Teach-Baseball.com

One way or another you have become a youth baseball or softball coach. Whatever your motivation for coaching is, by coming here looking for information on becoming a better baseball coach you already stand head and shoulders above most of the other coaches that you will encounter. Not necessarily because this site is so great, but simply because you are looking for a means of improvement. That says a lot about yourself and you should be congratulated. Most people that volunteer to be a youth coach believe that showing up with the equipment bag and filling out the lineup card is enough. It really is not. Thank you for at least trying to improve your coaching skills.

I have spent most of my life around the baseball field. As a young child I followed my older brothers to their Little League baseball games. A few years later I became a player myself, playing through high school. In college I spent some time umpiring to help make ends meet. After my own son arrived I became a Little League parent, and then stepped in as a coach. All told, baseball has been a tremendous part of my life for longer than I can remember.

In my years around the diamond I have discovered that there are a few different kinds of baseball coaches. Here is what I normally see:

• The Baseball Dad: This is the father of Little Johnny, one of the players on the team. The Baseball Dad is a good guy. He wants to help the kids out, provides a good role model for the children, and most of the parents like him. Unfortunately, he is not much of a baseball coach and the kids really do not learn from him or improve on their baseball skills.
• The Former Star: This is the guy hat was the great high school, college, or even pro baseball player. He can not play anymore, so he steps on the field with the kids. This guy had all the ability in the world, and at first looks like he will be a great coach. The problem with this guy is that he does not know how to teach. Getting the knowledge from his head to the kids head just does not work. The Former Stars natural ability does not flow into the player.
• The Drill Sergeant: This is the guy that runs drills with military precision. He is not very personable, but can his kids ever turn a double play. The drill sergeants players may learn some skills, but the fun is sapped from the game of baseball, forcing the kids to lose interest.
• The School Teacher: This person may likely be an actual school teacher. The school team needs a baseball coach, he is young, and could use a few extra bucks so he takes the job. He does not have a deep understanding of the game, but he tries. He is kind of like the Baseball Dad, but his kid is not on the team and he is getting a paycheck.

These are the coaches that you are most likely going to run into. Having them on the field explains why over 70 percent of children that participate in youth sports will drop out by the time they turn 13 years old. The kids drop out for a variety of reasons. Maybe they are frustrated because they are not getting better and the other kids make them look bad. Maybe they are tired of being yelled at and want to get away from the team. Whatever the reason, it likely comes back to bad coaching. This leads us to the final type of coach.

• The Complete Baseball Coach: This is the guy that has baseball knowledge and he ability to teach it to children. He runs a structured practice that encourages the kids to learn and have fun. He has a personable demeanor and the players, parents and other coaches enjoy being around him. Unfortunately, this guy is the exception, not the rule.

With a bit of effort the Baseball Dad, the Former Star, the Drill Sergeant and the Teacher all have the potential to become the Complete Baseball Coach. That is the main point of this website. To help people become the Complete Baseball Coach and improve on their baseball coaching skills.