To Coach or Not to Coach that is the question...

[cmustangsfp]

P.S. 3 coaches in the field is NOT ENOUGH at that age 6U!! LOL! Should have probably been more like 9 coaches!

 

[Dabears17]

My daughter kept score in 6u by counting the number of outs her team's defense got vs. the other team. She enjoyed 6u, but definitely had more fun in 8u when she was on a team that had players who 'got' softball.

Lots of good advice here. I get ideas for drills and games from PlaySportsTV: Instructional Videos for Coaching Youth Sports and a resource from the Canadian National Team that Marc Dagenais recommended, Learn to Play. The website is: Softball BC: Learn to Play

There used to be some example material up, but I don't see it anymore. If you do a google search on 'LTP Canada Softball' you'll find some info on other sites. I've been giving this material to my league's 6u and 8u coaches for the past two seasons.

 

[Eric F]

From my own observations as the parent of a first-year 8U player, a few things I want to see in a rec league coach are...
1. Keep the game fun - Kids who have fun want to play and want to improve. Even if they are the least-talented player on the team, and the team loses every game, their experience should be enjoyable.
2. TONS of positive reinforcement - A coach who constantly criticizes mistakes, gets frustrated about missed plays and strikeouts, or can't tolerate losing has no place coaching at this level. Even if the batter watches 3 strikes sail by, and never swings, find something positive to say while coaching her on how to do it better next time.
3. Good attitude about the game - Have it. Teach it.
4. Fair treatment of the players - Never make a player feel less of a part of the team, no matter what her skill level.
5. Safety - There are plenty of ways to get hurt on the field. Adding additional risks is unacceptable.