6202009

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AJAA Coaches Training

• Agenda
• Coaching Kids
• Building a Team
• Practice Plan
• Work Day
• Fundraiser
• Questions
• Leagues

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Coaches Training

• The Kids Side of Coaching in Youth Sports
• Positive Approach to Getting Kids to have Fun and
  Play Well.

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The Coaching Puzzle

• Important!
• Privilege!
• Set TONE!
• Best
• Worst

dad
kid
ajaa
you
skill
tone
ball
mom
time
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1) Why do you coach?

• Assume Most Amateurs and Parents
• I want my son or daughter to .
• Coaching Is Teaching
• The Big Reward is seeing kids play well doing
  what you have taught

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2) Why do kids quit baseball?

• Boring and not fun
• Too much pressure
• Coach didnt teach well
• Other athletic choices

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3) What makes a good coach?

• Enthusiastic
• Knowledgeable
• Teaches Fundamentals
• Organized
• Good Communication
• Patient, Kind, Fair
• Good Sportsmanship
• Respects Games Integrity
• Encourages Other Good Coaches

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4) What makes a bad coach?

• Cheaters, Liars, and Manipulators
• Rule Changers
• Politicians
• Plays Favorites
• Screamers Yellers
• Rules for others, not me.
• Dont tell me you were so gullible you
  actually thought kids sports were suppose to be
  fair.
• This is serious this year, my son is 9 years
  olds and only has 3 more seasons of little league
  left before he is 12.

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5) Getting Most From Kids?

• "The single most important difference between
  coaches to whom young athletes respond most
  favorably and least favorably was the frequency
  with which coaches reinforce and reward desirable
  effort and behavior.
• Always focus on effort rather than ability."

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Coaching Influence

• Develop high expectations, and as a consequence,
  performance of players improves.
• What coaches expect of their players and the way
  they treat them largely determine their
  performance and progress.

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Rewards Know Players ()

• What questions do you ask the kids?
• Favorite team/player?
• Medical limitations?
• Favorite candy bar?
• Position parents played?
• Letter or Index Cards

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Rewards Intangibles ()

• Give quality time and quality attention.
• NAMES!
• SMILE!
• PRAISE! ( Guidance)
• LISTEN!
• Create an inclusive, safe, accepting, FUN team
  atmosphere so kids are disappointed when last
  practice is over.

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Rewards Stargil Stars ()

• Game ball goes to Adam because .
• Candy bar goes to Jon for .
• After final game I hope Evan is on our team
  next year because you were best at .

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Safety Legal Obligations

• Safe environment
• Plan activity
• Proper equipment
• Match athletes
• Warn of inherent risks in the sport
• Supervise activity closely
• Evaluate for injury
• Know first aid
• Keep records

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Safety Precautions

• LIGHTNING!!
• Warm up and stretch
• Water breaks
• Always have adult assistants
• Never leave a child at facility waiting
• Dont give a kid a ride home
• Notify coordinator of injuries

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Safety Teach It!

• Pack a first aid kit with Band-Aids
• Swinging Bats
• Throwing Balls
• Catcher Protection
• Slide feet first.

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Building a Team

• Form
• Storm
• Conform
• Perform

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Form Selecting Teams

• Rules Policies ( Buzz)
• Age 5-8 Evaluation or Random
• Age 9-15 Evaluation and Draft
• Head coach and 1 assistant
• Coaches sons/daughters ranked
• No Shows 2 rounds or hat pick
• Evaluation All Star Ability No Effort
• Exceptions Requests
• League coordinator or board member

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Form Listening

• Coach Simon Says
• Immediately Reward Best Listener

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Form Aiming for a Goal

• Teach skilled team baseball
• Play best at end of year
• Players return next year
• Requested by players

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Form Utilizing Parents

• Parents Assist in Practice Drills.
• Kids try harder
• Parents realize challenge
• Complainers avoid involvement

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Form Organizing Parents

• Set Expectations Tone
• Model Circle of Encouragement
• Delegate
• Better communication, fewer issues
• Best time for parent to approach coach
• Dad Mom at home.

