C O A C H I N G P H I L O S O P H Y
Successful coaches teach players how to play the game properly. They develop players self-
esteem and confidence by helping them succeed at the sport. Whether you
are a parent, a first-year coach or a veteran coach, learning how to apply your
knowledge will enhance your abilities to teach. Everyones level of baseball
knowledge is different. Our common goal as coaches is our desire to help our
kids or players on the team we coach become better players.
The better a coach or parent understands the fundamentals, the better
these skills can be taught to the young player. Understanding the fundamen-
tals is an important ingredient of being a coach, but only one ingredient.
If you are unable to communicate knowledge to your players, that knowledge is wasted.
How knowledge is communicated to the player is an important factor in becoming a successful
coach. Two things always take place when coaching is effective. First, the players fully under-
stand what the coach is saying. Second, the players are able to apply their new knowledge.
Getting players to understand the point you are attempting to make is the easier of the
two, but still should not be taken for granted. Helping the players apply their new knowledge
can be a challenge, and this ultimately is the deciding factor of whether the coach is successful
and the players have learned.
If a coach tells a player he is doing a particular skill incorrectly, and the player continues to
do it incorrectly, the coach is not communicating effectively. Breaking the information down
into small bites combined with correct demonstration of the skill is the most effective way
for a young player to learn. Players who are taught the correct fundamental skills and develop
a positive attitude have the best chance for success. Repetition and a players aptitude and
desire to learn will ultimately determine success.
When coaching players who are still developing mentally and physically, focus on teach-
ing them the fundamentally correct way to perform each skill. If coaches can encourage play-
ers to repeat these fundamentals correctly, give the players positive reinforcement, then allow
the player the freedom to perform, players will have more success at the skill they are trying to
develop, and will have FUN in the process.
Please DO NOT distribute this e-book to others (except for specific pages as noted herein). It is for your personal use only. � 2002, TeeBall-To-A-Tee � 2002, 2003, TeeBall-To-A-Tee. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
The Tee Ball Coaches Handbook
Page 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Our Coaching Philosophy. We hope this will help shape YOUR coaching philoso-
phy ... page 2
Tips For Tee Ball Parents
General tips For parents to help determine if your child is ready to play tee ball
and allow the child (and the parents) to enjoy it pages 4-7
The First Five Minutes Of Practice (are the most important)
Use the first five minutes of practice to set the tone for a great practice and a
great season pages 8-12
12 Things You REALLY Need To Know About Coaching Tee Ball
No time wasters here. This truly is a dozen things you NEED to know to cut to the
chase .. ages 13-18
General Practice Guidelines
A good breakdown of the things youll need to cover in practices. Basics are
covered position by position pages 19-25
A Great Beginning Tee Ball Practice
Everyone has to start somewhere. Why not start with a good plan to help priori-
tize and organize? .. pages 26-30
Tee Ball Coaching Tips To The Rescue
Twenty really good tips to help you effectively coach your tee ball team and
keep your sanity at the same time . pages 31-36
Really Bad, Not Fun, Awful Scenarios (Survival For Tee Ball Coaches)
A collection of common coaching horrors and suggestions on how to deal with
them ... pages 37-42
Tee Ball Player Rotation System
Heres a workable plan to effectively and fairly rotate your players while keep-
ing order on the field (and in the dugout) pages 43-46
Forms To Make Your Tee Ball Coaching Life Easier
A selection of forms especially created for the tee ball coach designed to make
the task of organizing practices and games easier pages 47-54
Awards, Incentives & Motivational Helpers
Heres some helpful awards to motivate and spur your little charges on to greater
success and achievement .. pages 55-61
You Can Be A Super Coach!
A dozen quick tips to help you fly above the crowd pages 62-64
More Great Tools For Developing Tee Ball Players
Good ideas and good tools ... page 65 � 2002, 2003, TeeBall-To-A-Tee. All rights reserved.
� 2002, 2003, TeeBall-To-A-Tee. All rights reserved. � 2002, 2003, TeeBall-To-A-Tee. All rights reserved.
