We are here to make sure that you are successful. Here are 12 tips to help as you manage your team.
1. Remember above everything to make your practices and this season FUN. Develop skills but strive to build a love for the game, teamwork, leadership, and confidence.
2. Please send a personal email to all your parents. This email will cover your background in the sport, experience coaching, first practice/ parent meeting and practice days.
3. We recommend TeamSnap app for all Rec coaches. This tool will allow you to communicate quickly and effectively to all your parents using the free plan for your team.
4. Have a parent meeting on your first practice (or earlier) to let parents know your background, ask for volunteers (coaches and team coordinator), and set expectations for the new season. Make sure any conflicts in schedule are discussed with parents so you can keep track of attendance for practices. Open the floor for questions.
5. It is best to have at least three coaches on each team. This allows for less downtime during practices allowing for rotational training verses keeping the whole team together for a whole practice.
6. Meet with your coaching staff to discuss coaching styles, assign skill jobs (such as hitting coach, pitching coach, etc.), and discuss rules and procedures.
7. Let your players know your expectations for them (including respect for other players, coaches, umpires, and parents), paying attention, and giving their best effort, and introduce them to their coaches.
8. Communicate at least once a week with your parents. Once game and practice schedules are provided to you add them to TeamSnap app. This app will send reminders to parents on all events for the basic version which as a small cost. Or you can send a weekly reminder for practices and games. This will greatly improve your attendance. This method is especially effective at younger ages. You may want to hold your players responsible at older ages to communicate information to parents.
9. Complete USA Baseball Training Certification A. Certifications B & C are recommended for Minors and Majors Coaches. https://usabdevelops.com/USAB/Certification/Coach_Certification/USAB/Certification/Coach_Certification.aspx?hkey=9b5b27e7-bb58-4b30-80e7-20d8ea4a657f)
Watch videos on coaching online. We have supplied some in our Coaches Corner. Other great sources are YouGoProBaseball and Ultimate Baseball Training YouTube Pages.
10. Request to come to a travel coaches’ practice and observe or help out this will help tremendously in your development as a coach.
11. Bring ice or ice packs to practices and games. In addition, bring a first aid kit for anything that may happen. We value the safety of our players.
12. Consider joining us as a travel coach. We are always looking for passionate individuals that would like to move to the next level of baseball competition and improve the personal/leadership development, teamwork, and baseball knowledge of our future elite county/state high school players.
