Youth Baseball and Softball Leagues - How to Handle Aggressive Coaching Philosophies

Playing baseball and softball is part of the spring emergence from a wet, cold, and often tiresome winter. Girls and boys prepare for opening day, anxious for the baseball season to kick off - excited about the possibilities the new season has to offer.

As a parent, you enjoy watching your child play baseball or softball. It is exhilarating when the home team wins and your little slugger hits a double, triple, or even home run. And for the other team, the one with the lower score, losing can be difficult - how difficult depends on the coaching philosophy, the team spirit, and even the parents.

A Balanced Approach

You want your child to have a positive experience when playing team sports. If your child's team is taught to work together, support each other, celebrate accomplishments and work on weaknesses, then you are indeed fortunate to have excellent coaching.

Coaching is a commitment, and usually a volunteer job (no pay), that falls to parents or others who can make the commitment. With that being the only qualification, you can sometimes get coaches who don't share the same philosophy. The spectrum swings from very aggressive to not competitive at all. Kids like to win, so finding a balance is ideal - developing a philosophy that results in a competitive team that enjoys playing (and not just winning).

The Parent's Role

Parents can detract from the coach's focus by being publicly critical or undermining their efforts by sending contrary messages to the players. If a parent has serious objections or opinions on the coaching philosophy, then the parent should take action by also volunteering to help or coach. If you cannot dedicate the time, then find a constructive way to participate and influence the coaching practices.

For example, come to practices. If you are at your son's baseball practice, you might be able to help out and then you'll learn first hand about the challenges of coaching youth. Be sure to model your own philosophy of instruction with positive feedback. If you feel that your daughter's softball coach isn't competitive enough and the girls aren't being challenged, try to spot situations or plays where the coach could have increased the competitiveness of the play. Later, after practice, bring it up to the coach and hopefully, they will be responsive.

It takes parents, coaches, volunteers, and kids to have a successful baseball or softball season. Choose your role carefully and be sure to model positive behavior. And if you don't agree with the coaches philosophy, don't run down the coach in front of you child, handle it maturely by getting more involved or even speaking with coach one-on-one. Balance is your goal.