Each chart below draws some conclusion or makes some statement about the results. More importantly, we received a wealth of comments on the related topics of coaching standard, criminal record checks, and administrative responsibility.

Should we hold coaches to a higher standard... Should coaches be certified and by whom... What should certification be based on... Who should do the training/testing... Should coached be kept from coaching... Do we need criminal record checks... If so, what convictions should lead to bans... who makes that decision...

Before getting into some of the pro/con comments, more than one reply brought to our attention a non-profit called the Positive Coaching Alliance. Also of interest might be the National Coaching Certification Program which is the backbone of Canada's coaching system. More than one US baseball coach on first exposure to the NCCP has expressed a wish that something similar could happen in the States. Based on replies below, it might not be possible, but there seems to be a lot of interest in getting something going along those lines. And in a recent update, there is a definite possibility that Ripken Baseball will be moving towards having their coaches certified.

Also, in terms of stand-out comments, we received one email from a player who didn't understand why criminal record checks would be needed - wouldn't all associations obviously avoid asking criminals to coach? There is a degree of trust there that may not be warranted - how well does any of us really know the coaches we see every week. As someone at a recent coaching conference said: we wouldn't leave our kids with a babysitter for even a couple of hours unless we knew she had taken a course and was properly trained. Why then do we leave our kids with coaches for 15-30 hours a week without knowing much about them? Why, indeed.

Yes there are a lot of comments here, and yet we received way more than we can post and many of these have been edited for brevity and clarity.

The first goal is to protect the kids from bad coaches. The second goal is to provide a coaching program that is the same across the board. One team should not suffer because the coach is clueless or doesn't have the tools to teach the kids.
- Jim

Does knowing all the answers make a good coach or is a good coach someone who is more concerned with the child than the childs ability? Most of us volunteers (coaches) do this because we enjoy both the kids and the game.
- Coach Joe

Anyone, and I mean anyone, teachers, umpires, religious leaders, and coaches have a duty to be models for those they lead. Yes mistakes are made by all of us, but all behaviors have consequences. The questions about convictions must have a finite time period for which exclusion is covered, except sex offenses for which a lifetime ban must be stated.
- K. Parcel

i have seen associations worrying about overloading new coaches to the point that they might quit. If they do not want to get better themselves, how can they expect the player to get better? Personally, I buy just about every book or video and attend every conference and I learn more more each time. I also ask every player who I have coached, when I see them, about the coaching they are getting at college or the Pros and how they teach it and I have refined some of my drills to theirs.
- Bob Burkmar [Ed. note: we have seen Bob in action - a very good high-level coach.]

Have local committee of committed coaches develop and implement their baseball leauge certification program. Avoid a National/international certification program due to the tendencies of Certification Programs turning into nothing more than a valueless money-making scheme.
- Dominic Maenza [Ed. note: Not all programs are in it for the money.]

Certification benefits everyone. The better we understand how to teach in each age level the better coach we become. I have over 20 videos and tapes on how to teach skills of baseball most of them are very good, others are not. On books I have about 18 and from everyone of them I learn and work on the principles with my son. I take seminars any time that are available. The desire to teach the proper way and to learn is a personal choice I am allways willing to do both. Certification can be done in the off season and a sponsor can cover the cost.
- Willie Rodriguez

Coaches need to be certified. Coaches who have taken the NCCP levels in Canada learn both the practical part of the game as well as the theories which help them to understand the fundamentals behind all sports. The theories help you to understand the children of the age group you are coaching. For example, the physical limits as well as the emotional influences that they are going through at that age. When I took the Levels it helped me understand better what to expect from the players. These Levels also set standards that can be used by all coaches of the same age divisions. In that way, the coaches of the same association can coach more or less the same, and players can expect to understand what is being coached no matter who they play for. When a player moves up a division, and the coaches are certified, the coaching ideas should be the same, which helps for continuity throughout the association. I also think that a coach that is certified is more likely to be more dedicated to the task than someone who is just there to help out. They will spend more time getting prepared for practices and games and make sure that the players are getting the best out of themselves as well. This is not to say that all coaches who aren't certified are not good coaches, but anything that can help you to be prepared and any extra knowledge that you can obtain will definitely give you an advantage. Children can be hard enough to figure out on their own outside of sport, so take the opportunity to get the extra training to help you coach them properly.
- Warren Eisthen

