| Welcome back to Part 3 of my series on How | | | | and pregame warmup for the first two-thirds of |
| NOT To Be A Youth Baseball Coach. | | | | the season. |
| In this article, I want to give you four specific | | | | Why? |
| things that a youth baseball coach does not do | | | | To prevent injury, most importantly. I see |
| that he indeed should do in order to be a more | | | | youngsters all of the time that have never been |
| effective leader, provide prompt and courteous | | | | taught the proper technique of sliding and they |
| communication to the parents of his players, and | | | | either twist or break an ankle, or jam their knees |
| ready his team for live game situations. | | | | unecessarliy. It's also an important part of the |
| The first specific coaching failure is something I | | | | game that just might win a few for you because |
| always watched in the pregame warmups to see | | | | the opposing coach has done a poor job of |
| if my team, that was always built around speed, | | | | teaching his players of applying the tag, which I |
| could excel and exploit during the game. A good | | | | see all too often as well. |
| coach watches every aspect of pregame | | | | Teach them the proper technique of sliding |
| warmups to find those weaknesses in his | | | | consistently for most of the season. |
| opponent. Its not time to finalize your lineup or be | | | | Moving to administrative tasks that aren't done |
| warming up your pitcher while the other team is | | | | effectively by most youth baseball coaches, my |
| taking infield. You, and your team for that matter, | | | | first complaint is that most don't hold a parent |
| should be glued to the field to see just who it is | | | | meeting from the start where you explain all |
| you are facing. | | | | policies on position assignments, batting order, |
| One thing I always look for is just how good is | | | | playing time, and so on. Do this up front so you |
| the arm on my opponents catcher. Does he have | | | | can refer to this meeting the several hundred |
| a gun? Is he lucky to get it there on one or two | | | | times during the season that parents want to |
| hops? Is he on target? Or does he stray | | | | approach and complain that their player is not |
| miserably throw after throw? | | | | getting enough playing time in the position they |
| I never quite got the coach that puts together an | | | | want them in or in the batting spot they think |
| articulate pregame warmup. Why? Because it | | | | they should be in. Do it! |
| always game me a peek at what I can exploit. If | | | | Lastly in this part of my series, I don't know of |
| you show me in three throws to second base in | | | | any coach that uses statistics to assign positions |
| pregame that your catcher is not consistent at all, | | | | and make up batting orders and pitching rotations. |
| then guess what? I am running on you the whole | | | | Most I know can't even keep a book for that |
| game! Go ahead, tip your hand! | | | | matter. It is crucial for the success of your team |
| Point here is: don't be one of those coaches that | | | | to be able to statistically quantify performance in |
| fails to give your catchers enough throws to | | | | order to teach and grow your team. |
| second base during practice. I never saw a coach | | | | It's also a life lesson for them to see you |
| do this growing up. You have got to get your | | | | dedicating so much time and work into their |
| catcher to instinctively make that throw perfect | | | | success, showing them the fruits of hard work is |
| every time. | | | | success. |
| Don't they say "practice makes perfect"? | | | | Please don't fail to do these things as you begin |
| Then practice it. | | | | your journey into coaching youth baseball. |
| Secondly, no one practices base running anymore. | | | | Come back for more in my series on How NOT |
| And, more specifically, sliding into a base. You | | | | To Be A Youth Baseball Coach. |
| should always practice sliding at every practice | | | | |