5 Things Little League Coaches Should Know

Being a little league coach is no easy task. You’re in charge of helping to mold young minds and teach them one of the most fun games on the planet: baseball.

Being a good little league coach is no different than being a good teacher, and your players are students learning the game right alongside you.

Helping to teach the young players the basics of the game is important not only to their baseball-specific pursuits but to their growth in life as well.

However, being a good little league coach is not without its difficulty, and we could all use a little help.

The role of a Little League coach involves implementing structured coaching regimes for players aimed at enhancing the skills and teamwork of young players. These coaching regimes consist of comprehensive practice plans, tailored drills, and strategic guidance to nurture the players’ development on and off the field. By fostering a positive and disciplined environment, the Little League coach plays a pivotal role in instilling valuable life lessons and sporting values while preparing the players for success both in sports and in their future endeavors.

Follow these 5 tips to be a better coach for your little league students.

Equipment First

Before you can start teaching your students all of the cool on-field fundamentals, they must have the necessary equipment to play the game in the first place.

Can’t play baseball without baseballs after all.

Get them the right shoes, gloves, bats, and helmets.

Get your students individual and team equipment bags, get them uniforms/practice wear, as well as the right equipment for practice drills.

This is a shortlist of basic equipment for the game of baseball and is by no means exhaustive. Since equipment needs vary from coach to coach and situation to situation, feel free to do your research to determine the specific equipment you need in your journey and use this list as a starting point.

Field Of Dreams

Ideally, you’d want to have a field that is yours to own, as you’ll be in control of the conditions. Give your students a great and fun place to play the game of baseball.

Giving them a fun and enjoyable place to learn the game of baseball will not only help them in their baseball-specific pursuits but will give them a safe place to grow and thrive as well.

Baseball is a wonderful and constructive way to spend time and it will be beneficial to both you and your students if you can provide for them a fun, exciting, and safe place to play the game.

Protect The Field Conditions

Giving your students a quality and safe place to play is of the utmost importance. Having your students learn the game on a high-level quality field will help put their minds at ease so that they’re more focused on learning the fundamentals of the game, rather than worrying about issues that they’d face on the diamond with sub-par conditions (tall grass, rocky infields, etc).

So, it’s important to keep your dirt and grass in good condition. You want it relatively smooth, with maybe a few bumps here and there so that they have to learn how to react to sudden changes in the path of the ball off the bat, for example.

The best way to protect your field from the elements (rain especially) and keep it in great shape year-round is through the use of baseball field tarps.

The following link is an example of a high-quality tarp that will help keep your field in great condition so that your students can have a fun and safe place to learn the game of baseball.

Keep Your Eye On the Ball

Help your little league students understand the fundamentals of the game of baseball, the most important of all the fundamentals in the game of baseball is to keep your eye on the ball.

No matter where you are in the ballpark, it’s absolutely important to be aware of where the ball is at all times. During games, this is not up for debate, and it’s of the utmost importance that they know where the ball is.

In the field? Eye on the ball.

At the plate? Eye on the ball.

Instill this lesson early and never let them forget it, as it may be the difference.

A Game Of Runs

Help your students understand that baseball is a game where the objective is to end the day (or night) with more runs than the opposing team.

Help them understand that the game revolves around home plate and that the first step to winning is to safely get on base.

Consequently, teach them that it’s vital to keep their opponents off the base paths and to keep them from scoring runs as much as possible.

During the game, lapses in overall team focus can happen, and when it does happen, help your students regroup and refocus on the objective.

Baseball is all about scoring and preventing runs.

Giving them this simple on-field, in-game instruction is a great place to start without overwhelming them.

With time, they will be eager to learn the more advanced baseball concepts.

This combined with the aforementioned tip (eye on the ball) will help your students get the most out of the game, they will have fun playing the game and form strong positive connections with you.

Have Fun

Baseball is a fun game that has a deep and rich history. You and your students should be excited about the opportunity to learn more about this beautiful game.

Teach them the fundamentals, be a positive force in their lives and have fun learning the game right along with them.

Be a positive influence in their journey through the game of baseball.

At the end of it all, if your students are happy to be around you and are having fun with the game of baseball, then you’re doing a great job.

Keep them excited to continuously learn about the game of baseball, keep them hungry

to hone their craft, and give them a safe, loving environment so that they too can enjoy this beautiful game without any restrictions.

…and they will love you for it.