Ways to improve as a coach?

[YoungBuck]

Learn what the players are learning (i.e. pitching, catching, etc). The coaches that can speak from experience sometimes have an advantage. The best coaches in DD's conference are all former pitchers.

 

[GIMNEPIWO]

Any books or online classes that any of you have found helpful in your coaching careers? Just trying to keep working to improve as a coach, if I am going to expect the girls to work to improve also.


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Personally, I found the best thing I ever did to help me as a coach was to take as many Umpire Clinics as I could and become an Umpire ... To clarify, I did not quit coaching, I umpired in my down time from coaching.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Personally, I found the best thing I ever did to help me as a coach was to take as many Umpire Clinics as I could and become an Umpire ... To clarify, I did not quit coaching, I umpired in my down time from coaching.

I mean this is your primary job on game day. To ensure the umpires are applying the rules correctly and appealing if they are not.

90% of the rules are the same between orgs. You have to know those cold and have a cheat sheet for the other 10%.

Your magical batting lineup will have little to no impact. Rule interpretations can make a difference.

 

[Cornbread]

Best advice I ever got was “the players will never want it as bad as you do”. It applies. You’ll see

 

[CoachJD]

I mean this is your primary job on game day. To ensure the umpires are applying the rules correctly and appealing if they are not.

90% of the rules are the same between orgs. You have to know those cold and have a cheat sheet for the other 10%.

Your magical batting lineup will have little to no impact. Rule interpretations can make a difference.

This is 100% accurate. The biggest positive effects I've had on games are ensuring my team doesn't get screwed (usually unintentionally).

I'm not sure what it says about my current perspective on coaching, but when I opened this thread, I wasn't thinking at all about ways to be better at teaching mechanics or the rules or anything. All that stuff matters, but it's really as simple as "Go online and find out who's got the best info, then steal it."

But how to improve as a coach? Figure out the best ways to communicate with 12-15 girls as a team. And then figure out a way to communicate with those 12-15 girls as individuals. And then figure out how to keep them all focused and pulling in the same direction as often as possible. Oh, and don't forget dealing with the dynamic of two players on the team who have a thing for each other, but one wants to be just friends/take it slow but the other isn't interested in being so patient (this, of course, is likely not an issue at the younger ages).

Teaching how to field a ground ball is actually the easy part.

 

[uncdrew]

Another aspect of being a good coach is communication and people skills.

We parents and players will much more tolerate your mistakes and learning and losing when things are communicated well. Here's a real life example of two coaches handling a situation much differently:

DD1 is hitting the cover off the ball, leading team in most offensive categories, and batting 3rd or 4th most games. In the middle of a big tournament the lineup comes out and she's batting 8th. DD1 thinks the coach lost confidence in her. DD1 gets a bit discouraged and is a bit sulky and upset. She's a kid. Tournament ends, we lose, go home. Coach doesn't say a thing to DD1 before, during or after that move down the lineup. After a week or so we ask our DD1 to ask coach why he did it. He says he wanted to give other girls who weren't hitting well a confidence boost and it had nothing to do with DD1.

DD2 is hitting the cover off the ball, yada yada yada... In the middle of a big tournament, she's moved down the lineup. Before the line up is even posted, coach tells DD2 that he's wanting to get a few more ABs to other girls, and this game should be an easy win and the drop in the lineup has nothing to do with DD2, that he recognizes she's hitting well and is doing great. He also mentions wanting to conserve her energy for later games in the bracket (it's hot and DD2 pitches). DD2 gets it, plays hard, no negative feelings, doubt or worry.

Night and day different.

 

[daywalkerdad]

Another aspect of being a good coach is communication and people skills.

We parents and players will much more tolerate your mistakes and learning and losing when things are communicated well. Here's a real life example of two coaches handling a situation much differently:

DD1 is hitting the cover off the ball, leading team in most offensive categories, and batting 3rd or 4th most games. In the middle of a big tournament the lineup comes out and she's batting 8th. DD1 thinks the coach lost confidence in her. DD1 gets a bit discouraged and is a bit sulky and upset. She's a kid. Tournament ends, we lose, go home. Coach doesn't say a thing to DD1 before, during or after that move down the lineup. After a week or so we ask our DD1 to ask coach why he did it. He says he wanted to give other girls who weren't hitting well a confidence boost and it had nothing to do with DD1.

DD2 is hitting the cover off the ball, yada yada yada... In the middle of a big tournament, she's moved down the lineup. Before the line up is even posted, coach tells DD2 that he's wanting to get a few more ABs to other girls, and this game should be an easy win and the drop in the lineup has nothing to do with DD2, that he recognizes she's hitting well and is doing great. He also mentions wanting to conserve her energy for later games in the bracket (it's hot and DD2 pitches). DD2 gets it, plays hard, no negative feelings, doubt or worry.

Night and day different.

I agree with this. I think the same is true with pitching strategy. Letting pitchers know your plan.

 

[uncdrew]

I agree with this. I think the same is true with pitching strategy. Letting pitchers know your plan.

I really do think nothing at all is lost by over-communicating things like this. It builds trust with your players, helps them with game strategy thoughts, usually results in building their confidence (or not damaging it at least).

And if the reason is "Sally is pitching better than you today, and this is the championship game. We're going with Sally" you tell them that's the reason. Now you state it much better, and that skill alone is why I'm not coaching. I'm bad at stuff like that. You need to tell them in a way that shows you know it's just Sally is in the zone and looking really awesome and it's not that you're bad. You can remind them of a time they were in the zone and pitched the championship game. You need the girls to understand your thoughts and most of the times they'll agree with them. Hit that balance between totally demoralizing them and also giving them real life lessons (you're not always the best).

 

[daywalkerdad]

I really do think nothing at all is lost by over-communicating things like this. It builds trust with your players, helps them with game strategy thoughts, usually results in building their confidence (or not damaging it at least).

And if the reason is "Sally is pitching better than you today, and this is the championship game. We're going with Sally" you tell them that's the reason. Now you state it much better, and that skill alone is why I'm not coaching. I'm bad at stuff like that. You need to tell them in a way that shows you know it's just Sally is in the zone and looking really awesome and it's not that you're bad. You can remind them of a time they were in the zone and pitched the championship game. You need the girls to understand your thoughts and most of the times they'll agree with them. Hit that balance between totally demoralizing them and also giving them real life lessons (you're not always the best).

Yes, or Sally has game 1, you have game 2. Or sometimes strategy may require #1 in relief.

Another one is knowing when you are planning for pitching in practice. Sometimes tough to keep on schedule when you do not know practice schedules.

 

[CoachJD]

Another aspect of being a good coach is communication and people skills.

Truly think this is not just another aspect, but the most important aspect.