coachKidsSports.com

Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers. –  Voltaire

Never has it been easier to find great information about anything. The collective wisdom of the western world is at your fingertips, waiting for you to exploit. Of course that also means that the collective idiocy of the western world is at your fingertips, so you can’t believe everything you read (except of course at coachKidsSports.com ).

When you do venture beyond our cozy confines and head to the wilds of the internet, you don’t have to rely on Google to find great information. Spend a little time on YouTube and you will uncover dozens of drills and games for your team.

The video I have embedded below comes from Expert Village’s baseball series. The expert seems knowledgeable enough, even if his on screen presence lacks polish, but you aren’t paying for on screen presence…

Expert Village has articles and short videos covering a range of skills in Basketball, Baseball, Football and Soccer. They won’t run your practice for you, but like a great Assistant Coach, they’ll let you do your job easier.

My regular readers know that I'm here Monday, Wednesday and Friday with new coaching info and stories.  But I actually popped up in another home this month.  I had my first article published in Front Porch Fredericksburg.

It's a little different type of writing, more of a story, less of an article.  But for those of you wanting more Coach Bigs, here is an excerpt:

Jeremy and his mom are driving to school.  Jeremy, 13, is smart, good looking and athletic.  A combination that will earn him the benefit of the doubt on more than one occasion in a few years time.

"Jeremy, it's a big one today.  I want you to get in there and give it your all.  Don't let that Patterson kid get in your way and steal your glory.  You've earned it.  You're the star." Jeremy's mom implored.

"Yeah Mom." Jeremy said with all the enthusiasm you would expect from an 13 year old talking about such subjects with his mom.  "Thanks for the ride.  I'll see you later after the game."

To read the rest, head over there.  Let them know if you liked it — but tell me if you didn't…

We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone. - Ronald Reagan

When I started this web site I knew I had something to say — anyone who knows me, knows I generally have something to say.  So, my biggest question was, would anybody listen?  I've had readers from every continent (I'm excluding Antarctica, I don't see a real need there…) and every state in the US.  So I can say that I'm happy to see that people do, indeed, listen.  Thank you for listening, I'm more appreciative than you will know, but now I have a job for you.

I want to know why you read this site.  I can see the searches that bring some people here.  I want to know what you like about the site, and anything you don't like about the site.  I want to know what topics you'd like to see more of, or less of.  A short answer to one or more of these questions is appreciated, a long dissertation on all of them, also appreciated. 

I want this site to start a conversation about coaching.  What works, what doesn't and why.  I have my ideas, but I'm looking for yours.  Feel free to leave your comments here or email me if you'd rather give me your constructive criticism privately.

Thank you for your readership and your feedback.

There is no question that Clem Cohen was the start of my baseball career. It was at the Little League level, but that was the start. I was very fortunate to get off on the right foot. - Robin Yount

Coaching kids is important for so many reasons.  Done right, and you instill a life long love of the game.  Done wrong and skateboarding found another adherent…  I remember all of my coaches and I'm grateful to them for showing me how to play the game and how to compete.

In honor of all the coaches I had over the years and all the other moms and dads who volunteer to teach each generation the games we love, I present the inaugural Coach of the Month Award to Robin Hager. 

I've known Robin for several years, he's coached my son in baseball and I've coached his son in soccer.  He understands that this is about making the kids better and in the years he's spent coaching, he's learned a few tricks on getting through to the kids and making sure they are better at the end of the year than they were at the beginning.  I asked Robin 5 questions that I think you will get a lot out of.  If you have any others, leave them in the comments.

   1. How did you get started coaching?
 
I actually started coaching in college when I volunteered at the local Y to coach a 3rd grade boys basketball team.  One of my early mentors was my high school basketball coach, and I was anxious to impart what I had learned from him on others.  The reality was that 3rd grade basketball was a long ways from high school ball, but nonetheless the experience was rewarding and I learned my first truth in coaching youth sports - help the kids get better by the end of the season than they were at the beginning.
 
