I talk a lot about not letting teachable moments pass. This may be the most important part of a coach’s job. If done, and done correctly, this is where coach’s will see the most growth in the players no matter if they are 5 or 25. It’s the small details in a delivery, swing or the game that, if corrected, will turn average and below average teams into winning teams.
So with that said, here is what I mean when I say “Don’t OVER Coach”. You see it all the time, parents and coaches yelling something at the player who’s in the batters box, every pitch.
“Move closer to the plate.”
“Get your hands up.”
“See the ball hit that bat.”
“Make sure it’s a good pitch.”
Etc, Etc, Etc…
These are all good and can be helpful but when the kid is hearing it every 8 seconds, two things can happen. One, he is going to be so distracted with thinking about these things when he should be focused on the ball. Two, depending on his nature, he may put more pressure on himself when he should be relaxed and focused.
You also hear this when the kids are pitching.
“Come on, throw a strike buddy.’
“Step at your target.”
“Throw it hard.”
Etc, Etc, Etc…
Again, these comments may be helpful, but if over done, will do more harm than good. These need to be discussed in-between AB’s and innings.
Another place you see this happen too often is when a hitter is in the batting cage or a pitcher is on the mound throwing a practice bullpen session. They are being talked to so mush that it gets to the point where they do more listening than working. It’s very tough to get in quality work when you aren’t allowed to get into a rhythm. This can easily turn into a wasted session. It’s very easy as a coach to have many thoughts and suggestions running through your head in these moments, but you need to learn to control how much you say. Young players can only handle so much information at one time and you need to always be aware of this. Break it down to one specific thing and focus on that. Let them perfect that before you move on.
Point is, coach smart and “Don’t OVER Coach”.
Founder of Baseball Dudes. Blessed with three beautiful children and an amazing wife. Baseball is my life, after my family, and I love sharing what I have learned from it. Thanks for taking the time to view what we offer here at Baseball Dudes.
