Where to start...
The decision to coach is a big decision, but a rewarding one. Whether you are taking your first shot at this whole coaching thing or you've been doing it for decades it is important to understand your players and their developmental needs to help them fall in love with the game and progress in their technical skills and knowledge of the sport.
At the Tot Ball, T-Ball, and Coach Pitch level you will be working with ages 4-8 years. This is the beginning of their relationship with the game of baseball or softball. The main goal of the experience is to help each child fall in love with the game. A great coach will inspire a team of players who cannot wait to get to the diamond for practices and games. To make this happen, the experience must be fun.
Your team will include players at all different levels. Since each child develops at a different pace, you may have a future star that is actually stages behind the rest of their team. It is important that every player be given the opportunity to learn at their current stage. There should be no pressure to perform, but every opportunity to learn, grow, make friends, and be taught a basic understanding of the game, its rules and techniques. Patience is important! The values of determination, persistence, and managing emotions when players don't get it the first time or feel frustration can be great life lessons. Players should always be met with cheers for their effort and encouraged to try again.
A basic understanding of technique is beneficial at this age, but it is important to not expect technical expertise of these young players who are still developing. Too much emphasis on technical perfection in these early years can lead to burn out and players who do not want to continue playing.
Planning your practices...
Planning a practice can be a daunting task. Just because you played the sport or love to watch it, does not mean you have the perfect activities or words to explain it to the youngest of players. Below are some websites that provide a variety of activities to make your practices for these young players both fun and instructional.
How to Teach a Kid to Hit a Baseball by Jack Crosbie, on Fatherly.com
5 Little League Drills that Teach Players to Hit and Field by Blake Harper, on Fatherly.com
12 Essential & Fun Baseball Drills for Beginners by Ryan Basham, on BaseballMadeFun.com
5 Awesome Baseball Fielding Drills for Beginners on Baseball-Tutorials.com
6 to 7 Year Old Baseball Batting Drills by Matthew Schrim on Livestrong.com
Baseball Hitting Mechanics 101 on Baseball-Tutorials.com
Teaching Fielding Fundamentals - Ground Balls on TeamSnap.com
How to Field a Ground Ball by Doug Bernier, on ProBaseballInsider.com