Why a Softball Dad Built Coaching Tools (And Why I Think You Need Them)
Why a Softball Dad Built Coaching Tools (And Why I Think You Need Them)
I need to start with a confession: I'm not a coach. I've never coached a team, never played competitive sports growing up, and honestly, I can barely throw a softball without embarrassing myself in front of my daughters.
But I am a softball dad. And like a lot of parents who didn't grow up in sports, I've spent the last few years getting an accelerated education in youth athletics—whether I was ready for it or not.
The Problem: No Athletic Skills to Contribute
I have two daughters who are deeply invested in competitive softball. I mean really invested. Weekend tournaments, travel teams, private lessons, the whole nine yards. And as much as I wanted to help them improve, I quickly realized I had nothing to offer in the athletic department.
I can't teach pitching mechanics. I don't know the difference between a rise ball and a drop ball. I definitely can't demonstrate proper batting stance. What I can do is write code and build software.
So that's what I did.
Tool #1: PitchGrid - Because I Take Too Many Videos Anyway
Like every sports parent, I film everything. Games, bullpens, batting practice—you name it, I've got video of it on my phone. But after a while, I realized I was just accumulating hundreds of clips with no real way to analyze them.
That's when I built PitchGrid.
It's a mobile app that lets you take those sideline videos and actually do something useful with them. You can play back multiple videos side-by-side, slow them down, draw on them, and compare mechanics over time. My daughters use it to see what they're doing differently between a good pitch and a bad one. Their coaches use it to show exactly what needs to change.
The best part? It works with the videos you're already taking. No special equipment, no expensive cameras—just your phone from the bleachers.
Tool #2: Playtime Heatmap - Because Someone Needs to Track This
Here's something I noticed that drove me crazy: playing time disparities that coaches didn't even realize existed.
At younger ages, the goal is supposed to be fair play. Everyone gets equal innings, everyone rotates through positions. But in the chaos of a game—lineup cards getting messy, the loudest kid getting called first, the quiet kid getting overlooked—things get unbalanced fast.
As kids get older, playing time becomes more strategic. Coaches want their best players in key positions at key moments. But even then, are they tracking it? Do they know for sure that Emma has played 70% of the innings at second base while Sophia has only played 20%?
I built the Playtime Heatmap to solve this. Coaches can log who plays where, and the tool visualizes it. For young teams, it's a fairness tool. For competitive teams, it's a strategic awareness tool. Either way, it prevents the "oops, I didn't realize I left Sarah on the bench for three innings" situation.
Tool #3: Lineup Optimizer - Because Strategy Gets Complicated
This one came from watching a game we probably should have won.
The coach had a great second baseman—let's call her Player A. She was dominant there. But she was also really solid in the outfield. Meanwhile, Player B was a slower outfielder who was decent but not great.
The coach stuck with Player A at second (her "primary position") and Player B in the outfield. We got torched in the outfield. Multiple times.
Here's the thing: if you moved Player A to the outfield, sure, she's a little less dominant than at second. But Player B at second is only slightly worse than Player A. The net result? A more balanced, stronger defense overall.
That's when I built the Lineup Optimizer. Coaches input each player's skills and strengths across positions, and the tool uses math (Hungarian algorithm, if you're curious) to create the most balanced lineup. It's not about replacing coaching intuition—it's about giving coaches data to inform that intuition.
The Website: TheCoachTheyNeed.com
After building all these tools, I needed somewhere to put them. That's how TheCoachTheyNeed.com was born.
The name comes from something I kept thinking: I just want to help coaches become the coach my daughters need.
Not perfect coaches. Not superhero coaches. Just coaches who have the tools, knowledge, and support to do their best. Coaches who can balance fairness and strategy. Coaches who can analyze mechanics without needing a PhD in biomechanics. Coaches who don't have to juggle everything in their heads.
The Final Piece: Coach's Corner
Here's where this whole thing came full circle.
I'm on Reddit a lot. Specifically, coaching subreddits and parent forums. And I see incredible advice being shared every day. Coaches helping other coaches. Experienced parents sharing hard-won wisdom. Real stories about what works and what doesn't.
But that advice disappears into Reddit's algorithm. It's not organized. It's not searchable. New coaches can't easily find the gold buried in those threads.
So I created Coach's Corner on this site—a place where coaches can share advice with other coaches. Real stories. Real challenges. Real solutions.
And here's the thing that makes me hopeful: coaches are generous with their knowledge when you give them a platform. They want to help each other. They just need a place to do it.
Why I'm Telling You This
I'm sharing my story because I think there's a lesson here: you don't have to be an expert to contribute.
I'm not a coach. I never will be. But I can build tools. I can create platforms. I can use my skills to make coaches' lives a little easier.
Maybe you're a coach reading this thinking, "I don't have tech skills." That's fine. You have coaching wisdom. You have years of experience. You have stories about what worked with difficult parents, tough losses, burnout, and team building.
That's what this platform is for. Share your wisdom. Help the next generation of coaches. Help coaches in their first season who have no idea what they're doing (we've all been there, right?).
What's Next?
I'm going to keep building. More tools. More features. More ways to support coaches.
But I can't do it alone. I need coaches to tell me what they actually need. What problems keep you up at night? What tasks eat up all your time? What would make your coaching life 10% easier?
And if you've got advice to share—the kind of wisdom that only comes from being in the dugout, dealing with parents, managing egos, and navigating tough decisions—submit it here. Other coaches need to hear it.
Because ultimately, that's what this is about: helping coaches become the coaches our kids need.
And maybe, just maybe, making youth sports a little less chaotic for everyone.
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About the Tools
- PitchGrid: Mobile app for video analysis (iOS and Android) - [pitchgridapp.com](https://pitchgridapp.com/)
- Playtime Heatmap: Web tool for tracking player rotations and fairness
- Lineup Optimizer: AI-powered tool for creating balanced lineups
All available at [TheCoachTheyNeed.com](https://thecoachtheyneed.com)
Have Advice to Share?
If you're a coach with wisdom to share, we'd love to feature your story on Coach's Corner. Email: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])