, maintenance, etc. So it can be an ordeal and a coach should be looking to cut that down-one way is to eliminate the conditioning (a better way would be to skip that 45 minute post-game talk).

Another theory is that the position players don't need that post-game, or even post-practice conditioning, because they are getting plenty of running by taking a zillion grounders, running the bases during bp, etc. I agree with that somewhat, although it depends, you might be coaching a team where you are not able to organize that type of practice regularly.

As far as the post-game running, I probably lean towards the idea that it is one more opportunity to teach, usually an aspect of base running, and it's killing 2 stones with 1 bird to get conditioning out of it.