5 Ways to Help a Player Look Really Bad

[Ken Krause]

You would think that one of the core parts of a coach’s job is to help ensure all of his/her players look good whenever they step onto the field. After all, pretty much every program at every level includes some form of “We are here for the girls” in their mission statement. Yet the reality […]

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[tim_s]

yelling "just throw strikes" and "don't lose her" is still ok, yes?

 

[cvsoftball]

#6 Make sure, when an IR pitcher is pitching and your AC is also an HE instructor, that you put a couple of weak links in your defense when your team is on the field.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Coaching happens in practice. Managing happens in games.

Yelling in-the-moment instructions at your players does not help them.

 

[Dabears17]

Thank you for another superb article Ken. I owe you lunch.

 

[Lobster Birch]

Yeah, I think you detailed one of the reasons my oldest DD quit catching, although, you forgot to mention allegations she must not be passing along the correct signs from the AC calling the pitches, who happened to be the pitcher’s father.

 

[CoachJD]

Coaching happens in practice. Managing happens in games.

Yelling in-the-moment instructions at your players does not help them.

Unless they're reminders/cues that you worked on in practice.

I will, if there's time, sometimes take a moment between innings or whatever to explain something to a player, but most of the time now it's just a note to discuss it later/work on it in practice.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Unless they're reminders/cues that you worked on in practice.

I will, if there's time, sometimes take a moment between innings or whatever to explain something to a player, but most of the time now it's just a note to discuss it later/work on it in practice.

Admittedly, my statement is a bit hyperbolic, but it is one I have stuck by for years.

Maybe I should say, "You can coach players. You can't coach the game."

 

[Ken Krause]

Yeah, I think you detailed one of the reasons my oldest DD quit catching, although, you forgot to mention allegations she must not be passing along the correct signs from the AC calling the pitches, who happened to be the pitcher’s father.

That actually goes along with one of my beliefs about coaches demanding pitchers hit their spots. What if the coach isn't good at calling pitches? Sometimes not throwing the ball where it's called can be the best thing a pitcher can do for that coach.

 

[cvsoftball]

Admittedly, my statement is a bit hyperbolic, but it is one I have stuck by for years.

Maybe I should say, "You can coach players. You can't coach the game."

During my 10U days, I would stop a game and go over what just happened. I made sure to include players from both teams and the opposite coach. It was a learning moment, it was 10U, and no one ever said anything negative.