I got reconnected with coaching when my older son Jeff was growing up, coaching him in soccer, basketball and baseball.  I have continued that with my other son Jason.
 

   2. Why do you continue coaching?
 
First  - and the reason I think most dads coach - is to be involved in my kid's lives.  Coaching a youth team certainly does that.  But the rewards go way beyond that.  To take a group of kids with varying levels of talent and desire and build it into a team that competes is very gratifying.  To feel that you have some positive impact on their lives is a huge feel-good.  I tell my teams that our goal is to play to win, but that winning is not the reason we play.  We want to do our best, improve our skills, be good teammates and be good sports.  To compete fairly with the objective of winning is our goal.
 
I remember a few years ago when my oldest son Jeff was a 12 year old playing Little League.  We were battling for a chance to go to the playoffs, and we had to win the game that night.  Well, it was the bottom of the 6th, and we had a runner on 1st with 2 outs.  Our batter hit one in the right-centerfield gap.  As our runner rounded third, the right fielder came up with the ball.  We sent him.  It was a close play at the plate but he was clearly out.  The umpire got the call right.  You can imagine the range of emotions that started with the euphoria of the gapper to the reality of the out of the plate.  Our boys were clearly disappointed.
 
When we pulled them together after the game, besides telling them how proud we were of them, we also told them how lucky they were to be a part of this very special game.  Those who don't compete in life never experience the thrill of victory, or the agony of defeat.  They are just passengers.  That night we competed, and we did our best.  We came up a half a foot short, but we played to win.  And almost did.
 
We'll get them next time.  That is why I continue to coach.
 

   3. What are your two favorite drills?
 
The first drill is a ground ball drill that I learned several years ago.  I simply put half the kids at short, and half at second.  One coach hits balls from first to short, and the fielder throws back to a first baseman.  The other coach stands next to third and hits a grounder to second, and the fielder throws to a third baseman.  The fielders rotate lines after each ground ball.  This drill enables us to get the most amount of ground balls to a kid in the least amount of time, and keeps the kids moving.  The most important thing in designing a baseball practice is to keep the kids moving.  If they get bored, bad habits develop and kids get hurt.
 
The second drill is wiffle ball batting practice.  A coach throws from one knee about 15 feet out, and 2 or 3 kids shag balls behind him.  With three coaches you can set up three stations, in in 15 minutes each kid can get 25 - 30 quality swings.  Again, it keeps them moving and is very efficient.  With the coach throwing only 15 feet away, the batter is assured of alot of good pitches, and alot of good swings.
 

   4. Who is your coaching inspiration?

First my father.  When I was 10 I didn't make the Little League team, and being from a small town there were no other options.  It was going to be a summer without baseball for a 10 year old kid.  My dad took it upon himself to start a new league and a team, and we played against other teams in the area.  As I think back, it overwhelms me as to what my dad did not only for myself, but 11 other kids who were facing a summer without baseball.  Unbelievable.
 
Secondly, my high school basketball and baseball coach.  He taught me to play to win, and the power of self discipline.  He took a small town program and made it competitive in one short year.
 
Thirdly, I learned alot from a Little League clinic called Al and Al, which I attended about 6 years ago.  The clinic focused on baseball fundamentals, but also had some practical advice on the responsibility each of us had as a youth coach.  The teachers - Al and Al - told us that we were going to be role models in the eyes of all the kids and that, quite frankly, we weren't qualified for it.  They reminded us that we were a coach for all of the kids on the team, not just the ones who can throw strikes or hit the ball over the fence.  Coaching was a confidence building exercise with young minds, and we had better take our responsibility seriously.
 
This really hit home with me, and since then I have tried to make sure that I was coaching the end of the bench with just as much energy and passion as I was the beginning.

   5. What is the most important fundamental in baseball?
To catch and throw the ball accurately.  If you can't do that, you will not enjoy the game.