Any Advice From My Fellow Linkers?

[BottomzUp]

Okay, I KNOW some of you have had experience at this and I need some advice and/or words of encouragement please.I have volunteered to manage my son's tee ball team this year.As with all of his teammates,this is his first time playing AND my first time coaching.I did spend some time coaching high school ball a few years back but that's all out the window as far as coaching 5 and 6 year old boys and girls.

So tonight is the first practice.I meet the parents as well as the kids and introduce myself to them.To be honest I am pretty nervous right now.Google has been my best friend and I probably owe my job 3 reams of paper for all the shit that I have printed.I myself LOVE baseball and have played all the way up to the college level.I know the game teaches so much about life i.e. teamwork,skills,focus,discipline etc.It's so much MORE than just a 'game'. I think it's a great learning resource.It's important to me that these kids have a good experience starting off.The game played a big part in my life and not to sound sappy.....I see a lot of beauty in many aspects of it.

Anyway...this FIRST night has me nervous.I think the key things I want to convey to the parents are just the kids having fun, learning the basics of the game and working on building their confidence.

Any advice or additional thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated!

[Buzzzb]

i think your already going in with the right approach..................a game is not just a game but an opportunity,as you said, to learn about life...........i am a soccer coach for the past 8 years.........ive learned alot from both the players and other coaches as well as from going with my heart.........just go out and enjoy your self with out your expectations being placed on the kids to realize YOUR hopes............one of my fellow coaches told me in my first year of coaching ( when i was fretting about a loss) the KIDS have forgotten about it already......sure enough on the way home my kid was yapping on her cell..the game only VERY breifly came up........."Ya we lost" then onto "wheres every one going tonight...........".......dont let other parents affect yor relationship with all the kids and try not to short change your own kid in favour of being fair............my kid and the other coaches kid (in our early years of coaching) often ended up being the ones substituted more often so as not to appear we were playing favorites............i am very involved in ice hockey as well.....as a ref.................sometimes i feel really pleased in the way some coaches treat their players and other times i d love to tell a coach to shut up and let the kid enjoy themselves...its all about fun...........no kid ever wants to be screamed at doing something in their spare time that is supposed to be about fun...........encourage, teach, and the best role ,i feel for the coach is to be the BIGGEST and best cheerleader of all...............i hope you really enjoy the experience .this is going to be my last year coaching as my kid is going into university ( last year we lost in a shoot-out in the championship game).ive totally enjoyed it all.....good luck................

[Viking]

With kids that age, keep it simple and you will need loads of patience.

[jimmy812]

Go easy on the cursing...leave that to the kids!

[Red]

Good luck with that, that's a very worthy thing you're doing.

This may seem trivial and corny, and I don't know what kind of practice facilities your team has where you live, but trust me, this is personal traumatic pre-adolescent experience talking.....have toilet paper on hand. Some county recreation fields don't have toilet paper on hand.

Other than that, have fun, Coach!

[ZeoBandit]

Iron Maiden said it best: Run for the Hills!!!

Just kidding! Remember that these are little kids and keep your patience. Most of all, remember that it is only a game and have fun!

[scs5150]

Make sure you play every kid and give them encouragement!

[billy007]

That's cool! I'd like to be an assistant coach on one of my sons' teams, but with three boys on three different teams, that's not something I can really do right now! And I certainly don't think I could work with the young ones.

[Phatie]

My advice is; if the pressure starts getting to you, just get really drunk and do a lot of cursing and threatening. If you can relax, then have a good time and don't let your hair fall out. Sounds like you're taking it too seriously, so either turn into a maniac, or remember its a game that's supposed to be fun. Oh, and you're just a coach - which makes you just a middle aged cheerleader. Its the kids who are playing.

[jimmy812]

..oh and remember patience is very important, especially since nowadays someone always has a video-camera and we don't want you appearing on the news, cuz if that happens voivod will dig up the video and post it here on the Links!

[BottomzUp]

Thanks for all of the feedback! Yeah maybe I'll keep a flask in my back pocket j/k.Practice went well even though it was cut short because of rain.
Of course the kids are all cute as can be and were so excited.
On a sidenote....out of the 12 kids I'd say my team has probably got at least 5 MILFS! Juuuuuust kidding......kinda.

[Duke]

I've been coaching hockey for a few years now, and the biggest thing i've learned is to NOT give the parents any choices to make.
If there's a decision to be made, you make it. You can explain exactly why the team is going to do whatever the issue is, but do not ask for opinions.
If you do, you will get them, many of them, most of them bad, and all of them will differ.
Do what you think is right and the rest will fall in line. They may not totally agree, but they'll keep their mouth shut.

and

Make sure everyone gets them same amount of playing time, no matter what their ability. If you start playing one kid more than another kid, your hooped.
It's amazing how many people secretly own stop watches.

Finally,
Enjoy it, i've laughed and learned more from the kids than i could imagine.