Sturdy, Patterson say pros outweigh cons of having fathers as coaches

They get special treatment. They get more playing time. They get the benefit of the doubt and more praise than the other players. They get all this because their coach is also their dad. Nepotism, baby.

For two softball players in the area at least, they say the opposite is the truth.

“There’s a lot of stereotypes of kids who play for their dads, that it’ll be easy for them,” said junior Taylor Patterson, whose father, Ryan, coaches her Auburn softball team. “Maybe it’s that way for some out there, but I bet most players who have a dad for a coach would say it’s not the case.”

Said senior Kamryn Sturdy, whose father, Brad, coaches her Buffalo Tri-City softball team: “It’s something that I’ve always had, that I have to work harder than anyone else. To prove that things weren’t handed to me.”

Proving their worth

Players with parents as coaches at the pro and college levels face some of those same stereotypes too, but for high school kids who have yet to get to those levels, the gossipy snickering from players (and parents) can be tough to deal with.

For Patterson and Sturdy, however, nobody questions their status as starters. Patterson, primarily a second baseman for the Trojans, is hitting .456 and leads the team with 35 runs scored, two of which occurred recently when she hit two inside-the-park home runs in one game. She's also put up 28 RBIs. The 22-7-1 Trojans are the No. 1 seed in the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Regional and have their first regional playoff game Tuesday.

At Buffalo Tri-City, Sturdy is having a standout senior season. She’s got a whopping .506 batting average, with two homers, 29 RBIs and a .783 slugging percentage through 28 games for the Tornadoes. She is committed to play softball at Parkland College in Champaign next year.

For coaches who are also their player’s parent, they know their decisions on playing time and everything else come with extra scrutiny.

“Of course my kid isn’t getting the same playing time as the coach’s kid.” Coaches know that thought has gone through the mind of at least one parent of other players.

Ryan Patterson, who also coaches the Illinois Lady Force summer softball team, said that comes with the territory and admits he might have overcompensated at times to combat that stereotype.

“I try not to treat kids any different, but I probably am and have been harder on her than others, over that perception,” he said. “She doesn’t get a break from it when she comes home. I come home and talk about the latest practice. She hears about the practice or game on the car ride home and the dinner table. I might yell at her more than others when I need to make a point to the rest of the team, and I probably don’t tell her enough how proud I am of her accomplishments.”

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Despite her junior status, Taylor Patterson has already committed to play softball at the University of Illinois-Springfield.

She and Kamryn Sturdy acknowledge that they might benefit from having a dad who can talk more about their game when the practices and games are over, and they are grateful. But, again, it isn’t always easy. While other teammates can go home and forget about a bad game, they still have to hear about it on the ride home.

There have been times when I’ve thought, ‘I don’t know if I want to ride home with him tonight,’” Kamryn said.

Kamryn Sturdy, 18, is the last of three daughters who have played for their father at Buffalo Tri-City, a fact dad said better prepared him for the dual role as father and coach.

“She also knew what better to expect after watching her two older sisters play for me,” Brad Sturdy said. “But she’s earned what she’s gotten. But the truth is, it’s harder for her to get away from softball because I’m always talking about our team. But she loves to talk softball too. Her mom and aunt were also excellent softball players, and she loves the game. She’s a great person.”

Taylor Patterson, 17, admitted to at least one advantage of having a father for a coach.

“If he wants to ground me, I can say, ‘Hey, you can’t do that, you’re my coach,’” she said.

Adrian Dater is a freelance writer for The State Journal-Register. He can be reached through the sports department at sports@sj-r.com.