Well Dad you have volunteered/been nominated to coach your child's baseball team. You are excited about it but have no idea just what coaching youth sports entails. Don't worry, you are not alone. There is a lot to it, but with proper planning and expectations you should be fine. Here are some things I have learned in twenty years as a player and another twenty years as a youth coach.
1. First and foremost remember that these are kids, not professional athletes. They play sports to have fun! While some of them may dream about becoming a pro, sadly, most of them will drop out of sports when they hit their teen years. Your responsibility is to help them enjoy their youth right now and learn enough to move up to another level of play.
2. Do not forget the parents! Keep them informed and involved. Let them know what you expect from them and what they can expect from you. Punctuality is very important. It's hard to play if the kids aren't there. Ask them for help with practice, but be sure they understand that their assistance does not make them one of the team coaches. Kids are very much aware of their parents' presence during a game, so it is a good idea to ask Mom and Dad to keep their tempers in check and not yell at officials. As adults, you and they are to be good role models. I have had to remind a couple of fathers that they were there to support their children, not act like them.
3. At your first meeting with the parents and players inform them you will not be coaching winning or losing! The kids already understand those concepts, and quite frankly they are not really all that concerned about them. Sure they want to win, but you will find that five minutes after a loss they will be playing a game of cup-ball or pickle with kids from the team that just beat them 10 - 0, and they will be having a ball!
4. Your primary responsibility in coaching youth sports is to prepare your players for the next level. The bulk of your teaching will be to help them learn the proper mechanics to develop the skills it takes to play the game. I coached an AAU baseball team of fourteen year olds. Of the forty boys that came to tryouts, less than nine had been taught to throw properly. If you do not know the mechanics yourself, you can find a plethora of websites that will teach you what you need to know. Look for sites that talk about the power triangle of hitting and throwing. Avoid sites that teach about pushing off with the back foot, unless you want a team of players with sore elbows. Also, some of the parents may be knowledgeable of good fundamental skills. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
5. Be fair to all of your players. You cannot show preferential treatment. Some kids will develop faster than others and perform better, but you must not treat them better. By all means, compliment them on their performance, but you should also compliment any other player for his efforts and successes, regardless of how small that success might be. I once had a player who always struck out. One game he grounded out to the second baseman. I praised him for making contact with the ball, and recommended to his parents that he deserved an ice cream cone.
This is far from being a complete list of things to know about coaching youth sports, but it should give you an idea of how and where to start. With a little bit of work and a whole lot of enthusiasm you should do well. Enjoy the experience, and above all, have fun with the kids!
1. First and foremost remember that these are kids, not professional athletes. They play sports to have fun! While some of them may dream about becoming a pro, sadly, most of them will drop out of sports when they hit their teen years. Your responsibility is to help them enjoy their youth right now and learn enough to move up to another level of play.
2. Do not forget the parents! Keep them informed and involved. Let them know what you expect from them and what they can expect from you. Punctuality is very important. It's hard to play if the kids aren't there. Ask them for help with practice, but be sure they understand that their assistance does not make them one of the team coaches. Kids are very much aware of their parents' presence during a game, so it is a good idea to ask Mom and Dad to keep their tempers in check and not yell at officials. As adults, you and they are to be good role models. I have had to remind a couple of fathers that they were there to support their children, not act like them.
3. At your first meeting with the parents and players inform them you will not be coaching winning or losing! The kids already understand those concepts, and quite frankly they are not really all that concerned about them. Sure they want to win, but you will find that five minutes after a loss they will be playing a game of cup-ball or pickle with kids from the team that just beat them 10 - 0, and they will be having a ball!
4. Your primary responsibility in coaching youth sports is to prepare your players for the next level. The bulk of your teaching will be to help them learn the proper mechanics to develop the skills it takes to play the game. I coached an AAU baseball team of fourteen year olds. Of the forty boys that came to tryouts, less than nine had been taught to throw properly. If you do not know the mechanics yourself, you can find a plethora of websites that will teach you what you need to know. Look for sites that talk about the power triangle of hitting and throwing. Avoid sites that teach about pushing off with the back foot, unless you want a team of players with sore elbows. Also, some of the parents may be knowledgeable of good fundamental skills. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
5. Be fair to all of your players. You cannot show preferential treatment. Some kids will develop faster than others and perform better, but you must not treat them better. By all means, compliment them on their performance, but you should also compliment any other player for his efforts and successes, regardless of how small that success might be. I once had a player who always struck out. One game he grounded out to the second baseman. I praised him for making contact with the ball, and recommended to his parents that he deserved an ice cream cone.
This is far from being a complete list of things to know about coaching youth sports, but it should give you an idea of how and where to start. With a little bit of work and a whole lot of enthusiasm you should do well. Enjoy the experience, and above all, have fun with the kids!
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