Expectations
of a
Coach...........
The
easiest way
to predict
whether a
Little
League team
is going to
have a
positive and
successful
season is to
listen to
the
expectations
of the
coach.
Coaches, it
is critical
to set goals
and
expectations
that are
reachable
and focused
on the
developing
your players
and the
team.
When you are
talking to
your team be
careful not
to use
“I”
statements.
Here are a few I
have heard;
“I
want to win
the league
this year.”
...or… “I
have
always had a
winning
season, and I
expect you
to give
me
another
one.” …or… “I
expect you
to win today
and so do
your
parents…don’t
let me
down.” …or…
“I
can’t
believe you
are not
blowing
these guys
away
today…you
are
embarrassing
me
out there.”
You see,
coaching a
Little
League team
is not
supposed to
be about
you. You
can’t go out
on the
diamond to
field a
ball, pitch
or step up
to the plate
to hit, so
how can you
get credit
for a win? I
have never
seen wins
and losses
recorded
next to a
coach’s name
in the
league
standings
and I hope I
never do.
Winning and
losing is
what teams
do and as
you know
there are so
many things
that
influence
the outcome
of a game
and most are
completely
out of your
control.
The longer
you coach
the more you
realize
winning
looks after
itself, so
just step up
and support
your team on
game day and
enjoy
watching
your players
compete.
Here is how
I set and
shared my
expectations
with the Little
League
teams that I
worked with:
First, you
don’t have
to tell your
players that
one of your
goals is to
win. The
players
already have
that one
covered,
they want to
win every
game and the
championship.
Each
pre-season I
would work
with my
assistant
coaches and
assess the
talent and
experience
on our team.
Then we
would
estimate the
number of
wins we
believed the
team could
achieve
during the
season and
set our
expectations
accordingly.
Here are a
couple of
typical
scenarios
coaches will
experience:
Scenario
#1 - Setting
expectations
for a team
with average
talent and
experience
We have a
look at the
team and
predict we
should end
up in the
middle of
the pack and
win about
eight
games in a
16-game
schedule.
Knowing
this, we
would set
expectations
at a level
we are
pretty sure
the team
will reach.
I would tell
the players;
“Given our
experience…and
how solid
the other
teams are in
the league…
“I am going
to be
excited and
proud you
guys when we
win our
fourth
game”. If
you pick a
goal that is
well within
reach you
take the
pressure off
the players.
In this case
your team
will
probably
meet your
goal of
winning four
games early
in the
season. When
that
happens, I
let them
know how
excited I am
and we have
a little mid-season
celebration.
Of course
you have
bigger goals
and so do
the players
(and their
parents) but
approaching
team goals
this way
builds
confidence
and momentum
early on and
will likely
spur them on
to several
more
victories
during the
balance of
the season.
Scenario
#2 - Setting
expectations
for a team
with lots of
talent and
experience
The toughest
team to
coach, by
far, is the
team that is
favored to
win the
league
championship.
I use the
same
approach and
set
expectations
at a level
that I know
the team
would reach.
If I had a
team with
lots of
experience,
several of
the best
players in
the league,
with solid
pitching and
hitting I
would set my
expectations
at winning
eight
games of a
16-game
schedule. In
this case we
should be
able to
celebrate
the eighth win
as a team
well before
the end of
the season
and then go
out and get
more wins
and build
some
momentum for
the
playoffs.
Over the
years, I
have
learned, it
is a big
mistake to
set
expectations
too high,
especially
when you
think you
have a great
team. If the
team
performs
below the
coach’s
expectations
everyone
gets
frustrated.
The coach,
players and
parents and
it is no fun
for anyone.
In Scenario
#2, coaches
often fall
into the
trap of
saying
things like;
“This is our
year to win
the
championship.”
Players
interpret
anything
short of
winning the
championship
as a total
failure, and
it shouldn’t
be. A team
could go
16-0 and
lose a close
playoff game
on an
unlucky
bounce or
when they
run into a
hot team and
they feel
like losers.
Going 17-1
is a
tremendous
year and
goes way
beyond the
expectation
of 8-8. Of
course
players are
always
disappointed
when they
lose but
should be
very proud
of their
accomplishment.
Coaches,
remember
players are
very
motivated to
reach your
expectations
as long as
they are
within reach
and at the
same time
are never
limited by
them.
Written by
Al Price
(for al and
AL)
Al Herback
and Al
Price,
authors and
instructors
of the
Little
League
Education
Program
authored
this
coaching
tip. The
training
materials
they have
put together
include
hundreds of
drills,
competitions
and fun
activities.
They also
include
progressions
to help you
teach the
fundamental
skills and
guidance on
how to plan
practices
for all
levels of
play. Please
go to
www.alandalbaseball.com
for more
information
on the
complete
program
library and to
order your
own set of
training
materials.
To date,
thousands of
leagues and
over one
million
coaches,
managers,
players and
parents have
taken
advantage of
the training
materials.
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