Drills night for everyone

[callyjr]

I have heard TG talk about Sunday afternoon games for the kids, let them show up and play ball without a coach. I like the concept and have been trying to figure out how to organize it.

My boy also attended a soccer drills/practice Monday night, Anyone was welcome to come, it goes on every Monday for the rest of the summer and the cost is $50.00 all year. My boy has only played rec soccer with soccer dads coaching so it was a real pleasure to watch these coaches work the drills ect...

We had a baseball team practice schedules for Tuesday(last night) I emailed my parents and asked them to invite any 8 or 9 yr old with some decent skills to come along as well. We were just going to do some drills. I ended up having 5 extra kids on the field last night, a few of our older(9 yr olds) normal teammates, are in LL all stars so we ended up having 14 for the day, I ran a typical practice, some base running, broke into 4 stations working on fundemental grounders, pop ups, wiffles and some double play stuff. Then we did some other stuff and had to call it a day because we had a team meeting. We had 6 parents on the field helping, my main coach that played AA ball, and some others that played college or HS, but they were all out there helping these kids just to be helping. One kid that played on a 10u travel team(1200.00 per yr paid coaching) came back for the 2nd time, he was above us and acted like it the first time, didn't act like he wanted to be there, this time he busted his ass like he was trying out for a team(that showed me we gained his respect(for free no less))

I had multiple parents come up and thank me, one said I didn't know there were things like this out there. If our LL coach would practice like this ect... It made me feel good. I am thinking of opening this up even more, with the kids I had missing we could have had 20 kids out there easliy. in the great NW the weather is just now turning into baseball weather and the kids don't have an outlet.

Does anyone do this in there local area, if I ended up with 30 or 40 kids on the field I would need more help of course, what about legal liabilities? I love working with the kids, I know my coaches and dads enjoyed working with the kids. In our area I could see this turning into a huge thing as the option for baseball has ended for the bigger % of the kids. I am looking for ideas on how you would progress with something like this.

thoughts.........


Cally

[StraightGrain11]

I have heard TG talk about Sunday afternoon games for the kids, let them show up and play ball without a coach. I like the concept and have been trying to figure out how to organize it.

My boy also attended a soccer drills/practice Monday night, Anyone was welcome to come, it goes on every Monday for the rest of the summer and the cost is $50.00 all year. My boy has only played rec soccer with soccer dads coaching so it was a real pleasure to watch these coaches work the drills ect...

We had a baseball team practice schedules for Tuesday(last night) I emailed my parents and asked them to invite any 8 or 9 yr old with some decent skills to come along as well. We were just going to do some drills. I ended up having 5 extra kids on the field last night, a few of our older(9 yr olds) normal teammates, are in LL all stars so we ended up having 14 for the day, I ran a typical practice, some base running, broke into 4 stations working on fundemental grounders, pop ups, wiffles and some double play stuff. Then we did some other stuff and had to call it a day because we had a team meeting. We had 6 parents on the field helping, my main coach that played AA ball, and some others that played college or HS, but they were all out there helping these kids just to be helping. One kid that played on a 10u travel team(1200.00 per yr paid coaching) came back for the 2nd time, he was above us and acted like it the first time, didn't act like he wanted to be there, this time he busted his ass like he was trying out for a team(that showed me we gained his respect(for free no less))

I had multiple parents come up and thank me, one said I didn't know there were things like this out there. If our LL coach would practice like this ect... It made me feel good. I am thinking of opening this up even more, with the kids I had missing we could have had 20 kids out there easliy. in the great NW the weather is just now turning into baseball weather and the kids don't have an outlet.

Does anyone do this in there local area, if I ended up with 30 or 40 kids on the field I would need more help of course, what about legal liabilities? I love working with the kids, I know my coaches and dads enjoyed working with the kids. In our area I could see this turning into a huge thing as the option for baseball has ended for the bigger % of the kids. I am looking for ideas on how you would progress with something like this.

thoughts.........


Cally

Would there be "legal liabilities" if your kids (on their own), picked up their gloves, got on their bikes, and rode to a field to meet with their friends and play ball (like they used to before the "video game era" :dismay:)? I'm only asking, because if there is "no coach", then there is no "league"....so I don't see much difference in you just "taking your kids to play" or them hopping on their bikes and going themselves - the only difference is in the mode of transportation. :shrug:

[kylebee]

I'd like to do something like this for my HS team, but the kids are too busy with stuff in the summer and don't care much for optional practices, with the exception of 4-5 really hard-working kids that I coach on the side.