If an independent national association were created to offer instruction and certification, that would be ideal. I would be willing to be trained and certified. Certification would probably need to be somewhat voluntary at first, but if it grew, parents would begin demanding it, and leagues who had certified coaches would begin pulling in more kids than those who did not offer certified coaches.
The issue of banning coaches is more difficult. I believe in redemption, but I also believe in protecting our youth. I would be more inclined to allow people with criminal records to act as coaches under the supervision of managers without any arrests. Sex crimes would automatically disqualify.
- D. Baits

Each league should have mandated practice routines for at least agees 5-12 in which the number of practices and what they do and teach should be outlined and followed. The league should say "for this practice you work on these three skills, the next practice work on these three" and so on for at least their first ten practices. This would ensure that all the kids are taught the fundamental skills. This would also alliviate some of the moms and dads from saying "our coach knows nothing." This would also give the coaches some organization and confidence and for the players at least they would know what skills they were going to work on during their practices. In college ball, we knew everything we were going to do every five minutes of practice.
- Rick Erwin

You do not have to be a great baseball player to be a great teacher (coach); the converse being that a great player does not necessarily make a great teacher. I have had experience with a number of ex-MLB players that might have been very good as players, but fail miserably as teachers. Being competent does not necessarily imply the ability to effectively convey this information to others, particularly youth. Also, many very good players do not fully understand what it is that makes them able to function at the level that they do. Nolan Ryan's pitching coach was not a better pitcher than Nolan Ryan. Certification is certainly a step in the right direction [but it] must be done by competent teachers.
- Dan G.

If our league Commissioners and Managers were willing to train parents and others who want to coach but don't have the knowledge or skill sets to do so, we'd have a lot more teams and a lot more volunteers. I'd like LL or some organization (i.e., Partnership Coaching Alliance) to take the lead on this and force the issue down through the ranks. I guess if it was forced upon us our guys would have no choice other than to accept it or get out of coaching. It's ashame that it would have to come to that, but if that is what it takes then I'm all for it.
- Mike Waters

It is hard enough to get coaches. As a high school coach I help during the summer league to teach pitchers. This makes the rest of the kids come out and play. It also helps the whole league advance, because you have pitchers. This makes it much easier to find coaches because you have 2 or 3 pitchers per team to start the season off. As far as being certified or trained, it would be nice, but it doesn't happen. Anyone that offers is considered.
- Wayne Lyons

Each year my league has a county-wide 3-hour instructional course that all managers from various leagues are requested to attend. I have learned a great deal from these courses as they provide teaching techniques and drills that may be used during practices. I also teach myself using WebBall and some purchased books.
I do not feel there should be a mandated Certification course....you will end up losing a lot of managers that way. People do not have the time and they would feel 'put off'. I have this experience from other volunteer organizations I have been involved with (ambulance corps). We also had a scheduled Manager Training Course cancelled due to lack of interest. The cost factor turned coaches away.
- Jason Lukasiewicz [Ed. note - we understand the time/cost concerns, and would hope that association fees cover coach-training fees. On the example given, is it just us or does everyone hope that ambulance corp people are not 'put off' by being trained?]

Coaches should all be certified, period. Either they become certified by going to a local coaching clinic, or the District League has a coaching clinic where coaches are separated by the level they are/will be coaching. Too many times do I see 'coaches' just have a 'batting practice' where they pitch and everyone else stands around shagging, or coaches that show up without a practice plan. Will it happen? I doubt it, as long as some leagues have trouble just getting someone to coach. Myself, I've never had problems getting coaches for my teams. And more importantly, those men have been able to take my methods and forms and use them on their own teams later. I myself have been certificated in all types of programs.
- Joe Venegas Jr.

