Organizing a Softball Team

Just as parents are the first real life role models for children, teachers and coaches come next. Coaches have immediate and quite visible responsibilities for their charges and need all the assistance and assistants they can find.

Coaches

While the obligations of coaches are broad and deep and extend beyond practices and competitions to include other members of the community, there is genuine satisfaction to be gained from helping youngsters in their personal and physical development. Building character, integrity, respect, and assuring the physical well being of players are integral parts of coaching duties and should be included in the total learning experience of young softball players. Therefore, set the example you want them to follow -- match words and deeds. Be on time for practices, keep yourself fit and healthy, praise and criticize positively. Know the rules, including the expected conduct of players and coaches. Kids develop an intuitive alarm that goes off (loudly) when someone breaks the rules. They are also quick to pick up on body language and the tone of a coach's voice. Be fair, and never use your position of authority to gain an unfair advantage for yourself or your ballplayers.

Parents, if coaching their own children on a team, encounter a situation that is different from the usual parent-child relationship. For example, how should the child address the parent at softball practice and during a game? As a coach, will you expect more (or less) from your child than from other children? Both parent and child need to talk about and understand their different roles in advance.

Besides being a teacher and having a good grounding in the sport, a sense of humor, perspective, and diplomatic skills are invaluable. A coach knows that winning is not everything and that sometimes a team should win but doesn't due to circumstances beyond its control, such as the weather, a bad day for the team, or the other team was better that day. Never assign blame; no one loses deliberately. And don't take a loss personally.

Practices

Organization is the key to successful practices. Always begin with a five to ten minute warm-up session, stretching exercises and a five to ten minute cool-down after practice. The warm-up exercises are not as strenuous as those done in a regular conditioning program, but they should decrease soreness later on and minor injuries such as tears and strains. Weather conditions on any particular day will help the coach to determine the length and demands of practice. Players might take turns leading the session and gain some valuable leadership skills while working with the team.

Once players are warmed up, have them work on the fundamentals: throwing, catching, batting, and base-running. Follow this by fielding and catching drills: handling ground balls, catching fly balls and pop-ups. Next, practice executing double plays, covering bases, and backing up a base. Some refinements -- stealing a base, how to slide -- might be included as the team coalesces.

If a team is at the beginning level, they will probably have to be taught all the basics: batting, hitting, catching (thrown and batted balls), fielding, and running the bases. This is when teaching is tested.

Use simple language that is brief and to the point. Short attention spans can be overcome by telling and showing; showing and telling. Have players repeat and demonstrate. Discipline players only when they are taking dangerous risks or simply fooling around and not paying attention, but don't discipline anyone for an honest mistake.

Smile frequently.

Games

Several pre-game preparations are done by the home team:

• The playing field has to be available for a certain date and time and the visiting team notified. A map and directions may be provided for them.
• A permit (if needed) must be secured and paid for if there is a charge.
• The field needs to be laid out and the bases secured.
• If there is an admission charge, or a donation requested, someone needs to be designated to handle that responsibility.
• If there are lights and a public address system, someone needs to know how to check and operate those systems.
• An umpire has to be hired. If there is a fee involved for his service, who pays?
• There should be a designated scorekeeper.
• The home team customarily provides the soft balls, but players provide their own gear.
• Do a pre-game check of the playing field for safety.
• Finally, play the game and have fun.

The U.S. Olympic Committee
A Basic Guide to Softball: Olympic Edition
Paperback $8.95
© 1998, Griffin Publishing; ISBN: 1580000274
128 pages

For information on purchasing the book from bookstores or here online, please go to the Web page for A Basic Guide to Softball (Griffin Publishing) or A Basic Guide to Softball (Amazon).