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Storm Initial Reactions

• First time in baseball
• How is your coach?
• Initial playing positions
• Initial complaints
• My kids better!
• Most just want their kid treated fair and given
  opportunities.

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Storm Sometimes You Clash
Thinking
Private
Out Going
Feeling
Bobby Knight, Dick Vital, Rick C, Tony Dungy
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Storm Coaching Donts

• Never criticize or argue. Lose good will!
• Never say privately what you couldnt say in
  front of parents.
• Never give intense emotional ADULT criticism
  laced with swearing/vulgarity to kids.
• Never laugh, get angry, or directly criticize
  your son in front of team for not doing what
  Billy was never taught in practice.

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Storm Coaching Donts

• Never let the performance of a talented, selfish
  star be more important than the team development.
• Never refuse to admit your own obvious errors to
  team.
• Never pile on pressure and remove the fun. Billy
  burns out.
• Never criticize the skills required to succeed in
  other sports.
• CODE OF ETHICS

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Conform Indirect Feedback

• Immediately afterwards!
• Ask questions.
• 2 things we did well?
• 2 things we can do better?
• Are we having fun?
• Questions? Schedule? Instructions?
• Game ball/Candy Bar goes to

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Conform Keep Learning

• Watch other teams coaches
• Study kids adjust!
• Private talks about ability effort
• Incorporate suggestions
• Never give up
• Training Clinics
• (Stan L)
• Books, Videos

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Perform Winning

• Play Now Go for the Win
• Play Together Team Spirit
• Praise others successes
• Encourage teammates
• Play Right Learn something
• Play Hard with Class

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Thanks

• Intangibles of children
• Love this game
• Heart for the kids
• Reward effort
• Just a kids game
• Thanks for coaching!

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Player Development

• T-Ball 5 6
• Introduction, Fun, Running bases
• Rookie 7 8
• Coach to Machine Pitch, Develop Hitting, Fielding
• Minor 9
• Kid Pitch, Modified Count Running
• Minor 10
• Kid Pitch, Straight Count, Modified Running
• Major 11 12, Babe Ruth 13-15
• Compete
• Babe Ruth/Cal Ripkin

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Practice Strategy

• NO LINES
• NO LECTURES
• DO MORE THAN BATTING PRACTICE

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Practice Planning

• 1) Fundamentals (10 minutes)
• 2) Stations (35 to 20 minutes)
• 3) Games (20 to 35 minutes)
• Fun (10 minutes)

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1) Basic Fundamentals

• Catch
• c, catch and claw, oclock
• Grounders
• Stance, Move feet, glove out front, dirty glove,
  claw to hip.
• Throwing
• Turn, aim, point, ready, step, rotate, fire,
  follow through.

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1) Key Fundamentals

• Pitching
• Grip, focus, step, balance, cross, stride,
  rotate, fire, defense.
• Hitting (Ready, Aim, Fire)
• Balance, punching, microphone, grip, vision,
  slide foot, knob to ball, eye contact, turn
  hands over, squish bug!

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3 Stations
Throwing or Base running
Fielding
HITTING and Infield
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6 Stations
Hitting
Batting Cage
?Fly Balls?
?Ground Balls?
?Catch 50? (or base runner at 3rd)
Pitching
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3) Practice Games Fun

• YMCA
• Start with a game and let them struggle.
• Interrupt and let players identify skills needed
  to improve.
• Teach and drill identified skill.
• Play game again with improved skill.
• Success Cycle Organize a sequence of successful
  improvements within competition.
• Small Ball, 2 Bag Hustle, Put Out Dad

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Have Fun This Season

• Kids baseball is great. It keeps parents off
  the streets and kids out of the house.
• You set the TONE!

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Evaluations

• At Stans
• Age 9-12
• March 5 BB
• March 6 SB

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Work Day

• Work Day
• March 19 BB
• March 20 SB

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Fundraiser

• Trash bags
• Facilities and Improvements
• Land to grow?
• (800 boys, 360 girls)

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Questions and Conclusion

• Questions?
• League Coordinators