Connie

I totally agree with you Ron. I like the IMPACT class for basic lower level coaching like grade school. It has the basics of coaching theory. Once youstart doingthe CAP I and II you are getting into more technical stuff you may never use. It is a good thing to have on a resume if you are goin to be coaching for a while. But I guarantee you will not use a lot of the stuff unless, like Ron said, you have a team thst can pass the ball.

I have a son that played a few sports. The main thing I look for in a coach is knowledge. If you are ready for practice, can teach skills and keep the players engaged in practice you will be fine. I think that parents want their kids to learn and have fun - if you can accomplish that it will be good.

I would recommende taking the IMPACT course as it is great for begining coaches. Many grade schools and all club teams require this in order to coach . CAP I is mainly for high school coaches and is more advanced than the IMPACT. CAP II is for college and international coaching and is the most advanced class USAV offers. If coachingis something you are going to stay with I would take IMPACT definately.

That is a tough one...in my experience it takes time for them to feel comfortable and watch the ball all the way into their hands. Maybe a drill that has a ball immediately tossed as soon as the first was hit will help them remain focused on the ball(s) coming at them. Have them move to the ball also forces them to watch the ball at least ubtil they can get to the correct position to pass.

I don't coach baseball but here are the rules I use for my volleyball team. 1. RESPECT others. your teammmates, the coaches, the parents, the other team, the referees, etc. 2. Don't be afraid to make a mistake...that is how we all learn. The trick is to figure out what went wrong and fix it. 3. Parents need to remain supportive of their children and the teams playing the game. Any parent exhibiting unsportsmanlike behavior can be asked to leave the playing area. Just a couple of the basics. I will look in my file drawer as I know I do have an old list I used to use.

A drill I do is once a ball goes over the net or hits the floor (goes dead in any way) I immediately toss another over the net - at the one(s) not paying attention. It really forces the team to pay attention at all times. You can play a "game" with it...they need to return 5 balls to you before 10 hit the floor or go out of play. The kids I work with seem to like the challenge of trying to beat the coach.

Unfortunately there are a lot of coaches that are coaching for the wins and not the kids. i coach volleyball and have coached my own son a couple times. The starters always earn their place on the court. The way I would deal with your situation is talk to the other parents, are there any others having the same problem you are? Go to the board as a group and see what you can have done. You caould always try to get on the board as another poster suggested. The only issue with that is the amount of time it takes once you are in that position. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

The way I try to teach them game situations is to put 6 on a side of the net set up like a game would be. Then the other girls that are left actually serve at them and the 6 on the "team" side must return the ball as they would in a game. You are able to still practice serving and game play (serve recieve at the same time). When they have passed 3 balls rotate and bring one girl over and have a server take her spot on the "team" side. If they are really unsure about a serve comming at them start with a toss by you over the net. For an attack I start by having them learn the swing for an overhand serve since they will most likely be down hitting to start with. Once they feel reasonably comfortable with this throw a setter into the mix. I start with myself tossing first and then if there is a player with the skill have them do a set to the attacker. It takes time but they will get.

When I get kids like this I always try to praise them for whatever move they make to the ball. Even if if it just a step in the right direction. Simply try to get them moving to the ball and then get them to make a play on it. I know that this can take a long time with some kids, but they will come around. In practice be sure that you are giving them nice easy tosses and praising their every success. Their confidence will rise and they will be in there with the others in no time.

What I have done for my volleyball teams is to sell matching shirts that the team wears to the families and fans so they can come and match their team as they cheer them on.

I would have them stand in two lines and toss the ball at them while they pass to a target. As they get better at passing move the ball around more. The kids I coach now (7 - 10) seem to like it when I toss the ball a long ways away from them and tell them to simply get a hand on it. It gets them moving pretty well and they are now challenging themselves enough so that they are able to get to the balls and actually get them up in a halfway decent pass. I also do a dril with the kids where I keep tossing balls at one player nonstop while they concentrate on watching the ball and passing it. The rest of the team is in charge of keeping the balls out of the way of the passer. Everyone is tired after this one including the coach.

The first thing I would do is simply talk to the girl and let her know that she is an important part of the team she was put on. Everyone is going to be looking to their teammates to pull their weight for the season to be a success and the team has to work together to that end. Is there something that she is really good at? Encourage her to step up and become a leader on this team since she is not with her friends - this is a great opportunity to make more friends that love the game.

I would teach the skill to the 9 year olds - providing that you have a good enough net to do so. If the net is really loose and the ball kind of rolls out onto the other side of the court it may be very frustrating for the girls. If you at least introduce it to them and it comes up in a game they will have an idea of what to do. I say teach away!

Another drill I do is "Air raid" you need howwever many team members you have to each have a ball. Divide them into equal teams. Each team is starting with the same number of balls. The object is to get all the balls on the other side of the net in a certain amount of time. I give the kids 2 minutes and the team that has the most balls on their side "loses". I do this with serving. It really gets the kids moving and concentrating on their serves. I also do serving to areas. Once again divide into even teams. Have one member of each team stand in the 1 position. Their teammates must serve to them. Once the person in position 1 catches a ball, the person that served it moves into position 2. The first team that gets their people around the court and back to position 1 wins. If there are built in basketball hoops you can also do a race with setting. OPut the kids into even numbered teams and see which team can be the first to set 10 ball through the hoop. As they get better raise the number. Connie

You are tyhe head coach and you do have the final say in how things are run. You did not mention the age you are coaching - I am assuming grade school. I totally agree with your philosophy of have fun and learn the game...if they are doing that well winning will come. If I were you I think I would sit down and talk to your assistant and redefine the team goals. Maybe make a poster of them that way everyone the team included knows what they are. The team needs to know that you are the head coach and they come to you with questions. Good luck talking to the AD...I have not found the ones I dealt with to go much beyond you are the head coach you will figure it out. I wish you the best in this situation. Connie