Are you ready to coach the Cubs to a championship victory? How about a little league or T-ball championship? Not ready for either one? We can help! Absolute Beginner's Guide to Coaching Youth Baseball is a beginning youth baseball coach's ultimate reference guide. Your practice time is probably already limited, so don't waste it trying to figure out what to do. Plan ahead with our easy-to-follow chapters that cover: identifying your roles and expectations as a coach, tailoring instruction to your age group, creating a safe playing environment, knowing how to coach effectively during games, celebrating victories and much more. Our book web page will be a coaching resource as well, with downloadable practice plans, emergency information cards, injury reports, awards and certificates, and season evaluation forms. Go into day 1 as if its day 1001 of your coaching career with the help of Absolute Beginner's Guide to Coaching Youth Baseball.
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About the Author
Tom Hanlon has 19 years of professional writing experience - as a journalist, editor of two coaching magazines, curriculum writer for a coaching division of a publishing company, and book writer and ghost writer for nationally-prominent authors. Tom ghostwrote Teens Can Make It Happen (Simon and Schuster) for Stedman Graham; this book made the New York Times bestseller list in 2000. He has written all or major portions of 39 other books, including seven sport officiating guides, and numerous coaches' guides (including baseball; softball; soccer; basketball; and volleyball, among others). Tom has played numerous sports himself and has experience as a youth sport coach.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction
It all began so innocently.
Just as the youth baseball league administrator asked for a volunteer to coach your son's team, you scratched the top of your head. All the other parents were studying, with sudden keen interest, their thumbnails or shoelaces. No eyes, except yours, were looking forward.
The administrator saw her chance.
"Excellent! We have a new coach!"
To your astonishment, you saw that she was pointing directly at you. Parents, with relieved looks on their faces, turned to look at you. Some smirked. A few chuckled. All were joyful.
"Relax," one parent said. "The season doesn't start till next week."
"My kid's a slugger. You ought to see him smack that ball. He always bats cleanup," another parent said as he gave you a good view of the bulldog tattooed on his bicep.
"My son plays center field," another parent added, as if he bought his son the position from Major League Baseball, which had granted the boy sole rights to play center field on your team.
"I never knew you could coach, Dad," your son said as you walked to your car.
"Sure I can coach," you said. "How difficult can it be?" You hoped you at least sounded convincing.
Every spring, all across America, youth baseball leagues swing into action. Every year, thousands upon thousands of new coaches are tabbed to guide the players. The majority of those coaches have little or no experience coaching.
If you are one of those coaches, this book is for you. It is intended primarily for coaches of players from 6 to 12 years old, but it is applicable to coaches of older players as well. Use it as your rudder to guide you through your season. Use this book to
Understand your role, and know what to expect, as a coach.
Know the keys to being a good coach.
Realize why kids play sports and consider how this should affect your approach to coaching.
Bone up on the basic rules of baseball and learn how to impart those rules to your players.
Provide for kids' safety and respond to emergency situations.
Learn the general principles of teaching skills and tactics.
Teach individual skills and team tactics.
Coach effectively during games.
Make the sport experience a meaningful and enjoyable one for the kids.
Communicate effectively with parents, league administrators, umpires, and players.
Form positive alliances with parents, involving them in various ways.
Plan for your season and your practices.
Discover the keys to conducting productive practices.
Celebrate victories and learn from defeats.
Keep it all in perspective.
This guide presents the foundational concepts that effective coaches follow, and it shows you, step-by-step, how to incorporate those concepts, plan your season, and conduct your practices. It provides many forms you will need, including sample and blank season and practice plans, a sample letter to parents, an injury report, an emergency information card, and a season evaluation form. It has games and drills you can use to teach your players the skills and tactics they need to know. It details how to execute the fundamental skills and tactics, so you will know what to teach—and it lays out how to teach. It is also replete with practical tips that will help your season be a success.
How This Book Is Organized
This book is organized in two parts. Part I, "Coaching Basics," provides guidance in a number of areas, including your basic approach to coaching, communication keys, safety principles, and practice planning. Part II, "Skills and Tactics," delves into the specifics of the skills and tactics your players will need to learn, ending with an entire chapter devoted to games and drills you can use to teach those skills and tactics.
Following Part II are six appendixes you should find useful. This material includes a sample letter to parents, a medical emergency form, an injury report, blank season and practice plans you can use for your own planning, and a season evaluation form you can use at the end of your season.
Special Elements
Throughout the book you will find the following special elements:
Caution - Cautions give you a loud "Heads up!" regarding issues or situations you want to avoid. These point out pitfalls, potential safety hazards, and any other items that could pose trouble to you or your team.
Note - This is a note element. Notes give you relevant information that doesn't necessarily fit in the text flow.
Tip - Tips are given to help you do something more efficiently or to give you the "inside" view on how to accomplish something related to coaching baseball.
Warning - Warnings are always safety-related, and are used with issues or situations of more serious consequence than those associated with cautions.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great starter guide for the clueless!,
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This review is from: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Coaching Youth Baseball (Paperback)
This book was exactly what I needed as a first time coach - with zero experience. It is an easy read with numerous photos of little leaguers performing the actions described. It not only covers the basic rules and offensive and defensive tactics, but goes into the psychology of what makes a positive coaching experience for both the coach, kids and parents. Most helpful were the numerous examples of drills for practices. Kids get bored and distracted easily and this book gives you numerous tips on keeping them focused on learning the game and still having fun.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice,
By
This review is from: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Coaching Youth Baseball (Paperback)
Great book. Help guide our youth to play the game better. Will use as a reference many times in the future.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good read for the beginner baseball coach,
By
This review is from: Absolute Beginner's Guide to Coaching Youth Baseball (Paperback)
Prior to reading this book I had only coached T ball. After this simple to read & instructive guide I was able to successfully coach a machine pitch team of young kids (7 & 8 year olds). The team I coached ended up with a losing record but provided a solid instructional format for practices and a great game day experience for all the kids & parents. The skills taugh in the guide to coach is great for young teams (probably T-ball through age 10) because if focuses on coaching the fundamentals & providing a healthy atmosphere for the kids & parents. I suggest this guide for any beginner coach.
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It all began so innocently. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Setup Place, Coach Caravelli, Coach Jarvis, Communication Keys, Line Up Pos, Coach Hagan, Safety Principles New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
- A Tale of Two Cities (Signet Classics) by Charles Dickens on page 8
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