Tee Ball Coach - The Biggest Mistake You Can Make!
Being a youth tee ball coach tee ball coach means being a jack of all trades. All at once you are expected to be a counselor, friend, discipliner, teacher, and confidant. You are expected to maintain control but respect your players and foster an environment of fun. Fun generally comes from success, but you cannot focus too much on winning. There is a delicate balance you must strike as a tee ball coach, and here we show you what some of the most common tee ball coaching mistakes are and how to avoid them. Each tip gives you examples of what to do in certain situations, how to fix things when they have gone wrong, and how to avoid falling into the same error again. There are ways to prevent these mistakes from happening as well as tips for handling things in the moment. We know that tee ball coaching is difficult; we also know that your patience, dedication, and love for the sport will help you do it successfully! 1. Win, Win, Win Winning-focused tee ball coaching happens when a tee ball coach teaches his/her athletes to “win no matter the cost,” which includes injuries, penalties, or cheating. It also comes about when parents pay excessive amounts to involve their kids in sports and expect to see results. A winning-focused tee ball coach is also one who is very personally emotionally involved in the team and the sport. This type of tee ball coach is one who probably played the game as a youth as well and wants to make up for his/her own mistakes through the conduct of the current athletes. This is a recipe for disaster, because the tee ball coach is no longer focused on the athletes. To avoid falling into the winning-focused trap, start by talking to the parents. Nothing is more important in youth sports than the attitudes of the parents, and they often prescribe to a “win at any cost” mentality. While this may be based on their own past experiences, it could also be a method of showing their pride in their children and wanting them to succeed at any cost. Unfortunately, when parents become winning focused, children do not see that their parents are proud of them or that they want only the best for their children; kids only see that if they do not win, they have disappointed their parents. This changes the entire meaning of sports and makes it harder for youth to perform well. They need a loving, supportive environment to truly thrive. When speaking with parents, make it clear that the point of the season is to learn the basics of technique, develop the discipline of practice and repetition, and focus on working together as a team. Remind parents that their attitudes are a huge influence on their children, and ask them to behave appropriately at sporting events and at practices. Ask them to keep competitiveness to a minimum and to encourage their children, regardless of the outcome of the games. When you set a good example for your athletes, parents will feel compelled to follow your lead, creating the best kind of environment for your athletes. To create a season focused on learning and fun, you must also speak with your athletes. At the beginning of the season, speak with all athletes and tell them your goals for the season. These goals should be achievable but not focused entirely on winning. Instead of saying, “I want us to win 7 games this season,” say something like, “I want everyone to personally improve 3 things about their technique in the game. I’d also like to focus on keeping a positive team attitude and working together. It is important to me that you support each other instead of competing against each other. The point of a team is to work as one to achieve a common goal. Our goal is having fun, playing well, and hopefully winning the game!”
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