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.
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"
Relate to them personally
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.
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.
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"
Relate to them personally
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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