RainShadow

Coach Steve -- I would like a copy of that paper also. PS: I also know the feeling of having a child just light up or having a parent tell you that their child really enjoys this season -- it is the reason I coach and so my son does not have the jerk coaches that I had growing up. My baseball coach (Little League) was an ex St.L. Cardinal that had no clue how to coach little kids -- it was the worst three years of my baseball career. I would have one more talk with this assist coach and then ask them to quit. You do not need this and the kids can not learn and enjoy when you two are on different planents. I had a hard headed drill sargent type one year and I had to ask him to either back off or quit helping me out ---- he does not talk to me any longer, but my life and my kids lives are happier and they learned as much or more. Remember -- they are only 5-6 years old and many times have not had a father throw them a baseball. Get the movie SANDLOT and show it to your kids on a Sat night party at your house.

I briefly read your post to get the important issues. You can usually find two parents that will help you with drills and be a backup when you can not come. In T-Ball (my opinion) you should not assign a position to each child. I have them rotate every position throughout the season and even each inning. I keep my postion lineup (from the previous weeks) in a folder that I look at the day before I make the lineup to insure that they play a different postion this week. I do NOT play the better kids in the most critical positions -- who cares ? It is T-Ball not high school. At the end of the first season you will see some of the kids that were not so good, be as good or better than the so-called good players. I have had bad assist coaches and I have had to tell one or two to back off a little when they get too pushy or vocal with their teaching. I also rotate my coaches -- I have a drill where I take the infield and have one coach take the outfield and he/she will use tennis balls and throw them up in the air for fly ball practice. A T-Ball will hurt so I use tennis balls for this drill. Then I switch the players from out to in. I also have my coaches on first and third when we are hitting. I usually pitch, but will have one coach pitch one inning or help with the tee. We also have coach-pitch in our league. You will also have a special needs kid or ADD child that has a hard time. You need to know this up front -- not every partent will admit or fill out the medical release completely. Find a parent with the most compassion/understanding and have that person help out as well. One of my coaches I had help out one of our kids instead of the parent and it actually worked out better. Assign a team mom also -- your job is coaching, not the snack and picture day schedule. NEVER yell at one of your kids -- unless it is a safety issue or they are goofing around. If they make an error or run the wrong way -- so what. If you have a son or daughter on your team -- do not treat them any different then the other kids. Have your child call you coach on the field. Take care and good luck -- have to go back to work, Randy from Oceanside, CA

Players late to practice is a constant --- remember it is NOT the kids fault 90% of the time. It is usually the parent(s) and most of the time all they want to do is drop the kids off and leave. I have a introduction sheet that I give out every season that states my coaching background, where I grew up, hobbies and line of work I am in. It also states that the kids must be on time to practice and 30 min early to games and they need to bring a water bottle. I understand that school comes first and that there might be times that they show up late to practice. If it gets to be every practice ask the parent what YOU (as a coach) can do to help get their kid to practice on time. Some times that will work and they really did not think it was that big a deal coming late. Some parents are just flakes and nothing will get them to practice on time -- the ones that come late constantly sit the first 2 innings of the game. The ones that show up late to games also sit 2 innings. The hardest part of coaching is the parent issues, not the actual coaching. Do NOT give up -- your heart is in the right place. You will also have issues with special needs kids playing -- as long as the child will not get hurt they play as much as the other kids, sometimes more if their attitude and attendance is great. Good luck and if you need to talk, just email me. Randy from Oceanside, CA

I also think head first slides are not good to teach. Also, 5 is really a little young for that instruction. Do you live near the ocean or a park with sand ? I teach my kids how to slide at our beach -- I line them up and teach them to slide with one leg tucked underneath their butt. You can make it a game and as you proceed teach them to hook slide. Whomever gets closest to the bag gets a T-Ball or ???? In season I also rotate the use of a Tee and 12 wiffle balls. There is only so much time that a coach has and you need to start early and get the parents to actually get off their butt and help also. Good luck, Randy from Oceanside, CA (Oceanside American LL)