Where in the PacNW are you at?

[callyjr]

I'd like to do something like this for my HS team, but the kids are too busy with stuff in the summer and don't care much for optional practices, with the exception of 4-5 really hard-working kids that I coach on the side.

Where in the PacNW are you at?

Vancouver WA/Portland Or

[Jake Patterson]

I have heard TG talk about Sunday afternoon games for the kids, let them show up and play ball without a coach. I like the concept and have been trying to figure out how to organize it. I would offer that you take caution here. Most States recognize 14 legal responsibilities of coaching. All apply to volunteer coaches... one very improtant one is providing proper supervision. Here's a copy of a handout I used in a clinic I gave in 2005:

COACHES RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY

Many States, including the States of Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have established basic areas of coaching responsibilities. While many of these rules and regulations are geared for school coaches they serve as a good guideline for volunteer coaches. These guidelines can include:

I. TEACH & WARN
Coaches can be sued for failure to teach fundamentals in their particular sports and protective skills.
a. Teach athletes to protect themselves.
b. Teach proper fundamentals.
c. If athletes are praised or encouraged for doing something improperly it will come back to haunt you.
d. Negligent entrustment, i.e. entrusting authority/activity to someone who is not qualified to carry out that particular authority/activity can place the head coach in a vulnerable position. These include:
1. Assistant coaches.
2. Volunteer coaches.
e. Athletes & Parents must be warned of the inherent dangers of competition in each sport, before practice begins.

II. PROPER SUPERVISION
a. If you are not there, you will be liable.
b. The more hazardous or the more contact, the more closely the activity must be supervised.
c. Team Captains or team managers must never supervise any drill.
d. You must be accessible to players and assistant coaches.
e. You must provide systematic supervision.
f. You must provide written itinerary or schedules.
g. You must provide emergency plans.

III. SCHOOL POLICY (n/a)

IV. EQUIPMENT
a. Provide proper training on all pieces of equipment.

V. REASONS FOR COACH AND ADMINISTRATOR LIABILITY
a. Failure to supervise an activity.
b. Negligently entrusting a duty to an under qualified or unqualified individual.
c. Failing to teach proper skills.
d. Failing to teach protective skills.
e. Failing to inspect, repair, recondition, equipment properly.
f. Failing to teach athletes to inspect their own equipment.
g. Failing to provide proper effective equipment.
h. Failing to properly play an activity.
i. Failing to create and set policies and procedures for an activity.
j. Failing to follow and enforce such policies and procedures.
k. Failing to adopt risk minimization standards of pertinent superior administrative organization.
l. Failing to match or equate athletes.
m. Failing to properly administer first-aid.
n. Failing to warn of inherent dangers of the activity.
o. Failing to assess an injury or incapacity in an athlete.
p. Failing to keep adequate and accurate records.

VI. DUTIES OF A COACH
a. Properly plan activities.
b. Evaluate athletes or students for injury.
c. Match or equate athletes.
d. Provide or maintain proper effective equipment.
e. Warn of inherent risks of a sport.
f. Supervise all activities closely.
g. Know and use emergency procedures and first-aid.
h. Keep adequate records.




References:

(2005). Coaches education and certification. Retrieved February 28, 2008, from Massachusetts’s Interscholastic Athletic Association. Web site: http://www.miaa.net/coach-registry.htm

(2005). Coaching Guidelines. Retrieved February 28, 2005, from Connecticut High School Coaches Association Website Web site: http://www.cthssports.com/

(2005). MHSAA coaches guidebook. Retrieved February 28, 2008, from Michigan High School Athletic Association Website Web site: http://www.mhsaa.com/administration/98cchgd.html

Patterson, Jake (2004). How to Coach Little League: A Short Easy to Follow Guide on How to Begin Your Little League Coaching Career. Portland, ME: Book Locker.

Thompson Public Schools. (2008). Thompson Coaching Manual [Brochure]. Thompson, CT: Thompson Athletics Department.

[RodCarew]

Cally Jr...

I would love to get my 10 year old son involved in something like this... pm me if you're interested.

I'm in the Portland area...

[patsox]

Our local youth baseball league is doing a series of free pickup games this summer for the kids transitioning from coach-pitch (7/8 yo) to minors (9/10 yo). The 8's are invited to play supervised pickup games to help prepare them for next year. Coaches will be present and will help with fundamentals. This is an experimental program we're running for the first time this year. It's a little different than what you described but with similar intentions.