Often times, when finding information on how to play softball, the primary focus is on the advancements of skills of the players. Not often do you see resources attempting to help advance the skills of the coach. It's not too often you find a good team and a poor coach. Usually a team is good because the coach is good. So how do you achieve that level of competency? Particularly when you are new to softball? Especially if you never played fastpitch softball?
Let me be clear right upfront for all of the dads out there. Just because you played baseball growing up does not mean you can teach your team how to play softball. You have some of the basics, like the number of players on the field, you have to pitch, you have to hit, and you have to field, but the execution of these skills are in many cases quite different. These things will be addressed in separate section on Fastpitch-Softball-Coaching.com.
But before we get into all of that, we need to understand your coaching psychology. How do you handle your players? What is your philosophy on winning and losing? Are you in this to TEACH or to WIN? Unfortunately, those things can be mutually exclusive. Eventually they will line up, but not necessarily right away. Is it about FUN at all cost or WIN (there is that word again) at all cost? Are these things mutually exclusive? How do you bring them into balance? How do you handle disappointment with the team? How do you handle success? How do you motivate the team?
Coaching youth softball brings an awesome responsibility. You may be the first person to be teaching the young lady outside of what her parents may have shown her. How do you balance time between your top and lesser players? How do you teach a love of the game, so they want to come back again and again and can't wait to get to the field be it for a game or practice (especially practice)? How do you keep everyone engaged during the entire practice, balancing the too simple with the too complex? At what levels do you introduce different concepts of the game?
Dealing with teaching the players how to play softball is one thing, but how do you handle your biggest softball fans, the parents? Mishandle, and this will be your undoing. And you will get both ends of the spectrum, from the most engaged parent who believes their daughter will be an Olympic Champion to the parent who looks at your team as nothing more than a babysitting service. Learn how to set expectations with the parents and how to handle these delicate situations. If your parents are not engaged at the proper level, particularly at the travel team level, you will never be able to build a consistent roster that will allow you to continually build on your successes year after year.
For additional information on the various topics of fastpitch softball coaching, check out our Coach's Aids section. You will find books and DVDs that are broken down between overall coaching, pitching and catching, hitting and fielding.
Let's hear from the experienced coaches, what are your thoughts on these topics?
Share Your Views on Handling the Team
What is your philosophy on running your team? What have you tried? What's worked and didn't? Share it!
