Key to Being a Great Youth Baseball Coach - 365 Days to Better Baseball

Saturday Secrets to Great Baseball Coaching Knowing When to Shine

The number one key to being a great youth baseball coach gives coaches the attention they should have, but at the right time, and players the attention they deserve at the right time.

All youth coaches owe kids three things time commitment, a good level of enthusiasm and enough knowledge of the game for the level played.

With that in mind, three categories of youth baseball coaches exist those that over coach, those that under coach and those that get it just right.

Some coaches have great intentions but overwhelm kids with information, enthusiasm, and practice demands. Once again, this is better than the alternative but this type coach must realize kids have many other activities in their lives besides baseball.

Other youth baseball coaches do not bring enough of those ingredients knowledge of the game, enthusiasm, and time commitment. There is no excuse for those who under coach because so much easily obtained, baseball information is available to coaches these days. Even though coaches are volunteers, they owe their teams a certain amount of expertise and time commitment to help kids improve their skills.

The best coaches bring just the right touch of those three coaching skills.

So, what is the key to being a great youth baseball coach? Offer the three mentioned ingredients time, enthusiasm and the basic knowledge of the game, with kids' best interest in mind and remember the following, "Practice is the coach's time to shine, and games are players time to shine."

Coaches, who coach, coach, coach in practice and let players play during games, without too much coaching, have just the right touch for being a great youth baseball coach.