Tips For Tee Ball Parents
The Tee Ball Coaches Handbook
Page 5
If you are a coach, you should share these ideas with the parents on your team. You
may copy and distribute these pages freely with your team information.
A.
Make sure your child is
ready
for Tee Ball.
Obviously, this is the most fundamental element of whether you and your child enjoy
the tee ball experience. Many children play tee ball (as well as many other sports)
simply because their parents want them to play. Children WANT
WANT
WANT
WANT
WANT to please their parents,
so naturally they will usually do what their parents wish whether they want to or not.
1.
Ask yourself: Does my child even WANT to play tee ball?
2.
Is he/she physically/mentally ready for an organized sport?
If the answer to either of these questions is no, it is better to wait until next year, simply
because of the level of interest and safety concerns.
B.
Assuming your child is
ready
and
wants
to play, what must you, as a parent
do to help get them ready to play?
Long before the first practice, spend some time in preparation. Begin by making the
experience a fun and learning one. The best way is to begin teaching without the child
even realizing that he or she is being taught - so it doesnt become work.. Indulge in
the pure enjoyment of having a catch with your child. This is great fun for you and
your child, and will lay the foundation for many enjoyable hours later on. In having a
catch, you are teaching the proper way to catch and throw the ball. As your childs
skill level improves, you (and they) will begin making more difficult throws and catches.
In addition to having a catch, playing wiffle ball is a great (and inexpensive) way
to begin developing batting skills. Developing the hand/eye skills necessary for bat-
ting is vital to success and satisfaction. Take a moment at the outset to demonstrate the
proper grip, batting stance and swing. Dont allow yourself to become frustrated if it
takes awhile for your child to grasp the concepts you present. That is the surest way to
kill the desire to learn. � 2002, 2003, TeeBall-To-A-Tee. All rights reserved.
Whatever you do, give lots of praise and encouragement when warranted.
The surest way to speed up the learning process is to praise when your young
player gives solid effort and executes a procedure well. They will work extra
hard to earn more praise. If they struggle, take a break, get a treat, and come
back later. Sometimes a little time off does wonders.
C.
Get the right kind of equipment for your young player.
1.
GLOVE.
Pick a glove that is the right size for your childs hand. Dont get
one that is too small, and dont get one that is too big, thinking
hell grow into it. It is more likely the glove will be too much
for him to handle now, while hes learning.
Do NOT get a cheap plastic or vinyl glove. Invest a little more and
get a glove made of real leather. It will be better in the long run.
If you get the right size, he/she will be able to use the glove for
several years. You can get a satisfactory glove for $25 or $30.
2.
BAT.
Again, pick the right size and weight. If the bat is too heavy, your
young player just wont be able to manage it. If it is too long,
ditto. An aluminum bat that is 15-16 ounces is the best weight,
and 25- 26 inches in length. You should be able to get a good bat
for around $25 or $30.
3.
SHOES WITH CLEATS.
Its a good idea to get cleats from the beginning.
Its good practice for them to learn running in them. Cleats also
provide better traction to prevent slipping, unlike slick-bottomed
tennis shoes.
Tips For Tee Ball Parents
The Tee Ball Coaches Handbook
Page 6 � 2002, 2003, TeeBall-To-A-Tee. All rights reserved.
D.
Set realistic goals and expectations.
Consider for a moment that your child may not be the best player on
the team. Consider that he/she may not be the least skilled player on
the team either.
Regardless of where your child falls in the spectrum of talent, your
expectations must be coonsistent with his/her abilities. While some
children will perform beyond their parents wildest expectations, some
will fall short of what their parents expect.
Whatever the case, make sure that your expectations fall within the
realm of what your child can accomplish. Often a child that struggles
early on, if given the proper training and encouragement, will shine in
subsequent years. If the game remains fun, the chances for success
and enjoyment increase. If it becomes a chore or an embarrassment,
the chances are, that the child will regress or quit entirely.
E.
Expect and maintain an open dialogue with your childs coach(es).
Ask questions. Have certain expectations of your coaches. What does
your coach expect of the team and its players during the season? What
goals does the coach have for your child? If your coach does something
you dont like - express it to him or her in a calm, reasonable manner.
Coaches expect questions and truly apprec