Quality Youth Baseball Coaching Tips:
Confusing Youth with Pro Ball
Is youth baseball coaching the same as pro ball? Well, yes and mostly no. Yes, many leadership qualities involve handling a group, positive modeling, and developing skills and character surely carry over.
In reality, there are a few distinct differences coaching in the amateur youth levels compared to the major leagues.
First, the major league players get paid. They get paid to produce. They have to help their team win or they will get replaced and eventually lose their jobs.
Major League and managers also get paid. Compensation is contingent on how much their teams win and stay competitive. They play with a win-at-all-cost mentality. Yes, they are great teachers, develop players, and know the game of baseball, but they have to do what it takes to win.
Secondly, they will make Big League Moves matching up lefty and righty pitchers to face batters. Calling for strategies to bunt or to hit and run.
Often you will see MLB coaches arguing with umpires on close plays when they feel their player has been wronged. At times they will even lose their cool with the umps mostly because the need to win is so important to their profession. Partly, because it is part of the show.
Thirdly, professional sports are entertainment for the fans. Major League players, coaches and managers are entertainers. They are putting on a quality show for a lot of people. Tickets are pricey because major leaguers are very good at what they do.
Coaching Can Be Confusing
We are Not Pro Baseball Coaches
Many of our youth league coaches today are really confused on their roles. They feel like they have to bring all this intensity to the dugout or they are not looked at as fullfilling their duties or completing their percieved job.
Youth baseball coaches feel they have to constantly question the umpires or they are not properly coaching. They act like they have to constantly hammer and nag on their players for every little boo-boo or they feel like they are not delivering very well.
Amatuer coaches feel like they are being judged completely on the outcome of the games just like the pros. If the team wins, I am a really good coach. If we lost, I should have got on my players more for all the mistakes they made and I should have really got mad at that ump for missing the call.
Youth baseball is a universe away from major league ball. No one is going to lose their job for not winning the pennant. There is no entertainment involved really until we get to varsity high school, and college. Otherwise just parents, grandparents, other kin folk and a couple of dogs are watching.
Quality youth coaches understand what they are and the role they play. They get it. They know that few players will even reach the high school level, much less college or pro. They always are looking to teach more than the game. Thank you for stopping by coach and play baseball. I hope you will bookmark my site and stop back by. Please leave me a comment any time and let me know what topics you would like to hear more about.
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