Baseball: Coaching Little League

A rite of passage for many young Americans, Little League baseball is an excellent way of fostering teamwork and helping our young people to learn more about themselves. Individuals are brought together as a team to work towards a common goal. While one or two kids may excel, there are enough positions on the field for all the kids to join in. Little Leaguers learn a lot of skills and qualities, and are helped in this learning by the coaches.

Too often the portrait of the Little League coach is painted in a bad light. Words like aggressiveness, favoritism, and pressure get thrown around. While every apple has its bad seeds, the majority of Little League coaches are upstanding individuals. They are usually parents who volunteer their time to pass their knowledge of the game on to younger generations. Many coaches are teachers, laborers, or work in offices. They understand the importance of teamwork in daily life and they understand the need for positive influences when young.

Many Little league parents take for granted all that a coach and his assistances do. They coordinate schedules for practices and games. They make line-ups and keep records of every pitch, every hit. Some even go the extra mile and take the team out for pizza or ice cream after the game--win or lose. The most important thing that coaches do for kids is practice patience. Coaches often have to manage kids' emotions as well as their swings.

Coaching Little League isn't easy, but it is rewarding. A coach's relationship with the players and parents can be very profound. The players are provided with structure and the opportunity to meet new friends. For me, many of my closest life-long friends are ones that I met in my Little League years. I look back on those years with happiness. As well as making good friendships, another reason why I enjoyed Little League so much was because I had fantastic coaches who encouraged me to succeed.

Some coaches don't appreciate the impact that their behavior has on the kids. In one incident I recall, the coach from the opposing team flipped out at the umpire over a bad call. While he launched into a tirade against the unfortunate umpire, with the rest of his team joining in, my team remained calm and waited for the arguing to subside. Our coach had drummed into us that, at the end of the day, it was only a game, and that there were more important things in life. Some people need to remember that.

If you want to share your passion for baseball with others, then Little League coaching may be for you. Many of us enjoyed Little league as kids but, apart from going to the odd game as a fan, or playing in the local Beer league softball team, we no longer participate in baseball. Our dreams of playing in the majors are long gone. Instead of donning an ill-fitting Beer League uniform and wallowing in past glories, we could be helping a new generation participate in and enjoy baseball. By passing on our knowledge of the game, we could make a crucial difference to that one kid who has the talent but lacks adult support.

My suggestion for anyone who shares my love of baseball would be to explore opportunities for helping out the local Little League. Some Little Leagues don't just need coaches, but also people to make announcements and manage the concession stands. This may be a good place to start before progressing into coaching. Being able to share your passion for the game with others may remind you why you love baseball. After all, why else are you paying forty dollars a throw to watch a group of professional millionaires play a game that kids happily pay to play?