Getting the most out of coaching

1. Invest in a good glove now. Gloves don’t go on sale, and the prices don’t go down. If you learn how to break in a glove and condition your glove, it’ll last you for a thousand practices.
2. Figure out ways to support your board. Odds are you’re coaching as part of a non-profit organization, and people on the board do a lot of work behind the scenes. The more you advocate for people joining the board, the better the organization can become.
3. Talk with the board before spending your own money. Once the precedent of “Coach Hank on AAA bought his own gear, so I should buy my own” has been set, it is hard to disrupt. Although you might be able to afford your own gear, other coaches might not be so fortunate. Setting the buy-your-own precedent either precludes other parents from becoming coaches or deprives other teams from valuable training gear. Before you buy your next trainer bat or weighted ball, ping the board to see if they have it or will buy it for you.
4. Rely on technology as little as possible. There are hundreds of vendors out there, and when you combine the unique policies of your organization with diverse base the sports league management (SLM) software has to do, setting low expectations is best. Although your work life has all-in-one solutions, avoid trying to shoehorn your SLM to become that. Instead feel ok using a combination of good-enough solutions to cover your needs (mailing list, player evaluations, game stats, tournament management, etc.)
5. Other sports make your players better – it isn’t a zero-sum game. It is easy to develop animosity towards other programs when it keeps players from joining your games and practices, but keep in mind that other sports work different muscle groups, but they all teach the values of teamwork and attitude. The best players are in a well-rounded set of extra-curricular activities.
6. Spend time with the parents. It is incredibly easy for parents to think they’re not good enough or they don’t want to disrupt your carefully laid plans. Maybe you’re part of the 1% that has a thorough practice plan for 3rd grade, or maybe you’re a .001% that played in the majors. If you’re not in those subsets, then the extra time spent chatting with the parents after a game minimizes the risk of your practice becoming treated like a daycare and improves your players between games!

I’m still working on a framework for the perfect board – I’m getting closer every day, but it isn’t ready to pitch. Once its been running a full season as a well-oiled machine, I’ll have a new section dedicated to that. Until then as so long as this blurb remains, assuming it is still a work in progress.

Do you have other advice for getting the most out of coaching? I’m always learning and would love to hear it!