This week I dusted off my coaching shoes and got back on the field a little earlier than I had planned.    I’m starting to feel the softball coaching wheels in my head beginning to kick into gear again.  During this week, I had some random coaching thoughts that, in themselves don’t warrant an entire blog post, but I still feel like I need to say them somewhere, so I’m going to jot down a few here in this post.

7 Random Softball Coaching Thoughts

1. I really don’t care much for the use of pitching machines in batting practice.
2. New players help remind you that there may be things you “assume” players know, but sometimes they don’t.  It’s always better to cover concepts you expect players to know even if you think they “should” already know it.
3. The only way to get comfortable and confident in game gear is to practice in game gear.  If you’re going to wear pants in games, wear them in practice.  If you’re going to wear shorts in games, wear them in practice.  If you’re going to wear knee pads or elbow pads in the game, wear them in practice.  In order to prepare for game situations, you must train in settings that are as game-like as possible.
4. Do you have goals and expectations for your team?
5. Have you ever shared those goals and expectations with your players?
6. “Fair” does NOT mean that each player is handled in exactly the same way as others.
7. While it’s great to watch the best and learn from them, it’s also important to be YOU.