I want my first post on this site to be something that helps get us motivated to "Get After It!" To build players and teams that play to their potential! I believe a baseball coach has more of an influence on the teams overall play then any other coach has in any other sport.
If you are a baseball coach then this has to immediately get you excited about the job you do. There are so many ways we can get ahead of the other teams if we will take advantage of our opportunities. If you can't get excited about that concept then your in the wrong sport!
I know football, basketball, soccer coaches etc... who read this are gonna argue differently. I have coach basketball and football for a long time and I am not trying to imply that coaches don't make a difference in those sports. The fact is coaches make a difference in every sport. My point is in baseball you have the opportunity to affect your team a little more then other sports. Here are 3 reasons why!
Reason # 1
Baseball is not a game based on athleticism. The more athletic you are certainly helps your ability to play the game but it is not the number one most important thing a player or team has to have in order to play well. In football and basketball let's say, the bigger, stronger, and faster teams almost always win. Yes, I know fundamental skill is extremely important in the outcome but those sports feature the athletic players.
In baseball, fundamental skill and knowledge of the game out weigh physical athletic ability. Since you can coach fundamentals and teach them the finer points of the game, you have a bigger influence on the outcome. This allows you to compete against teams that have far superior athletes.
Baseball is a game where the most talented teams get beat more often then you will see in other sports. It's a game where you have to show up everyday and play the game the right way or you get beat. Because you play more games then most sports it is hard not to have days where you lose your focus and get beat by a lesser team.
Reason #2
As a baseball coach you can not put your best 9 on the field everyday. You have to pick and choose when to play your best team. In football your best quarterback throws the ball in every game(barring injury of course). In baseball you must choose when and where to throw your pitchers.
Coaches have difficult decisions deciding who will throw when and how many innings to best use their staff within the framework of the pitching rules. With bad weather and invitational tournaments this only complicates the entire decision making process. In the other sports for the most part you always put your best on the field.
Baseball games are usually predicated on the pitching match-ups. If the top team throws their number 3 pitcher and the third place team throws their number 1, then odds of the lesser team winning goes way up. This again goes back to the idea that better teams get beat more often in baseball then any other sport. Coaches choice of pitching match-ups is critical to a teams success.
Reason #3
Baseball is such a specialized sport that few coaches take advantage of teaching all the little things that determine the outcomes of games. Every position on the field has it's own skill set and techniques. Some players are starters and some off the bench. They must be handled differently as far as their approach to the game.
Think of it this way. Playing right field is different then playing left field. Playing third is different then playing second. Being a starting pitcher and being a short relief guy are two completely different mindsets. This is true of every position on the field.
I know some of you are thinking right now that is true of all sports. My response, Absolutely! Here is the difference however. In football you have anywhere from 4 to 8 paid coaches. Each assigned a different position to teach the players. In basketball you do not need many coaches because you only play a few players.
In baseball, you are lucky, at least where I live to have two paid varsity coaches. At my school we have one varsity, one JV, and freshman coach on staff. We have been lucky to have a few people volunteer who know the game to help us out. My first year as a Head Coach in 1998 I was the only coach. In 1999 I coached a Junior College team by myself.
Most baseball teams do not have a full staff of coaches. If a head coach can be creative in how he will train his players he can gain a huge advantages over his competition. In college you have infielders, outfielders, catchers, and pitchers. That's what they work on everyday. It is much easier to design practice that way.
In High School and at the youth levels it doesn't work that way. Your pitcher is also your shortstop. Your second baseman plays right when a certain pitcher throws. You understand the point I am trying to make here. Designing a practice plan that takes all these factors into consideration is nearly impossible.
Because of these factors most teams are never prepared to play at their full potential. I am not pointing fingers here because I have sent teams on the field that could have been prepared better. Each year I experiment and research to find every way in which I can out prepare my competition.
In Conclusion
All coaches in all sports have a huge impact on both the players and the outcomes of the games. I believe very strongly that high school and youth baseball coaches can affect outcomes with greater influence then any other sport. Because of the nature of the job, a lot of important information for the players go overlooked. At some point in a big game this is usually where the downfall begins. To me coaching baseball is an exciting and challenging job where I feel I can make the biggest difference if I can prepare my team correctly!
If you are a baseball coach then this has to immediately get you excited about the job you do. There are so many ways we can get ahead of the other teams if we will take advantage of our opportunities. If you can't get excited about that concept then your in the wrong sport!
