Training Plan

Pre-Training Routine

Familiarize yourself with the session's drills. It's crucial to have a thorough understanding of the drills, as there won't be much time to refer to them when you're on the field and players are eagerly waiting for instructions.

Dress appropriately. Looking the part of a coach can earn you more respect from the players and boost your confidence in your role.

Arrive ahead of time and prepare. Being late can result in a rushed session, detracting from the training experience for both you and the players.

In-Training Routine

Stay organized. Knowing the session well and arriving early sets you off on the right foot. Having training materials at hand helps you stay organized and reduces distractions if you need to reference something or tweak an activity to maintain player interest.

Show enthusiasm. Your personality and enthusiasm will significantly influence your players. Your passion for baseball led you to coaching, so don't hesitate to express your love for the game and the players you're training.

Keep a positive attitude. Focusing on the positives and recognizing good performances can benefit players more than focusing on mistakes.

Speak loudly and clearly. Using a firm, clear, and loud voice ensures that players hear your instructions and maintains their attention.

Coaching Methodology

Pause. When delivering a teaching point using one of the teaching methods—Command, Question and Answer, and Guided Discovery—it's important to stop the activity and get the players' attention.

Demonstrate. Visualization aids learning, so show them what it should look like.

Practice. Allow the players to try it out, ensuring they understand before moving on.

Resume. Once they've grasped the concept, continue the activity.

Training Session Plan

Dynamic warm-up. Warm-ups are designed to get the players (and coach) moving and loosened up. A standard warm-up should be included at the start of each training session. Time: 5 to 15 minutes. See Dynamic Warm-up Exercises.

Refer to Skills and Drills for practice activities.

Game: The game provides a chance to apply new techniques and enjoy some fun. It can be included at the end of each training session. Time: 30 to 35 minutes.

Post-Training Routine

Key takeaways. Reiterate the key points of the session. Remind the players what was focused on.

What went well. Discuss what the players did well during the training.

Areas for improvement. Identify areas that need improvement. Avoid singling out individual players during team discussions. Instead, have one-on-one conversations with the players.

Clean-up. Encourage players to collect all their equipment and trash. Remove all your equipment and garbage. Rake, cover, turn off the lights, etc. In essence, leave the field as you would like to find it if you were the next team to use it.