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

I was a youth baseball coach for many years. I entered the coaching arena 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. In addition to the lack of playing time, I was also frustrated by the way his first coach ran practices. I found that he was only making progress when he worked directly with me. So, this frustration led me to become a head coach his second year in baseball.

The first thing I realized very quickly was my inability to transfer my knowledge to the players; I knew how to play the game, but I didn’t know how to teach the game. With my assistant coach in tow, I began to attend all the coaching clinics possible. Coaching clinics can be a little frustrating because you will find they are not consistent in the mechanics they teach. I found that simple mechanics, with the least amount of movement, helped alleviate frustration for both the coach and the player. In addition, simple translates into success faster. Success translates into fun.

The age group you are coaching determines the coaching style. This was the second thing I learned very quickly. 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. Show them 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. The progress of your players will constantly amaze you if practices are organized, fast-moving, and fun.

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

Fairness was the last thing I learned, very rapidly. Be fair with your baseball players and be fair with your own son or daughter. Try to treat your son or daughter no differently than you would treat every other player on the team. The best way to accomplish this is to have someone, who is not associated with the coaching staff, observe, and give you feedback. In that respect, I was lucky. My wife and my son's grandparents never missed a game. I had real time feedback immediately following every game. If I was too hard on my son, I heard about it after the game. Please remember, getting your son or daughter a college scholarship should not be goal. It is important that your son or daughter stick with the sport because they are having fun. Also, be fair with playing time for all of your players. The reality of baseball is that mistakes happen. Playing time reduces those mistakes. So be fair. Remember, it is not where a player starts that is important, it is where they finish.

This is the first lesson in a series of lessons. 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.