NGSSA Coaching Philosophy

People coach for many different reasons. Some coach because they love the sport, some because they enjoy developing and influencing young people, some because they have a child who will play on the team. They are all good reasons to coach youth softball. In fact, no matter why you choose, taking the time to help young athletes learn softball is an important contribution to their development and, consequently, to our community.

You are now facing the upcoming softball season. Have you coached softball before? Have you thought about what you plan to do? Have you ever worked with beginning players? Do you know how to teach specific skills? Even if the answer is yes, you will need to upgrade and be informed on the most current information. If you are determined to help the players on your team have a POSITIVE AND SUCCESSFUL SOFTBALL EXPERIENCE, you must take the time to attend all of the meetings, study and keep up with the league, and tournament rules. As a result you will be on your way to a successful season.

It is important for every coach to establish a `COACHING PHILOSOPHY'. For this philosophy will help you and NGSSA determine common goals and allow all of us to head in the same direction. You should think about how your goals support the goals of NGSSA, and how you plan to, along with NGSSA accomplish these goals.

You may want to consider one of two major coaching philosophies. You might choose to emphasize winning as the most important objective, or YOU MIGHT STRESS PARTICIPATION, FUN, AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT AS THE MOST IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE. This is NGSSA's philosophy.

NGSSA's PHILOSOPHY: We advocate through our program ATHLETES FIRST, WINNING SECOND. By this statement we mean that every decision you make as a coach should first be in the best interest of your young athletes, and second the desire to win. NGSSA hopes that helping young girls to develop physically, psychologically, and socially will always be more important to you as a coach than winning at all cost.

ATHLETES FIRST, WINNING SECOND does not mean winning is unimportant , or said more accurately that striving to win is unimportant. You should instill in your players a desire to win, to strive to do their best, to pursue excellence. However, the outcome of the game, the winning or losing, is not the most important objective. The most important objective is that your players try to win, that they try their best and have fun! If they do their best, they will have been successful regardless of the outcome of the game.

This philosophy is reflected in how you present yourself to the players on your team. As a coach, you are in an influential position. Thus, HOW you teach will be as important as WHAT you teach. To implement the NGSSA philosophy, consider the following points:

A) BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL. Present a model for behavior that you want to emulate. Set positive examples at practice and games.

B) EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT. Treat each player as an important human being. Each player will have a different personality and different needs. Be sensitive to these differences and show interest and concern for each team member.

C) CONSIDER THE AGE AND SKILL LEVELS OF YOUR PLAYERS. Your athletes will be full of energy and eager to try many skills. However, they are also young and not yet capable of performing as adults. This means you must approach your athletes at their skill level. Do not expect them to play at your level.

D) CONSIDERED INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. Teach fundamental softball skills according to the ability of each player. Some players will be fast learners with whom you can progress rapidly. Other players will not learn as quickly, so you will need to progress more slowly with them.

E) KEEP EVERYONE ACTIVE. Organize your practices and games so that each player is able to participate as much as possible. Young players want to play softball for many reasons, one of the most important is to have fun participating. If they are not kept active in practices, or allowed to play in games, they will quickly lose interest.

F) INCLUDE ATHLETES IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS. Young athletes should have an input as to what skills they practice and how to practice them. Ask your players what they need to work on, how they want to be grouped for practice, and what positions they would like to play. Naturally, young athletes should not control the practice, but do consider their interests and ideas when designing practices and playing games.

G) BE PATIENT. You will need to have patience with beginning players who are learning softball. Softball skills require timing, coordination, and glove control that can only be developed by repeated practice. Encourage your players to develop their skills, and reinforce players for their effort and skill development. When young players learn new skills, both you and your players will be proud.

Thank you!

NGSSA Board of Directors