Month: December 2017

Cringe Moments

• Early on Jack was bothered by the ‘know-it-all’ kids, but over the years he has learned to stick with them and they can become some of your best supporters

Teaching skills

• Start with talking with the kids about their individual strengths and weaknesses
• Set up short-term and long-term plans with them
• Utilize multiple stations with small groups to keep everyone

Achieving peak performance mentally

• Confidence comes and goes, it’s the coaches job to keep stay optimistic. Good things happen in the players’ heads when you have confidence in them and let them know you believe in them.
• Confidence comes from perfecting the fundamentals

Attitude

• When Jack was playing in the Dodgers organization, the Dodgers came down to watch a couple players  in the minor leagues. One player was on fire, and the other was struggling. A few weeks later they called up the player who was struggling. They said it was because they were so impressed with the attitude of the player while he was struggling.

Parents

• It’s critical to have a meeting with the parents before the season and explain your philosophies on playing time, strategies, etc.
• Continue that communication with updates to the parents throughout the season

Coaching your own kids

• Each kid is different. Some embrace learning from their parent, some resist it.

The One that Got Away

• Jack made the last out of the season in a one game playoff when with the Dodgers
• Failure is a great motivator to work harder

Favorite books/quotes

• All books by John Wooden

Baseball coaching 

• Website/Book: baseballcoaching.tips
• Creating a Season to Remember – A great A to Z resource for coaching a team
• Podcast: Something Worth Catching

Parting Advice

• Stay ahead of the curve. There are so many resources, keep learning.