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Lessons from a Timbits Coach

1/17/2018

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I enjoy hockey. I think I enjoy it more because I can just be a fan. I am “Hockey Night in Canada educated” and this allows me to simply watch my son play and enjoy the game for what it is...fun for him.
I am also a teacher, a coach, and a life long learner. Last year during the Timbits season I was reminded of some key coaching tenants that I feel are forgotten or labeled as unimportant as players get older. As coaches move to higher levels and work with older players, I think some basic coaching principles get lost. Here is what I was reminded about through our first season of Timbits:
​Know everyone's name and use it
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People like to hear their name. It's a simple thing, but I was very aware of the fact that names were used much more frequently during a Timbits practice. Our coach greeted every player by name when they came in the dressing room, used their names with praise during practice, and went around the room and spoke with every player as they took their gear off.
​Split practice into stations
Stations are critical to an effective practice, but I feel like coaches think they are more necessary with younger athletes so they can keep their very limited attention spans. The reality is that a player's attention span is probably just as limited as they get older. Make use of stations so practice is more efficient and engaging.
Always include a game
Regardless of age, players love to compete. You may not be playing a full-size 9 vs 9 game, but include some sort of competition at every practice. Make it fun and at the end of practice make the players want to come back. That should be goal #1 because you can’t help players who don’t show up.
Focus on the positives
Coaches tend to praise younger players more often. As coaches start working with older players, I think there is a tendency to identify everything that a player is doing wrong. Don’t forget that players need to know what they are doing right in order to repeat it.
​Ask players about their favorite part of practice
As I mentioned above, goal #1 is making sure players want to come back tomorrow. Coaches need to understand what players enjoy most about practice so they can develop more engaging practice plans.
​Back to basics
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I think it is a common mistake for coaches to assume their players have certain skills mastered. Players are then progressed from a skill level that is beyond their capabilities. Basic skills need to be reviewed on a continual basis and this doesn't change regardless of what level the players are competing at.
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What I Wish I Knew 10 Years Ago - part 2

1/4/2018

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Buy into your own strength program
Most programs, from under-funded high school teams to small colleges, are implementing some type of strength program. My advice to coaches:
If it is important enough for your players to do it, you should too!
Use tubing before you throw BP, warm up and cool down properly, and be in attendance for strength training sessions. I will never forget one of my coaches attending EVERY morning workout even though he had a full-time strength coach. He stayed until EVERY player was gone even though he had a hundred other things to do that morning. You don't have to out lift your players. You don't even have to do the same program, but your time investment in the strength & conditioning program will be a "lead by example" moment and will speak volumes about taking care of every detail.

You will touch the most people by teaching coaches
​Take a young/inexperienced coach along on your journey. Like many of you, I had a great mentor and at some point coaches need to give back in the same way. Some of the coaches you take on will provide invaluable insight and add to your program. Some may not contribute as much on the field. Regardless of what they provide in the way of on the field information, it will pale in comparison to what they will learn from the experience. Someone took a chance on you and gave you your first coaching job, so pay it forward and take a chance on someone else. Instill a passion for teaching in someone with some youthful enthusiasm and your reach will go way beyond just the players you have personal contact with.
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When you lead less, your players will lead more
Young players are capable of amazing things, but if a coach does everything for them they will never learn to do it for themselves. Coaches need to remember that the end goal is for their players to need them less over time, rather than to have players rely on them more. Even if players and teams struggle with this independence in the short term, this learning outcome is well worth the wait.
I knew a coach who insisted on leading every warm up. I am a "details guy" so I understand that he wanted the warm up done a particular way. The problem came when his players graduated to the next level and didn't know the parts of a quality dynamic warm up. They never learned the warm up because they didn't have to. In addition, I believe valuable leadership opportunities are available to players when they have the ability to take control of team processes like the warm up. Will they miss one movement or skip a rep? Maybe, but the leadership opportunity is worth the trade-off.
It might be counterintuitive for those who are attracted to coaching because of the leadership responsibilities, but coaches need to provide enough space for players to grow.

The game is the test...let the players take the test
Practice = Learning in class
​Games = Taking a test
The way I explain the two components of baseball to my students is by relating it to their academic journey. When they are practicing, that is like being in the classroom. When they are playing and competing in games, that is like taking a test. When students take a test they see a result and get feedback as to how they are progressing. The same is true for players in games. They get feedback on their progress based on the results during the game. Players need to become proficient at taking this feedback into their next practice to work on those skills that were exposed as a weakness during the last game.

Don't expect from your players something you don't demand of yourself
​If you want your players to be on time and respect the coaches, you need to be on time and respect the players.
If you want your players to be prepared, you need to be prepared.
If you want your players to stay calm under pressure, you need to stay calm under pressure.
If you want your players to play with more energy, you need to coach with more energy.
Simply said:
"Attitude reflects leadership, COACH"
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Relate to them personally
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In the end, it's never just baseball. In the moment, a baseball game feels incredibly important but it is all just part of a bigger picture. Make sure your players understand the most important details of the bigger picture: the importance of family, a bond with a teammate, the values of discipline and hard work, and the valuable lessons learned along the journey.
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    Miki Kawahara got into coaching when he founded a youth baseball camp in Red Deer in 2002.  The camp was originally started to give back  to the baseball community that fostered his life-long love for the game. Coaching has since grown into a full time passion and Coach Kawahara hopes this blog can pass on some of the lessons he has learned through his life in baseball.

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  • Baseball Development
    • Baseball Winter Camps >
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