Author Topic: T-Ball Coach (Read 679 times)

Curval · « **on:** March 07, 2006, 06:21:29 PM »

Okay...for sure this is the place to ask about this one.

I just got a call from the organisers of a T-Ball league that my son is about to play in. It seems that 99% of the fathers ticked "assistant coach" on the form (myself included) as a volunteer. The organiser (who I went to school with many moons ago) begged me to agree to be a coach.

So I said "okay".

I don't have the first CLUE how to coach a T-Ball team.

Help!??!!!

rpm · « **Reply #1 on:** March 07, 2006, 06:41:05 PM »

Volunteered, eh? Get ready for every parent to be on your case about their child. I umpired Little League for one season...ONE! Nevar again.

Seriously, tho... I would expect Tee-ball offense to be fairly simple. Swing the bat, hit the ball, run like heck. Your challenge will be defense. Learning to hit the cut-off man when throwing from the outfield, learning the double play, ect.

Best thing would be get a copy of the rulebook and study up.

Stringer · « **Reply #2 on:** March 07, 2006, 06:48:48 PM »

Are you sure he's enrolled in the right sport?....shouldn't it be cricket?!?!

Curv,
I've coached and coach both of my boys t-ball and baseball teams.

At the t-ball level just keep it simple. As rpm said, the defense is where to spend your time teaching.

But.....to start with....teach them how to throw and catch. When they get that, then everything else is gravy when it comes to t-ball.

I'll have to dig out some websites that were useful. But I can't stress enough how important it is to teach them to throw and catch...hell even my 11 year old's baseball team starts off every practice with the basic drills throwing and catching drills. That's what is great about baseball, the fundamentals never change.

Curval · « **Reply #3 on:** March 07, 2006, 07:04:04 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Stringer
Are you sure he's enrolled in the right sport?....shouldn't it be cricket?!?!

Curv,
I've coached and coach both of my boys t-ball and baseball teams.

At the t-ball level just keep it simple. As rpm said, the defense is where to spend your time teaching.

But.....to start with....teach them how to throw and catch. When they get that, then everything else is gravy when it comes to t-ball.

I'll have to dig out some websites that were useful. But I can't stress enough how important it is to teach them to throw and catch...hell even my 11 year old's baseball team starts off every practice with the basic drills throwing and catching drills. That's what is great about baseball, the fundamentals never change.

Don't get me started on the junior cricket programs here.

Stupid goverment...*&*%%#@#!!#$

Anyway. Yea, catching and throwing are kinda important in baseball. If my son is anything to go by double plays aren't even on the "horizon". He's a great little hitter but I've got some work to do on his basics in the field.

What kind of drills did you guys actually do? Can you give me a couple of examples?

Stringer · « **Reply #4 on:** March 07, 2006, 09:49:06 PM »

Yes, we did some drills. They're hard to explain, I'll try to find some illustrations.

**Edit--This is a decent site to get started http://www.qcbaseball.com/

Here's the throwing section...also look at the drills section link on this page

http://www.qcbaseball.com/skills/pc_throwing1.aspx

Actually the drills section for throwing should be helpful:

http://www.qcbaseball.com/drills/baseball_drills.aspx?drill=26

Toad · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2006, 10:36:07 PM »

Yeah, you took on quite a challenge.

YOU are the guy that will get them started thowing, hitting, baserunning and playmaking correctly.

How well you do may well determine their interest in baseball for the rest of their lives.

But hey.... you knew that right?

Seriously, get some basic drills on throwing and hitting. The playmaking is really simple 1) try to catch it in the air 2) throw to the base AHEAD of the runner and maybe, just maybe, try and tag a runner if he runs by you.

Don't take it too seriously, make sure it is fun. Wins/Losses mean zip at that stage. Half the kids won't know or care who won 10 minutes after the game is over. The parents will but the kids won't.

G'Luck Mate!

nirvana · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2006, 11:45:48 PM »

From playing sports as youngin' myself, here is one this that can not be stressed enough. FUN. If the kids aren't having fun then they obviously don't want to play. When my dad, who was also the assistant coach, got on my case the game was horrible to play. He thought he was helping and encouraging, but alas, the fun was depleted, and I was done with sports.

