Coaches should always remember that it is about the players- for if there were no players, there would be no coaches. A coach’s job is to teach his players the skills necessary to prepare the player for the next level of play. Grooming players to be sportsmen on and off the field should be the primary concern. Winning is secondary. Coaches should do their coaching prior to the game and let the players play the game. An effective coach will simply teach skills and sound baseball team fundamentals and not worry about micromanaging during the game; the key word being game--- let them play! An effective coach will teach his players to be aggressive on the bases; this will help the player learn his abilities and limitations, better preparing him for the next level of play. Aggressive baserunning also forces the defense to be nearly perfect on every play. The effective coach also stresses the importance of the strike zone. As hitting a baseball is undoubtedly the single most difficult skill to master in any sport, the batter must learn to make the pitcher pitch to him. The effective coach teaches the batter to be selective and wait for his pitch, based on the count. Most importantly, while doing all this, the effective coach should realize that each player is an individual and will allow that individuality to shine through. Remember that baseball is a game that we can play, not a chore we must do. Keep it fun!

Happy summer campers show off their new Mason-Dixon Baseball bats.