How to Be a Good Little League Coach

So you want to coach little league? Do you realize that if you want to be a good coach it is a long challenging road ahead of you? It is challenging because you have to have a mindset that this game is for the children playing, not for you. Who cares if you led the local high school team to the State Championship? Little league is not about winning; it is about teaching the children the basics of the game as well as instructing them to show good sportsmanship. The children of today's little league may be professional baseball players in the future. What they learn through you, they will carry on with them in life.

A good little league coach wants the players to have fun, as well as make all of them feel that they are valuable to the team. Even if you have some players who hit and field better than others, make the weakest player build his self esteem. Therefore, a good little league coach should not only play the best players. All the team members must have a fair and equal time on the field during the game. It is fine, however, to play the motivated ones more often. For example, if a player misses practices, it would be fair to the other players not to play him as often as the ones who do show up and have a desire to play.

A good little league coach should not rely on just one player to play a specific position. For example, you may have one good pitcher who is the next Tom Seaver. What happens if your star pitcher is sick and cannot make it to the game? Do you want your team to be like the Bad News Bears? It is better to train several players on different positions. That way if your star pitcher is sick, you can rely on a backup pitcher.

A good little league coach must to able to give his players a belief that they have accomplished something at the end of each practice and game. You will have a melting pot of players. Some will be natural born players and others will hardly swing the bat at the right time. You have to challenge each of the players. For example, if you decide to use basic baseball skills, the better players may get bored with the game. Therefore, you may use them as team captains or to assist in the training of the other players.

It is not hard to coach little league. However, it is difficult to be a good little league coach, if you approach the job with a '˜win-win' attitude. You have to remember that this is a game for the children, not an opportunity for a trophy for you.