Coaching baseball is something that is a wonderful experience for the people that do it, as well as being a valuable service to the community. Although if you are going to bite the bullet and take on the coaching of a baseball team, you are going to want to know how to be the best you can be. With that in mind read on for some simple ways you can excel in this role.

Know your game

The first way to be the best coach that you can is to really know your game. That means if you haven’t played baseball in a while before your first training session make sure that you read up on the rules. After all, the kids will definitely pick you up on any mistakes they think you are making. Don’t forget either that you will have those ever so enthusiastic parents to deal with as well. Parents that you can be sure will be up to speed on the latest rules and regulations and will have no problem calling you on it either, so it pays to know what you are talking about.

Sort your kit

Another vital aspect of being a great coach is organization. That means having the right kit and materials to hand whenever you need them. As a general rule, this will include the kit including bats, helmets and pads, a first aid pack, and any registers to record who has attended, as well as line up sheets to keep track of the game and the score.  You can even use a customized baseball lineup card for this. Something that can help make it easier to keep on top of the game and give your team a real sense of identity too.

Strike a balance

Next, you need to consider your approach as a coach, winning is important, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of playing the game. That means you should balance out discipline and a focus on performance with wise decisions and encouragement, especially if you are coaching younger kids.

Part of a coach’s role is to inspire a love of the game in the next generation.

After all, they are only children and deserve a chance to enjoy the game and develop a genuine fondness for it. All before they start getting loaded down with all the pressure and responsibilities of having to win every single game they play.

Rewards are important

Something else that can add to a more positive coaching style is to include praise and rewards in your approach as well. This can work particularly well in motivating your team and getting them to pull together and support each other at pivotal points in the game.

After all, we all respond much better to being told what we are doing well than how awful we are at something all the time. It’s also a strategy that should help them to learn to appreciate the game.  Something that will ensure that the best players continue to play and that best players will carry on playing baseball in the future.