A coach isn’t just someone who teaches a player how to win. Being a coach is being a teacher, a role model, and a personal pep squad. A coach has many facets. This guide will present what’s expected from a good softball coach.
A Coach’s Role
The concept of softball is simple: The team with the most runs wins. But, there is more to coaching than winning games.
A coach’s responsibilities include providing a safe environment for all players, teaching sportsmanship, developing character, and teaching the fundamental skills of softball. When you become a coach, you become a lot more than a drill instructor.
Evaluating Player Performance
Perhaps the clearest role a coach holds is to improve a player’s performance. A coach cannot assume that any player knows everything.
A coach must be able to evaluate a player’s performance and help to improve it. In order to do this, coaches cannot have unfair expectations of players nor should they ever underestimate potential.
Playing Favorites
It’s great to have high expectations, but a coach cannot place one player on a pedestal while having lower expectations for everyone else. You need to be fair. There will be players at different skill levels on your team, but putting players on pedestals is a sure sign of favoritism and you cannot do this as a coach.
Every coach will have a favorite player, but that doesn’t mean you can go harder or easier on them and ignore everyone else. The team is there to play for you, and playing favorites can destroy a team’s morale.
Parent Coaches
Many coaches have, at least once in their lifetime, coached their own child. This is great, but you cannot confuse your roles as parent and coach.
In your child’s life, the role of parent and the role of coach need to be separate. Try to keep your role clear and leave everything on the field.
If your child does not perform well, don’t bring your disappointment to the dinner table. Hold your child to the same standards as the rest of the team. Ultimately it comes down to treating every player equally.
Communication
As a coach, you’ll be voicing your opinions, criticism, compliments, and everything in between. Be effective in your communication skills and perfect the art of constructive criticism.
Your players need to know that you’re never criticizing them as people, but rather evaluating their performance and trying to make them better softball players.There are a few fundamental rules for effective communication that every good coach should observe:
- Be positive
- Be straight forward
- Do not be sarcastic
- Do not be rude
- Do not insult your players
- Provide constant feedback
Body Language
Coaches also need to be wary of their body language. Nonverbal communication is something that you need to be consciously aware of it at all times. Standing with your arms crossed, rolling your eyes, constantly frowning, or throwing fits when errors occur are a few habits that will make you unapproachable to your players. In no way does this mean you can’t show disappointment, but you don’t need to show anger.
Control Your Emotions
You are a coach, not a frantic child who needs to throw temper tantrums. Never scream or show anger towards your players, especially if they are young. Expressing disappointment is natural, but make sure that the way you communicate with and discipline your players is appropriate for their age.
Remember why your players are on the field — they love the sport. Do not let your inability to control negative emotions take that away from them. A coach can turn everything into something positive: An error is a lesson learned.
Never Humiliate
A player will never respond to being publicly chastised. Do not yell at a player in the middle of a game, in front of fans, or in front of family. There is no reason to humiliate a player; pull her aside for a private discussion.
If you cannot restrain yourself from yelling, cool off for a few minutes before talking to the player. Your player will already know she disappointed you. Pounding it in will make players, family, and fans lose respect for you. You can’t expect respect unless you show it and teach it. Coaches have a lot of influence on their players. Don’t force any player to regret playing softball.
Create a Positive Team Atmosphere
As a coach, you are not only showing respect to your players, but you are teaching it. You need to make sure your players are showing each other the same courtesy.
Do not allow bullying. Young children are very impressionable and being tormented on the field will do absolutely nothing for a player’s self-confidence.
You’ll also coach players with a lot of talent — don’t let it get to their heads! Teach your best players to show leadership, not arrogance. Likewise, never allow a player or your team to become complacent with her performance. Complacency loses games. Make sure the players know that even if they are good, they can always get better.
Fuel the Passion
Remember that the game isn’t about you; it’s about the players and that’s the reason you’re here. The individuals on your team love softball — they want to be there. Make sure you are constantly motivating your team. There are few ways to keep the game exciting everyday:
- Make sure you have fun drills mixed in with your daily routines.
- Incorporate games and contests into daily practices to encourage competition.
- Take your team to high school, college, or professional softball games to get them excited to “play like the pros”!
Parent Control
Parents need to be assured that you are the coach. An orientation meeting is a good idea to witness how they interact with each other and with their kids. Listen to what they have to say and try to provide positive responses. If you ever get into a dispute with a parent, don’t ever take it out on the player — it’s unfair and completely unnecessary.
Lastly, pay attention to the parents who stick around the field. They may want to ask you questions on how their child can improve their performance, but may not know how to ask. Make it routine to interact with the parents. Knowing them creates a much better atmosphere than being strangers.
Coach’s Award
Remember, you don’t have to be scary to earn respect. As long as you show respect, you’ll receive it. A coach’s best quality is passion. If you have a deep passion for softball, your players will see it. Be excited to coach and they’ll mirror your excitement to play. A team wins games, but the coach leads the way.
