Lessons from a Youth Baseball Coach – Lesson #1: First Steps in Coaching

I was a youth baseball coach for many years. I became a coach because my son started playing the sport late and I found that his first coach did not give him enough playing time to increase his skill set. The way his first coach ran practices, also frustrated me. I found that his skills were improving only when he was working directly with me. Thus, out of frustration, I became a head coach his second year in baseball.

I knew how to play the game, but I didn’t know how to teach the game; the first thing I realized, very quickly, was my inability to transfer my knowledge to the players. My assistant coach and I began to attend all the coaching clinics possible. Coaching clinics were a little frustrating because they were not consistent in the mechanics they taught. I found that the mechanics that came with the simplest instructions and the least amount of movement were the best; simple instructions alleviate frustration for both the coach and the player. In addition, simple translates into success faster. Success translates into fun.

The second thing I learned very quickly was the style of coaching has to be molded directly to the age group you are coaching. The younger players have a shorter attention span than older players. For example, a coach should not spend more than 5 minutes on any one drill for 7 or 8 year old players. Demonstrate the proper technique, let them practice that technique a few times, and then move them onto another drill. Do not be frustrated and think that there is no way they can pick up any technique that quickly. You will be amazed at the progress of your players if you keep the practices organized, fast-moving, and fun.

The third thing I realized very quickly was the importance of having fun yourself. The more fun you have coaching, the better coach you will be. Fun is contagious; players will learn quicker if they see the coaching staff having fun teaching them. A coach’s job is to teach baseball, make the game fun, so players will stick with the sport, and to be fair with playing time. Youngsters practice to play; so, reward practice with playing time.

The last thing I learned very rapidly was fairness. Attempt to be fair with all of your players, including your son or daughter. Try to treat your son or daughter no different than you would treat someone else’s son or daughter. The easiest way to accomplish this is to have someone, not attached to coaching staff, observe, and give you feedback. I was lucky in that respect. My son's grandparents and my wife never missed a game. After every game, I had immediate feedback. I heard about it after the game, if I was too hard on my son. Remember, you want your son or daughter to have fun and stick with the sport because of the fun and not because you want them to get a college scholarship. In addition, be fair with playing time for all of your players. Mistakes are a reality of baseball. Experience and playing time reduce mistakes. So, be fair when you allocate playing time. Remember, it is where a player finishes that is important, not where they started.

Lesson #1 is from "Lessons from a Youth Baseball Coach". All of the lessons can be found at Baseball Armory – “The Baseball Blog”. Baseball Armory – “The Baseball Blog” is sponsored by Baseball Armory. Baseball Armory is an online store that contains quality Akadema softball and baseball gear. Akadema equipment includes infield and outfield gloves, catcher’s mitts, metal and wood bats, cleats, turf shoes, batting gloves, sunglasses, apparel, equipment bags, glove care products, and miscellaneous baseball and softball accessories.

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