pREFACE
I have been blessed to be a youth sports coach for both boys and girls ages 8 - 22 for many years. In reflecting upon how I could give back to the coaching profession through this book, I asked myself, “What is the most important part of coaching?”
The answer was easy.
It is not the “x’s and o’s”, i.e., the mechanics of the sport, that are the most important part of coaching. The most important part of coaching is developing character in your players.
Therefore, I wrote this book to give others the benefit of my coaching experience so they can make a real difference in the lives of their players. “Experience”, by the way, does not mean that I always did things right. Many times I did, but sometimes I learned what I should have done.
In the book, what I say applies equally to both men and women coaches and to both boy and girl athletes. For ease of reading, I have not always referred to both genders in a sentence. When I do not, please understand that both genders are always implied unless I specifically state to the contrary.
There may be things in this book that those who read it do not know. There may be things in this book that those who read it already know, but they are in denial about admitting. And there may be things in this book that those who read it already know and acknowledge, but they are grateful I took the time to write them down so they can use them as an easy reference.
Most importantly, I want the persons who read this book to pass along the information to other coaches and athletes. As Jackie Robinson said, "The measure of a life's significance is the impact it had on other lives”.
Most of this book is not about the fundamentals and mechanics of coaching baseball. In short, this book is more about methodology than mechanics.
The methodology and lessons I recommend in this book apply to coaching all sports, not just baseball.
I will admit, however, that I’m amazed I could write an entire book and not give my opinion in great detail about how to properly throw, field or hit a baseball. After many years of coaching many successful baseball players and teams, I think I have sound advice on how to do these things, but many resources already exist describing them. I have given you some great references for this in the Bibliography at the end of the book. What I’ve done instead is to give you tools and a process so that while you’re coaching the “x’s and o’s”, you can be sure your players are getting the most from your coaching, about your sport, but more importantly, about life.
Successful coaching starts with understanding the individual players on the team. You may coach a team sport, but until you understand the strengths, weaknesses, values, emotional make-up, hopes and dreams of each of your players, you cannot truly be a successful coach. In other words, to successfully develop the player you must understand, connect with, and develop the athlete. And to successfully develop the athlete you must understand, connect with, and develop the person.
Almost all of the coaches I know and observe do this backward and are, thus, not as successful as they could be at getting the most out of their teams.
Your success as a coach is not defined by your wins and losses. Your success is defined by how many of your players want to teach others using principles regarding what you taught them about life not sports, i.e., if your players use what you taught them to be great parents, spouses, and community and business leaders.
You will be a successful coach when you stop coaching primarily to win championships. Although if you follow the advice I give to you in this book, you will win championships. You will be a successful coach when you are successful at developing players with high moral character and integrity - Champions for Life.
It is for you, for them, and for that purpose that I wrote this book.
Click on the following links to read excerpts from the chapters of my book:
Developing Championship People
Developing Championship Athletes
Preparing to Develop Championship Players
Developing Championship Players
Championship Mental Conditioning
Developing Championship Teams
Developing Championship Leaders & Team Chemistry
Let Champions Play
Coaching Championship Games
Developing Career and College-Bound Champions
The answer was easy.
It is not the “x’s and o’s”, i.e., the mechanics of the sport, that are the most important part of coaching. The most important part of coaching is developing character in your players.
Therefore, I wrote this book to give others the benefit of my coaching experience so they can make a real difference in the lives of their players. “Experience”, by the way, does not mean that I always did things right. Many times I did, but sometimes I learned what I should have done.
In the book, what I say applies equally to both men and women coaches and to both boy and girl athletes. For ease of reading, I have not always referred to both genders in a sentence. When I do not, please understand that both genders are always implied unless I specifically state to the contrary.
There may be things in this book that those who read it do not know. There may be things in this book that those who read it already know, but they are in denial about admitting. And there may be things in this book that those who read it already know and acknowledge, but they are grateful I took the time to write them down so they can use them as an easy reference.
Most importantly, I want the persons who read this book to pass along the information to other coaches and athletes. As Jackie Robinson said, "The measure of a life's significance is the impact it had on other lives”.
Most of this book is not about the fundamentals and mechanics of coaching baseball. In short, this book is more about methodology than mechanics.
The methodology and lessons I recommend in this book apply to coaching all sports, not just baseball.
I will admit, however, that I’m amazed I could write an entire book and not give my opinion in great detail about how to properly throw, field or hit a baseball. After many years of coaching many successful baseball players and teams, I think I have sound advice on how to do these things, but many resources already exist describing them. I have given you some great references for this in the Bibliography at the end of the book. What I’ve done instead is to give you tools and a process so that while you’re coaching the “x’s and o’s”, you can be sure your players are getting the most from your coaching, about your sport, but more importantly, about life.
Successful coaching starts with understanding the individual players on the team. You may coach a team sport, but until you understand the strengths, weaknesses, values, emotional make-up, hopes and dreams of each of your players, you cannot truly be a successful coach. In other words, to successfully develop the player you must understand, connect with, and develop the athlete. And to successfully develop the athlete you must understand, connect with, and develop the person.
Almost all of the coaches I know and observe do this backward and are, thus, not as successful as they could be at getting the most out of their teams.
Your success as a coach is not defined by your wins and losses. Your success is defined by how many of your players want to teach others using principles regarding what you taught them about life not sports, i.e., if your players use what you taught them to be great parents, spouses, and community and business leaders.
You will be a successful coach when you stop coaching primarily to win championships. Although if you follow the advice I give to you in this book, you will win championships. You will be a successful coach when you are successful at developing players with high moral character and integrity - Champions for Life.
It is for you, for them, and for that purpose that I wrote this book.
Click on the following links to read excerpts from the chapters of my book:
Developing Championship People
Developing Championship Athletes
Preparing to Develop Championship Players
Developing Championship Players
Championship Mental Conditioning
Developing Championship Teams
Developing Championship Leaders & Team Chemistry
Let Champions Play
Coaching Championship Games
Developing Career and College-Bound Champions
