DEVELOPING THE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PROGRAM

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DEVELOPING THE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL PROGRAM

• Mike Morrison
• West Delaware Baseball

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Whose Job is It?

• This is a story about four people named
  Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There
  was an important job to be done and Everybody was
  asked to do it. Anybody could have done it, but
  Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that,
  because it was Everybodys job. Everybody
  thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized
  that Everybody wouldnt do it. It ended up that
  Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what
  Anybody could have done.

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Implementation
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Goal Setting

• Set achievable goals.
• Have a timeline for your goals.
• Set high level goals.
• Have players set team and individual goals.

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Leadership

• You are ultimately responsible for the success of
  the baseball program.
• Surround yourself with strong leaders and strong
  supporters.
• Demonstrate confidence in your ability to lead
  the baseball program.

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Support Circle
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Assistant Coaches

• Find assistant coaches who
• you can trust.
• are independent.
• treat kids with respect.
• share your goals.
• communicate effectively with kids.

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Booster Club

• Be active in your Booster Club.
• Be a member at the highest level you can.
• They will provide many things you need.
• Cages
• Dugouts
• Full underground water
• Equipment, etc.

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Dealing With Parents

• Parent Meeting
• Never discuss playing time with parents.
• Never discuss the poor performance of a player
  with parents.
• Give parents a role.
• Field maintenance
• Road game meals
• Concessions
• Planning post game parties
• Game announcer

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What Parents Want

• They want their son to be happy.
• They want to be happy.
• They want to be proud of their son.
• They want the team to win.
• They want you to play the best 8 players plus
  their son.

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Organization

• Plan your practices well in advance.
• Schedule your month of practices.
• Hang the daily practice schedule outside of your
  room/by the locker room/dugout door.
• Make a list of everything to cover before 1st
  game, 10th game, etc.
• Make notes of what goes well and what doesnt.
• Cover it at least 3 times before it is game ready.

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Establish Rapport

• Build rapport mutual trust and respect.
• Develop rapport with other coaches in your
  school.
• Be visible.
• They dont care how much you know until they
  know how much you care.

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Handling Your Players

• Set high expectations for your players.
• Expect things to be done right.
• Create a comfortable atmosphere.
• Be their coach, not their buddy.
• Promote Family.

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Summer Camps/Clinics

• Discourage it with our varsity players.
• We deal with it on an individual basis.
• If you do leave, you are opening up your spot for
  others.
• All head coaches support our policy.
• We have had excellent success working together.
• The kids know that all of the coaches are on the
  same page.

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A JK-12 Approach

• Be active in your youth baseball organization.
• Hold coaching clinics for youth coaches.
• You and your players help with work days.
• Host baseball camps.
• Provide the direction needed to make your program
  more successful.

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Marketing and Fundraising
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Fundraising

• Great Team Building Activities.
• Work for Local Organizations
• K of C Fish Fry
• Donation of 700 to our program

• Host Pitching clinics
• Father/Son, Mother/Son, etc.
• Produced our own pitchers manual
• Attendance of 40 50 kids
• 20 each
• 800-1000 profit for 6 hours

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Fundraising

• Host Skills Camp
• Two sessions
• 3 days each session
• Approx. 2500 profit
• Sell Season Tickets
• 150 tickets
• 4500 income guaranteed

• Host a Supper
• Soup
• Pancakes and Sausage
• Profit of 1800-2200
• Most product is donated

• Collect returnable cans and bottles
• 5 Saturdays for 2 hours each
• Make around 1500-2000 per year

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Marketing and Promoting

• Create a separate student section.
• Get people to come to your games any way you can.
• They will come back.

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Marketing

• Host Manchester Kids League Opening Day
• Each team scrimmages 45 minutes
• Home Run Derby for each age group
• Dunk Tank
• Radar Throw
• Picture of all participants on HS Field
• HS Teams scrimmage/practice in the evening under
  the lights
• Event lasts from 9 am to 10 pm
• Baseball Camp Night
• Campers admitted free, if they wear their shirt
• All kids from camp circle the bases
• One kid per grade throws out a pitch
• Host ACME Factory Night
• All employees admitted free
• ACME Factory makes a 200 donation, all employees
  get in free

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Marketing

• Sell T-Shirts and Apparel
• Make your own website.
• www.westdelawarebaseball.com
• Provides alumni a way to keep track of your team.
• Easy way to communicate with your players and
  public
• Present awards between games to those who have
  been instrumental this year, in the past, etc.
• In conjunction with Manchester Kids League
• Honor the History of Your Program

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5 Keys to Success

• Be innovative!
• Be aggressive!
• Have fun!
• Remember why you are in coaching!
• Put the kids first!

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Copies of this power point

• www.westdelawarebaseball.com