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The best way to be a good Little League coach is to remember you are there for the kids. You are not there to win championships or relive your childhood. Be a good coach means being a good role model by exhibiting good sportsmanship and fair play. If winning is all that matters to you then coaching kids is not what you belong doing. It is always nice to win but not at the cost of a child's spirit.

Too many coaches think they are the next coming of Vince Lombardi. Children do not need that type of coach. Not in little league. Children learning a sport and having fun should be the main focus. Building team spirit and a sense of self worth is integral to being a good coach. Too often coaches make children feel they are not as valuable to the team. They are made to feel less important than the better players.

Screaming at umpires, yelling at players that make mistakes and playing only the best kids are the three worst things a coach can do. If you are that kind of coach you should quit and watch from the stands. If you are the coach that is there just to play your son or daughter at the expense of the other children then you should quit too. Little League was not created to showcase a few talented kids.

A coach has to take a child that has less physical ability and make him or her feel that they are just as important to the team. Each child pays exactly the same amount of money to play. Therefore they should all have equal playing time. Of course that is not always the case because teams have an odd amount of players so some kids will play more. The better athletes who are more serious about playing Little League do get more playing time, it is inevitable.

All kids should be taught the game. They should be given the opportunity to learn different positions. Not all kids will be able to play everywhere because there are some positions like pitcher, catcher and first base that require a bit more ability. Putting a kid in a situation where they could get hurt or made fun of will fail would do more damage than good, not only physically but mentally.

A good Little League coach is able to challenge all of his players. Not all kids are there for the same reason. Some kids are there because they like to play baseball, some are good at it and some are not. Other kids are there because their parents are forcing them to play. The coach has to make sure that at the end of the day each one of his players leaves the field with a sense of accomplishment. He has to adapt his coaching style to the player in front of him. For example, a player who seems to have more ability and knowledge about baseball will not need the same basic coaching skills.

Being fair also means that a coach has to recognize when a player has a real desire to play. I don't think a coach should penalize a kid who is a good player either. There are ways to get the better kids more involved in the game. Let them play different positions. Let them play the more difficult positions. That translates into more innings anyway. Challenge them to keep the score book when they are on the bench. Offer them incentives like being a first base coach or team captain. A good coach also wants to develop these players ability as well. Players will be more respected by the other kids and may even be looked up to not only because of their ability but because of their team play and added responsibility.

The bottom line to being a good coach is to be fair and understanding. Knowing the game at this level is not as important as knowing how to treat kids. Give the kids a good time; let them have fun and most of all treat them with respect.

Learn more about this author, Jay Nolan.
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