And like Toad said, wins and losses mean nothing whatsoever, you can keep count for yourself or anyone that asks, but you don't have to go spouting off about that loss last week to blah blah blah.

You'll do great, just don't be too rough on the little buggers.

Gooss · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2006, 11:55:02 PM »

When I signed up my son, Gosling, I commented on the large turnout of T-Ballers. The guy in charge said that it was really a shame. I asked why. He said because there weren't enough coaches.

I never played baseball in my life. This is the tenth season I've either managed or coached my son's teams. It's some of the best times of my life. I'm convinced it's one of the main reasons we're so close.

Here my salvation: http://www.webball.com This is a web site with everything you'll need. I still look for tips there.

If I may offer a few tips: You don't need to tell a kid he messed up. He knows. It's far more important that he knows he did something right. Make it fun. Teach good fundamental mechanics. Make sure the parents bring the after game snacks. Get a good team mom.

Personally, call the parents weekly with reminders about practices and games. Compliment their child. Good communication with parents will head off or, at least, minimize any problems. In nine seasons, I've coached over 100 kids and had only two problem parents. I'll risk 2% anytime. Don't worry about parents. Love the kids. Teach them to be good players and good teammates.

Good luck.

HONK!
Gooss

Gooss · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2006, 12:04:52 AM »

P.S. Our T-Ball league didn't keep score. The focus was on skill development and sportsmanship. We emphasized effusive praise for a "good try". Everything a kid did was lauded loud and long. After his first ever organized T-Ball game with his juice box and cookies in hand walking with me to the car, my five-year-old son looks at me with innocent eyes and says, "We kicked their butts, didn't we, Dad?"

Furball · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2006, 01:26:17 AM »

what is t-ball? baseball for kids?

i watched a fantastic episode of south park last night about how boring baseball is and the parents all get drunk and fight. I'm glad i have educational programmes like that to teach me the ways of the world.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2006, 02:10:38 AM »

One thing to say, and its probably not even worth mentioning but a reminder never hurts. Dont single out your son on the field. Ever. My dad was a big sports nut who could never sit on the sidelines and watch "inferior" coaches. So he volunteered his time. And to be honest, he knew his stuff. He was a good athlete when he was in school and he knew how to instruct others. Baseball, basketball, football, wrestling ......

The thing is, when it was ME on the field, it got personal. He saw every failure on my part as a personal embarassment and didnt mind letting me know it. In front of everyone. He was a slavedriver when it came to practice at home, far past the point where it stopped being fun. I never was great at sports. I guess I should jump on the bandwagon and blame my father for all my failures in life and in sports, and say he drove me away from it. Truth is I sucked at it anyway. What I blame him for is taking the fun out of it, so I didnt even have that.

Anyway, just remember that its a game. Do your best to teach them the fundamentals and teach them teamwork. Dont spare them criticism, but serve it with a smile so it takes the sting out. Be a coach. Plenty of time to be Dad at home and off the field.

culero · « **Reply #11 on:** March 08, 2006, 06:12:10 AM »

Hell, Curval, just watch Bad News Bears and emulate the Walter Matthau character

culero

Westy · « **Reply #12 on:** March 08, 2006, 08:36:11 AM »

Goos has some excellent advice (others did too but IMO he hit the nail on the head)

IMO.... Tball is for building the kids self esteem and teach them to play with others as part of a team.

It's not about drilling them on how make double plays, pitching to the corners of a stike zone or stealing bases. That comes over the next few years as they get older and the game truly becomes competative for them.

There are a lot of over-competative, over-zealous people who may think otherwise. You can't miss em ... off on the sidelines with veigns bulging and face red as they yell at thier kid, the ump or the coaches. Hopefully you won't see any of that though.

And kudos for getting involved! Your son will love you for doing it. Truly.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2006, 09:24:09 AM »

Curve, just think, when the team and parents carrying you off the field after the championship game win, and they stick a mic in your face and asked you how you did it...you can say "I learnt it on the intardnet!"

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2006, 12:03:55 PM »

Keep us posted.... it should be entertaning as hell..... you poor bastard...