Second time around coaching

For the first time is six years, I am coaching a little league team. My oldest is finishing up his college career and I thought it might be time to get back on the field. I was very worried that I would not have the same pasion for it without one of my boys on the team. That hasn't been a problem. I also inherited a very under-talented team with zero pitching and we lost our first five before winning last week. My previous teams were unbelievable good. The losing hasn't been a problem as my kids have gotten better and are now competing. The biggest problem I have is that the kids just don't seem to care as much as my old teams did. Half the kids are routinely late for practice and show up for games five minutes before games. And they WALK from the parking lot even though they are late. I understand a parent can make a kid late and they can't drive themselves, but when I was a kid, I would have beaten Usain Bolt to the field if I was running late. My kids are very soft. They can't take any criticism whatsoever. I even had a one kids's mom and dad on seperate occasions tell me that I needed to be more positive with little johnny because that was the only way he would respond. I was speechless but did manage to get out that I would never tell a kid he was doing great when he wasn't. I can't bench the stragglers because we have just enough to field a team. Any ideas on how to get this bunch to love the game?

 

If you find the answer, please let us all know, as that is the society we live in now. As a whole, we are raising a generation of, as you put it, "soft" kids.

 

it's the age we live in

Maybe you could give out hand-held video games to the players. Then they would likely run to the dugout.

I was at a Div 1 college game last weekend with 3 young boys sitting in front of me with their dad, who looked very proud of a Men's day at the ballpark. The kids all sat there the entire game playing with video games. Never looked up.

 

That is very sad, East. I can remember all these years later the joy of sitting and watching games with my dad. Him explaining the finer points of the game. The exact finer points that my young players today have no clue about and even less willingness to put in the time to learn. I just found out my best player is off the Disney World for the rest of the week and we play a team that I thought we should have beaten the first time around. We are so close to learning a lesson about hard work and perserverance and now the summertime vacations take precedence. ARRRGGGHHH!!!

 

I learned alot my 2nd time thru coaching. I did not take rec ball so seriously. I still tried to teach, and we played to win, but my first time it was almost like I was doing it as much for me as I was my son or the other kids. The 2nd time was far more enjoyable for parents, players, and me. We were just as successful too.

 

Start handing out the post game snacks 30 minutes before game time.

 

LOL...dangle them out there when they are coming out of the parking lot...they will hustle then!

 

Little Debbie's at 10U and a trip to Hooters at 12U always worked when I coached...

 

works with the 18-U, too

 

year-round school?

must be track out time????