Travel ball help

[Rmc1981]

Merry Christmas everyone!

New to the boards but enjoying so far. The more I read, the more I realize I don't know.

Been coaching rec league for a couple years now (8U) but made a switch to travel ball after fall league concluded. Played 4 tournaments with pretty good success and learned a ton. Long story short, we are moving to 10U in the spring league before going to travel full time. In reading about others' experiences, I had a couple questions.

First, I have experienced the need for player/parent/coach "contracts" and codes of ethics. Does anyone have some of this paperwork that they would be willing to share with me? Also, if anyone has a spreadsheet for budgeting and keeping up with the money, that would've awesome. Or if you could point me in the right direction.

Second, I've been reading about assigned titles and responsibilities to coaches or managers. What positions do I need and what does each do? Like, what is the difference between a coach and a manager. I've been doing it all and it's obviously a lot. When assigning coach duties, how do you split it up? I have some ideas but I'm looking for what you door have seen done.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Second, I've been reading about assigned titles and responsibilities to coaches or managers. What positions do I need and what does each do? Like, what is the difference between a coach and a manager. I've been doing it all and it's obviously a lot. When assigning coach duties, how do you split it up? I have some ideas but I'm looking for what you door have seen done.

First, I hope all have had a great Christmas. I know I have, had a few of "my" girls stop by and a bunch of texts. That's meant more than any $$ present.

This is my take on coach(s) vs manager.

Head coach and manager for BB/FP are basically the same. The HC/M is ultimately responsible for development as a team but has great input and "assistance" from the assistant coaches.

Example:
Our set up was 4 coaches. One with college pitching, one with college infielding, one HS catching, one with HS utility. Each had a specific "skill" and group of players they were more...........responsible for. But we also had a nice arrangement of "overlapping" just in case another coach saw something. We all worked together on the hitting aspect.

Now not every team from rec to travel will have a "spread" of ball experienced coaches. But you kinda delegate responsibility according to their strengths, but always working as a whole. You must be open as a manager to advice and opinions of your AC's.

As a manager/HC your making a ton of decisions all the time to keep the game flowing. ( fielding positions, fielding shifts, batting order, swinging choices, who's going to pitch, what they pitch, base runners, offense stratigies, defense stratigies, etc ) You want good knowledgable AC's to help in those regards without being pushy or egotistic.

Lots of times the roles overlap, but team work among all the coaches is as important as teamwork from the players. I'm over the pitchers, coach B is my infield AC. ( quick example ) If I choose to throw pitcher Sally she might tent to induce a lot of hits to the right side, so we ( HC and AC ) discuss shifting some of his fielders to strengthen the right side. The HC and AC should constantly be discussing adjustments during the game, and the largest part is recognizing the NEED for those adjustments before they get out of hand.


The "groups" of coaches really works out good during practice. The "classroom" is smaller for the different positional instruction. Then when we throw them all together for team practice is when we can tweak the more individual adjustments for the good of the whole.

 

[Daddylawman]

I like a lot of what GD said. I think the overlap is a good point. Assuming you are calling pitches there should be two coaches who are able to do this is case one is unavailable. early in the season work the "second" coach in there some. Just in case something happens you never want a big game to be the first time someone does something in coaching. I suggest this for 3rd base coach as well.

I like dividing up because you can do station work at practices which keeps more girls active and involved. Also, a personal preference - don't have the coach calling pitches coaching a base. That coach should be talking to the pitcher and catcher when you are batting.

I have a good team policy form I put together by stealing from lots of other coaches. Email me at syroplaw@bellsouth.net and I'll send you what I have.

Also, have your treasurer be someone who is not a coach or a coach's spouse. It lessens any appearance of something not being right. Go over the books once a month or more if needed.

Best of luck.

 

[Fastpitch Mom]

I am replying, from the point of view of a parent.
Titles are not as important as organization and co-operation among coaches. My DD played on a team that the HC would pout if a game was going bad, was unorganized and often on vacation, allowed lots of blame placing by the girls and drink at games by the parents. The AC and his wife would speak badly about the HC in front of the girls and parents, and would contradict the HC.Practices for this team were disorganized and infrequent.
When I would speak to the HC about any of this he claimed to be unaware of everything but would address it. Supposedly there were meetings among the coaches to rectify the issues. Needless to say we left this team before it broke up.

 

[CoachChuck]

I want to think that travel ball is a step up from rec ball, not always the case, but IMO travel should be a step up. That being said, you need to get better at coaching; teaching techniques for every position, strategies, practice planning, batting, base running, pitching. You need to be better at all of them than you are right now, just as all coaches need to constantly be learning. I would also recommend learning something about pyschology, especially for kids, and mental approaches to athletics and life. Because we all know that just knowing the X's and O's isn't everything for a coach.

As GD said it is great if you can get coaches with different skill sets to fill in positions, not always possible but definitely preferable. I would want a good fielding coach, a batting coach, and a catching coach. But there is a ton of information here and else where on the internet to fill in any gaps you or your other coaches may have.

Since you are 10U, please, please, please, focus on throwing and catching technique over everything else. No one knows what position little Katie is going to be playing in HS yet. But every single position will need to be able to throw and catch properly.

Lastly, remember that you are the HC and utimately everything that happens falls to you. So be sure that your AC's agree with your philosophys and all coach's are teaching the same thing. You should have some coach's meetings outside of practice where everyone can get on the same page. Don't just try to wing it right before, or during, practice. That way everyone can speak their peace about a subject and agree on how/when to teach it, not in front of the kids.

Best of luck to you.