Baseball coaching

just looking for a place to share ideas and resources.

I have coached Tee-Ball, Coach pitch, although little league and have been coaching 7th grade teams for a few years.


Let’s see what ideas or resources are out there

 

I coached my sons t ball team. Nope, gotta say that was rough having 12 five year olds. Yup just me, kids got dropped off and It was just me for an hour. I opted out after that season.
I like doing it, but by myself it was way to demanding.

 

During coach pitch, I was talking with a parent and the kid came over and asked them when they could leave, the parent said at the end of the season, I realized then I was a baseball baby sitter for some.

 

Yup... I couldn't take it. I was not allowed to throat punch parents.
I was not a popular coach, lol some did not appreciate how I talked to or delt with their kids. I had 6 parents that wanted to switch teams. and 4 that were non existant.

 

Coached for 6 years. Took over by default when it became glaringly event that the previous coach didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground...
Most enjoyable was the 13-14yro seasons. Great fun, but ALOT of work behind the scenes.

 

Fun fact, my dad is a legend at the local park I played... for his famous coaching line in his thick southern accent.... Suuuuuwwinnnnggggg yuuuuurrrrrr baaaayyyyyyuuuuttttsss.... And yes he yelled it just like I typed it

 

Don’t be the asshole coach who doesn’t play everyone. I have a rule when I coached Little League. If you didn’t start one game to started the next even if you sucked. All the parents pay the same sign up fee so all the kids should get equal playing time.

 

I kept spreadsheets of the kids playing time, season average for players was about 66 to 75 percent of the time. I even tracked infield and outfield time. Can’t really do the same in Middle School, but I try to not let a player spend two innings in a row on the bench.

 

I've coached for ten years now starting in 9U USSSA Select. Coaching probably my last team right now. The best thing you can do is stay organized and keep people updated with emails and texts. Takes that potential complaint off the table. Accept that you probably can't win and at the same time make everyone happy. Don't be afraid to tell a parent "this is what I'm here for, here are your options". Make sure you have someone helping you who knows how not to be PITA.

 

Our park had a rule that you could only sit 1 inning per game.

 

That could be dam hard to do, how many players on a team? Most of my teams had 13 or so players.

 

For me any time before varsity ball is for developing players. By the time a kid is 15 they should know if they are good enough to complete for varsity playing time. Varsity should be about putting the best team on the field to win championships. Fair playing time before varsity. Best players on the field once you get to high school.

 

To bad this isn’t the mentality of many baseball programs. While interviewing for a 7th/8th mixed team coaching position, I had a HS Varsity coach tell me winning is contagious and it needs to start in Middle school. He said this in response to my statement that winnning isn’t my first priority. I try to win while developing players.

 

I think the max was 13, but most of the time only 10-12 kids would show to a game

 

We also could only play 2hrs max Reguardless of innings