by Guest Author Becky Wittenburg
Balancing all the roles of being a softball coach can be difficult, especially when what a player needs personally may be at odds with the best thing for the team. This short article helps coaches find a balance between acting as a friend and teaching a team how to be successful softball players.
Mentor
A coach's primary duty when working with young people is to act as a positive adult role model. Even on competitive teams, coaches must strive to bring their team together and build life skills while focusing on increasing sports ability.
When we talk about being a mentor, it means that the coach acts as someone the players can trust and go to with problems or questions. A mentor's actions speak louder than their words, so coaches must take care to be on their guard when around players.
Expert
The coach's next important role is to act as the team's expert at softball. Players will look to the coach to understand what they need to improve on, how to do certain things, and what they already excel at.
As the expert, coaches need to be both confident and friendly. Show that you know what you are talking about. If you as the coach can't demonstrate something, make sure you have someone available who can. This helps cement you as the team's expert and makes you more approachable to athletes.
Friend
As a neutral adult in the athletes' lives, coaches are also well positioned to act as a friend at times. This means letting them play around, or ignoring innocent things you hear that they may not want their parents to know.
Juggling Roles
Coaches can play multiple roles, but knowing what a situation calls for can be difficult. When athletes are stressed out or dealing with personal issues, friendship can be the most valuable quality you bring to the table. Sometimes, this even means putting the athlete's needs above the team's needs.
If the athlete is unable to concentrate or is performing poorly, give them a few minutes to try to collect themselves. Talk as a friend and recognize when they need some space. Don't feel the need to call attention to the situation by sharing it with other players.
If a few minutes away doesn't solve things, consider sending the player home for the day. As the expert, you need to make sure your team performs its best, but as the mentor, you must protect the mental and physical health of your players. In this situation, briefly explain to the team that the athlete is dealing with a personal issue and will be gone for the practice or event. Move on, and don't allow speculation or gossip.
If you find that an athlete is simply underperforming, watch for problems with technique that may not have been there before. Ask the athlete to step up as a leader on the team and show the other players what it means to fight through a bad practice or game.
And if you'd like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:
http://www.softball-spot.com/vid/
Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com, the web's #1 resource for softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becky_Wittenburg
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