I know football, basketball, soccer coaches etc... who read this are gonna argue differently. I have coach basketball and football for a long time and I am not trying to imply that coaches don't make a difference in those sports. The fact is coaches make a difference in every sport. My point is in baseball you have the opportunity to affect your team a little more then other sports. Here are 3 reasons why!
Reason # 1
Baseball is not a game based on athleticism. The more athletic you are certainly helps your ability to play the game but it is not the number one most important thing a player or team has to have in order to play well. In football and basketball let's say, the bigger, stronger, and faster teams almost always win. Yes, I know fundamental skill is extremely important in the outcome but those sports feature the athletic players.
In baseball, fundamental skill and knowledge of the game out weigh physical athletic ability. Since you can coach fundamentals and teach them the finer points of the game, you have a bigger influence on the outcome. This allows you to compete against teams that have far superior athletes.
Baseball is a game where the most talented teams get beat more often then you will see in other sports. It's a game where you have to show up everyday and play the game the right way or you get beat. Because you play more games then most sports it is hard not to have days where you lose your focus and get beat by a lesser team.
Reason #2
As a baseball coach you can not put your best 9 on the field everyday. You have to pick and choose when to play your best team. In football your best quarterback throws the ball in every game(barring injury of course). In baseball you must choose when and where to throw your pitchers.
Coaches have difficult decisions deciding who will throw when and how many innings to best use their staff within the framework of the pitching rules. With bad weather and invitational tournaments this only complicates the entire decision making process. In the other sports for the most part you always put your best on the field.
Baseball games are usually predicated on the pitching match-ups. If the top team throws their number 3 pitcher and the third place team throws their number 1, then odds of the lesser team winning goes way up. This again goes back to the idea that better teams get beat more often in baseball then any other sport. Coaches choice of pitching match-ups is critical to a teams success.
Reason #3
Baseball is such a specialized sport that few coaches take advantage of teaching all the little things that determine the outcomes of games. Every position on the field has it's own skill set and techniques. Some players are starters and some off the bench. They must be handled differently as far as their approach to the game.
Think of it this way. Playing right field is different then playing left field. Playing third is different then playing second. Being a starting pitcher and being a short relief guy are two completely different mindsets. This is true of every position on the field.
I know some of you are thinking right now that is true of all sports. My response, Absolutely! Here is the difference however. In football you have anywhere from 4 to 8 paid coaches. Each assigned a different position to teach the players. In basketball you do not need many coaches because you only play a few players.
In baseball, you are lucky, at least where I live to have two paid varsity coaches. At my school we have one varsity, one JV, and freshman coach on staff. We have been lucky to have a few people volunteer who know the game to help us out. My first year as a Head Coach in 1998 I was the only coach. In 1999 I coached a Junior College team by myself.
Most baseball teams do not have a full staff of coaches. If a head coach can be creative in how he will train his players he can gain a huge advantages over his competition. In college you have infielders, outfielders, catchers, and pitchers. That's what they work on everyday. It is much easier to design practice that way.
In High School and at the youth levels it doesn't work that way. Your pitcher is also your shortstop. Your second baseman plays right when a certain pitcher throws. You understand the point I am trying to make here. Designing a practice plan that takes all these factors into consideration is nearly impossible.
Because of these factors most teams are never prepared to play at their full potential. I am not pointing fingers here because I have sent teams on the field that could have been prepared better. Each year I experiment and research to find every way in which I can out prepare my competition.
In Conclusion
All coaches in all sports have a huge impact on both the players and the outcomes of the games. I believe very strongly that high school and youth baseball coaches can affect outcomes with greater influence then any other sport. Because of the nature of the job, a lot of important information for the players go overlooked. At some point in a big game this is usually where the downfall begins. To me coaching baseball is an exciting and challenging job where I feel I can make the biggest difference if I can prepare my team correctly!
You make some very valid points! I can tell that must have coached at a school where you needed to be creative and use a variety of coaching skills to get your teams to succeed. I believe the best point you make is that as a coach you must Understand and have Knowledge of the game and the little things you must do to win! I believe that the first time that you speak to your team, they can already tell wether you know what your talking about or not! The attitude and body language you carry around as a coach is the same body language and attitude your team will have when they are on the field for teh most part! Overall as a coach i want every player on my team to play with a cockiness about them and want them to play with a chip on their shoulder which makes them believe that they can beat anyone they play! What seperates the team with a lot of talent and the team that consistently wins is the team that wins is mentally tougher than their opponent and they play at the same level no matter who the competition and this i belive is instilled in the players by the coach!
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