| At the on set of any Baseball season, parents have | | | | out. |
| the high expectation that their child is key to the | | | | Will this tactic work for everyone? I truly have no |
| teams' success. This to a degree is true. The success | | | | idea, but it's a solution that I will not soon forget. |
| of the team depends on each and every player. | | | | Parent participation is wonderful. Get involved, get in |
| Problems arise between the perspectives of the | | | | the game. Here are some things to keep in mind as a |
| Parents, Players and the Coach. | | | | parent |
| We each have our own self image which is likely | | | | 1- Don't arrive at the field when practice is supposed |
| quite different to how the rest of the world sees us. | | | | to start. If the scheduled time is 5:30, be there by |
| This also applies to our vision of our children. Crushing | | | | 5:15. It cuts down the stress of rush driving and the |
| the ball for Dad in the back yard is great, but it does | | | | hour or so of scheduled practice time is not lost on |
| not always transfer to the diamond. By no means | | | | greetings and jibber jabber. |
| should any parent expect backyard confidence to | | | | 2- Be helpful, Time lost setting up the field or |
| compare with on field performance. It is a bar that | | | | exercise is just that lost. If it's not written, ask the |
| will likely get knocked off the stands each time. | | | | Coach what the plan is for the day and what you |
| Coach's of all experience levels are the most qualified | | | | can do to help things along. Players want to do just |
| to position and play the players. Coach has a 'vision' | | | | that, play. Idle time lost while setting up the next skill |
| of how all the parts will work in tandem. As a parent, | | | | drill looses the focus gained from the previous one. |
| we have to respect that in all levels of play. This | | | | 3- Never correct, yell, discipline or otherwise diminish |
| person stood up to take the responsibility of being | | | | the authority of the Coach in front of the Players or |
| Baseball Coach when no one else did. | | | | Other Parents. If you have concerns or comments, |
| Its a responsibility that takes a substantial amount of | | | | set aside time in your day to speak with the coach in |
| abuse. I have witnessed parents and grand-parents | | | | private. It may be your perspective that needs the |
| rip down a coach during a game in an effort to take | | | | correction. |
| out the weaker players and restructure the vision. His | | | | 4- Respect everyone. Coach's', parents, umpires, |
| solution was quite enlightening. Every 5 to 10 minutes, | | | | players, opposing teams, it does not matter who or |
| he rotated all the players to different positions, | | | | what they are in relation to your team. Everyone |
| pitchers, catchers as well as on and off the bench. | | | | deserves respect that does not have to be earned. |
| They lost horribly, but from that moment on he was | | | | Respecting others will result in others respecting you. |
| allowed to Coach the rest of the season without | | | | Ponder what it is to play baseball. What do you want |
| bleacher badger. It worked because as the 'key' | | | | your children to take away with them when their |
| players were rotated into the 'right' position, they all | | | | playing days are relegated to church league. For |
| made errors from simple catching mistakes to 'why | | | | myself I hope for, respect for themselves, |
| did you through to first when the runner was stealing | | | | confidence in their abilities, recognition of their limits, |
| third'. He essentially had the loss (over 30 to 0) a | | | | work ethic of practicing and the concept of working |
| complete community effort. As everyone was | | | | together with a team and the lifelong friendships it |
| responsible for the loss, those who were coaching | | | | can bring. |
| from the bleachers got a taste they could not spit | | | | |