Before it becomes a cronic problem we are going to address the issue of parent/fans interjecting themselves into coaching decisions. At no time should a parent/fan be near the dugout during the game. If you need to talk to a player catch them between innings outside the dugout etc. Coaching suggestions or criticism is not wanted and will not be tolerated. If someone has a constructive suggestion and it can be expressed in a respectful manner we are willing to listen but NOT during or immediately after a game.
Examples of what we don't want to hear: Criticism of players or coaches. Constant berating of umpires. Telling coaches how they should manage the game or coach bases. Non encouraging yelling at players on field. Constant second guessing of strategic decisions. We may not always make the right decision but we do our best. I've been coaching recreational and fed baseball for over 15 years and know a few things about coaching and teaching baseball. Coach Gary has been coaching over 30 years. There are a lot of elements that factor into decisions like bunting, hit and run, steal, sacrifice etc.. Decisions are not automatic based on some preconceived baseball formula. Decisions are based on game situation, competitions ability and the abilities of my players involved. Just because a bunt might be a nice thing to do does not mean you do it if your batter can't bunt. A steal is not always automatic if your baserunner can't run. A hit and run does not work if your batter rarely makes contact. You don't always play the infield in with runners in scoring position. When done at the wrong time this creates monster innings out of what might have been minimal damage.
I could go on and on but suffice it to say that a lot of knowledge and experience goes into most of our decisions. As we get to know the players better we will learn to use them more efficiently. If some parent/fans want to get involved and help the boys there are several things that you could do. We could use help at the practices with outfield and throwing batting practice. We will need help with field prep at our home games. We would like someone to take pictures/video and post it on our website. I would love to have someone post stats on our website. It's easy to do and can be as involved or as simple as you wish. I've done most of these things myself the past several years and need a break. My main concern is to prepare the boys to play as well as they are capable of and have the best season possible. With a little help from our parent/fans the coaches can concentrate more on baseball with less distractions. The more help we get the better the overall experience for the boys. Feel free to contact me anytime for any friendly discussions or suggestions. Coach Pat
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