Good idea, will never work on a national level. Too many different baseball leagues... Little League, USSSA, Pony, Babe Ruth, Dixie, American Legion, AAU, AABC, and the list goes on. Should amateur coaches be certified? It would be nice if there was training you could afford, but most training that is out there comes from ex-pros who are trying to cash in on that fact. What should the coaching certification be based on? I think it should be based on ones desire to teach the best game ever invented.
- Terry Boyer

USA Hockey has a well thought out coaching certification program. A higher level of certification (more classes) is needed for coaching older kids. Knowing little about hockey (my son decided to play out of the blue.) I decided to take the coach inititation program. It was a one day seminar. Not only did it provide exceptional written material in regard to drills, ect. the oral presentation was very good. The biggest benefit of the plan was the written material providing drills and talking points on specific areas. If USA Baseball could step in and put something like this together, I personally think it would benefit many kids.
- Tim Meade

Coaching certification presents so many positive aspects that i am suprised that it has not become manditory nationwide. With training/certification even a new coach has been given the basic tools and fundamentals to provide his/her players with proper instruction of the mental, physical and mechanical components of bball. Parents have the peace of mind to know that the instructor their child has been placed with is there because he/she wants to be there, has the players best interests in mind, has up to date basic knowledge of the sport and has been certified by the national standards of acceptance/conduct to teach. Players get an adult authority figure, instructor, role model, that can provide them with a solid foundation of basic mechanical skills, instruction and understanding of baseball as well as the ability to access/acquire training/teaching aids from regional/national associations to further assist players development.
- Blair Halek

When my three boys started I tried to be like a sponge... absorbing all the knowledge I could get from the more experienced parents and coaches in the leagues. I watched, learned, read articles and viewed videos to make myself better so that I could provide a better experience for my boys and the other kids that I was entrusted with. Over the years I have seen good intentioned parents try to coach and it just solidifies my belief that if a parent is going to coach (in any sport) they should be certified and tested.
- Rich Glowacki

I agree with you whole heartedly that just because you played doesn't mean that you can teach, If that was the case, then everyone that finished school could go back and teach at that school. You should have to go though training before you can coach baseball, that's the way it's done in soccer. Being certified might help with a lot of the problems we are having with youth sports in general ( injuries, dicipline, non-respect for the sport).
- John McAllister

This is a tough one. I think it is difficult to judge a man or woman on the events of their past, but at the same time they cannot be ignored. Our job as Coaches is to build character, good athletes and good people. I am a former athlete but as a coach I work very hard to understand the game better. Coaches need to be evaluated and certified to establish a level of expectation much like most coaches do for their players. If this is done correctly I don't think you eliminate inexperienced coaches as much as you eliminate those coaches unwilling to learn and unwilling to focus on the most important element, the players and their personal and athletic development. All coaches should be required to attend at least one coaches clinic each year.
- Rick Garhart

Inexperienced parents who don't have the knowledge and skills to provide critical coaching instruction to our eager, thirsty baseball youth are doing a disservice to our baseball players potential. Let's establish a common level of coaching competency and insist that youth coaches meet or exceed this threshold.
The matter of behavioral standards is touchy. We all want coaches with high moral character and integrity to lead and establish the greatest in our youth, but even good/great coaches have vices. We have to be careful how a minor offense is handled. Obviously the serious offenses can't and shouldn't be permitted, but if drinking and smoking are done in private and don't lead to the influence of the youth baseball player, and don't lead to serious criminal offenses, these need to be taken in stride.
- Coach Doug Lyons

if you as a coach or manager had played baseball at least up to the high school or higher level that you can be more effective at all aspects of the game than someone that just took a class and passed the test! I also believe that local groups should have classes for the new coach, the guy that wants to help but never played or only played up to little league level ball.
- Dave Zigmont

I spend hours with my little guy and I expect those skills to be reinforced in organizaed baseball leagues. Problem is they let anyone coach. My philosophy if kids learn they will have fun, if they have fun and learn they will evenutally win and whether we like to admit it or not, winning is also fun! If kids can't learn because they have an inept coach, they probabaly will not have much fun. I think a certifcation course is absolutely mandatory. And yes, I would be willing to take it myself and I have played baseball all my life from little league to college to senior leagues.
- Michael Chidiac