Most people who volunteer their time to a baseball team do so with the best intentions. Unfortunately there are also those individuals who volunteer for all the wrong reasons and fortunately those individuals are usually dismissed in a timely fashion. Even those who do have best intentions can sometimes get caught up in behavior that can be detrimental to the team. Let's now take a look at some baseball coaching do's and don'ts.
Favorites
Having a favorite anything is unavoidable in life. As humans we have likes and dislikes. We have things that we prefer over others. I like vanilla ice cream but you like chocolate ice cream. The same is true for people and personalities. A baseball coach will be working with and coming into contact with all types of people and personalities while running the team. The coach may run into players or even parents that they really like for whatever reason. Identifying a favorite can be unavoidable but being appropriate around these feelings is what's most important.
Don't
The coach must not treat a player or parent differently due to favoritism. On a hot day, the team has just finished practice and the "slushy" truck pulls in front of the field. Coach buys only "Little Timmy" a slush while the entire teams stands by with their tongues dragging on the ground. This behavior is inappropriate and can cause a number of problems.
Negative Consequences
Playing favorites can have a huge negative backlash. The players who are not getting special attention may begin to act out and if the favoritism is blatant enough then coach may have to also deal with angry parents. Also the coach's decisions may not be respected because the belief may be that decision making is also based on favoritism.
Do
Treat all players and parents with the same courtesy and respect. Make sure all players are getting the same opportunities.
Positive Consequences
The coach will have a much happier team and a much less complicated team to manage. There will probably be times that a coach is going to be accused of favoritism but at least if the coach is not directly causing these thoughts then hopefully the incidents will be few and far between.
A Player or Parent with Poor Behavior
Favorites were just discussed and on the flip side there will be people that a Little League coach comes into contact with that may not be so nice. Dealing with personalities is all part of being a coach and unfortunately there are personalities that can be very hard to handle at times.
Don't
Do not think you can just ignore the poor behavior and it will just go away because it won't. Also, don't think for a second that a good ol' fashion shouting match is going to solve anything because it won't and it will make matters worse.
Negative Consequences
Ignoring poor behavior is almost like encouraging it. Being too combative can lead to ill will and most likely won't resolve the issue. Also an inappropriate argument between a coach and a player or coach and a parent could lead to the coach being dismissed from the team.
Do
The coach of a team must sometimes be a problem solver. If there is a behavior issue then the coach should address it immediately and appropriately. It may take a simple information seeking question like "Why are you behaving this way?" That simple question asked in an appropriate way could be the gateway to a dialogue that can solve the issue. It also helps when talking to the unruly person to be nonjudgemental. If a nonjudgemental, appropriate discussion does not resolve the issue then it is probably time to seek out assistance from league officials and use a team approach to the unresolved issue.
Positive Consequences
If the coach acts in a fast, appropriate manner in dealing with a behavior issue, it will show the other players and parents that he/she is an effective leader. It will also send the message that unruly behavior will not be tolerated by anyone else.
Opposing Coaches
The coaches of the other teams will be individuals that the coach will have interactions with throughout the season. It is important that these interactions are appropriate.
Don't
The opposing coaches are not the "enemy" and need to be treated with respect. There must not be verbal altercations and certainly no physical altercations between coaches of opposing teams.
Negative Consequences
Extreme altercations between coaches will certainly lead to dismissal. "Bad blood" is also not acceptable. Youth are extremely smart and will pick up on the "bad blood" between coaches. It is not healthy for players to be around this type of negativity and coaches are responsible for creating a comfortable environment for their teams.
Do
It is ok for coaches to have friendly rivalries at the Little League level based on mutual respect and friendly competition. I coached against a gentleman for several years that I hated losing to but I never disrespected him and we actually quite often would talk about our games at the snack shed before going home for the evening. A coach must never talk negatively about other coaches in front of their players. It is a coach's job to promote respect for all volunteers in the league.
Positive Consequences
The coach is doing there part to promote a positive environment throughout the league. The league will run much smoother when the volunteers can have mutual respect and courtesy for each other.
Umpires
Little League umpires are volunteers who may or may not get paid ( and if they are getting paid then they are certainly not making a living doing it!). A coach's interactions with the umpire should be appropriate at all times.
Don't
A Little League coach is not a big league manager who can verbally abuse an umpire as is sometimes seen on tv during big league games. I was a Little League manager for over ten years and I am proud to say that I was never ejected from a game; not even close! The coach should also never blame umpires for defeat. Now, let's face it, I can tell you from first hand experience that umpires have blown games that I have coached in and most coaches will experience losing a game due to a bad call. However, it's not ok for a coach to tell the players the umpire cheated or the umpire cost the team the game. And it is definitely not ok for a coach to incite parents into verbally abusing umpires.
Negative Consequences
A coach who is consistently having poor interactions with umpires and is being ejected from baseball games is probably going to be dismissed in quick fashion. Some leagues have ejection rules like an ejection will also get the coach a game suspension.
Do
Umpires should be treated with respect and even when they make a mind numbing bad call. Always remember that the antics of big league managers that are sometimes seen on tv do not translate into Little League baseball. Little League baseball and MLB are "apples & oranges" especially when talking about coach/umpire relations. Try to develop a rapport with all umpires and pick their brains about calls off the field ( at a league meeting, over a soda at the snack shed, etc.). Umpires are volunteers like coaches and all volunteers should try to help support each other. It is also a coach's responsibility to keep players' parents from verbally abusing umpires.
Positive Consequences
Having a good relationship with the umpires will definitely improve a coach's baseball experience. Also if the coach has a good relationship with the umpires then usually the parents of the players will follow that lead.
Communication Skills
What we say and how we say things can have a huge effect on communication. Factor in that the people being communicated to are between the ages of 9 and 12 can make for some challenging situations. A Little League coach faces this challenge every time they interact with their players.
Don't
A coach should not raise their voice unless it is appropriate to do so ( such as a player is on the other side of the field and the only way to communicate properly is to raise the voice level). Screaming in a player's face in not appropriate under any circumstance. A coach should not use sarcasm to humiliate. For example, "Little Bobby" just booted a ground ball and the coach responds " Nice play Bobby; just wonderful."
Negative Consequences
Verbal abuse shouldn't be tolerated and it could be grounds for a coach's dismissal. Once the verbal abuse occurs, the damage is done. Anytime a child is subjected to any type of negative behavior from a role model it can be extremely damaging. This is why it is so important for a coach to be the best possible role model that they can be.
Do
A coach should talk to their players in a respectful way even when having to reprimand them. Anything that is communicated to a player needs to be done in a respectful way.
Positive Consequences
Players will be much more comfortable around a coach that can properly and appropriately communicate. Proper communication will help promote a happy and healthy e