COACHING PHILOSOPHY

Don Shula: "My coaching philosophy? Determine your players talents and give them every weapon to get the most from those talents."

Oddly enough, my first entry specifically on philosophy will likely be my most pragmatic. As I prepared for coaching this year, I spent some time meditating on my tactical coaching philosophy for my youth team. This information includes what I'm expecting of myself and the players (and parents). It is important to communicate expectations. This not only helps to set a strong foundation for the team, it minimizes false preconceived notions. I hope this helps other coaches as they prepare for whatever game they intend to lead.
 
Goals:

• The overall goal for the season is to develop players and for those players to have fun
• I consider developing the character of the person just as important as developing the skills of the player.

 
My Intentions:

• Continuously improve players towards mastery
• Empower players to grow them as leaders and decision makers
• Correct/discuss player performance in private
• Reward players for hard work and dedication

 
My Expectations:
Sportsmanship: is paramount and includes respect for coaches, officials and each other

• I ask players not to speak when a coach is speaking

• Players should listen to each other and treat each other kindly
• Never argue with an official - This goes for me as well - I am modeling respect for the role, the authority of the role and the training they’ve had. It’s a difficult job. It doesn’t mean that I don’t care about sticking up for our team, I am just more concerned with modeling respect. 

Care of equipment: gloves or any other equipment is always treated with the utmost respect - never thrown around
Enthusiasm: always express interest in reaching your full potential

• Our team theme this year: dig deep, work hard, play together
• When we move, we run

Control: always remain in control, even in crisis situations.

• We are not ruled by our circumstances and we choose how to behave in a given situation. Our behavior isn’t out of our control.

Persistence: I typically lean towards having players work through hard times, so that they learn how to dig deep
Safety: players are expected to be aware of their surroundings and thinking through the consequences of their actions before acting.
Accountability: There will be consequences for breaking our team values, whether that be reduced playing time or sprints. We all can’t reach our full potential without playing together.
 
Parent/Player Concerns:

• Any concerns during the season please address them with me directly, before going to the league (unless they are about me, then please feel free to go directly to the league)

If you enjoyed this new meditation on the deeper meaning of the game, you’ll love THE ART OF WAR AND BASEBALL!! Check it out here: www.theartofwarandbaseball.com