- Phil Rognier

Baseball has a history of "bonehead plays" (Merkle, Lindstrom, Owens, et al) and there are even more "bonehead flaws" that occur EVERY year in youth baseball. These are considered bonehead because once you think about and analyze each, it will be obvious that they are really just common sense concepts that need to be understood and corrected!  As a coach it is your obligation and responsibility to avoid these flaws at all costs, and provide a safe, educational, and FUN environment for the team and ALL its players.  Remember these are just the Top 10…there are many more…BE AWARE!!

1Talking 
Talking is not coaching!  Minimize it and show the players; reinforce the teaching with repetition and drills. "Throw strikes" will not teach a pitcher how to pitch better, but showing him will. Talking wastes time and there is not much available for practice!

2 Your child is the reason you're coaching 
Great, BUT… you must treat all the team as yours and you have an obligation to provide equal attention and opportunity to them. Nepotism died with the monarchy!

3 Trying to win the trophy at any cost 
Youth sports is for the KIDS and not about "hardware".  Smiles are the trophies!!!

4 Coaches win youth games & championships 
Nope…the team with the studs wins!  If you really are a championship coach you will teach the basics and do them over and over and over again!

5 You can 'wing it' because they're 'just kids'. 
You are a role model teaching "life’s little lessons" and preparation/organization is most important. NOTE: "Do not throw to warm up, warm up to throw." Have a plan!

6 Yelling is coaching 
Yelling shuts youngsters down and is unnecessary. Teaching is coaching and respect for others is imperative!
7Hidding 'weak little Johnny' helps the team win 
Every player is different and deserves an opportunity.  'Little Johnny' may not be a star but you can teach him to be a player.  Be fair and patient!

8 Long practices improve the team 
Players have short attention spans and do not learn nor perform after 60 minutes or so. Keep them all busy for 45-50 minutes, do conditioning, recap, and send them home. Require homework to GET GOOD!!

9 You need a regulation field to practice 
You can practice anywhere. Baseball is a game of individual skill sets and players improve with repetition. Practice can be in a park, back yard, anywhere. Be creative!

10 You can coach the team by yourself 
Why?  Utilize parents, siblings, volunteers, etc. The more "coaches" the better! It is not rocket science and the more individual attention youngsters receive the faster they will learn/improve. The assistants do not need to know the game if you are a COACH!


REMEMBER: "Fun first, skills second, winning a very distant third!"