365 Days to Better Baseball - Avoid the Over Coaching Baseball Trap

Saturday Secrets to Great Baseball Coaching - Avoid These Over Coaching Baseball Mistakes

Over coaching baseball is a common trap that youth coaches fall into.

Coaches are obviously out to help kids play baseball correctly. However, many prevent kids from learning, or at least delay the learning process, because they over coach. Simply put, one sign of over coaching is yelling what-to-do instructions, while plays occur. It is very easy for youth coaches to think it is their job but there is a fine line between good coaching and over coaching. As mentioned, trying to play the game for kids by telling them what to do does not help kids play and learn the game.

Good coaches are talking a lot, if not continually, with positive comments on players (team) actions or constructive critiques of those actions, after actions occur. Not so good coaches talk a lot while the action occurs. Coaches, who yell "what to do instructions," while plays are going on, distract kids from learning to play the game and are simply causing kids to lose their focus, which should be on the play at hand and not on the coaches suggestions.

Yelling things like "stay down," "Go to first (with the throw), "Mikey, Mikey, Mikey, that's your ball" (on fly balls), etc. are great pieces of advice, but should not be given before kids make their decision on what to do. Of course, with very young t-ball players, who are just learning the game, this pre-play method may have some usefulness.