You! - yes You can manage and/or coach a Tball or Farm team - read through the following to discover your undiscovered talent.   This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, they only play Little League for a very short while.

“Can I be a manager or a coach even though I last played ball in 4th grade and don’t know the difference between a curve ball and a beach ball?

Yes!  At EVERY level we ask that our coaches and managers first and foremost acknowledge and commit to our motto “It’s about the KIDS!”.  We follow national rules and here locally try our best to insure that our focus is on:

  • Safety
  • Fun
  • Instruction
  • Sportsmanship

 

“What’s the difference between a ‘manager’ and a ‘coach’ and will the league help me teach baseball, organize a practice, and memorize the ‘2, 4, 6, 8 who-do-we-appreciate?’ cheer?

A Manager is the highest paid member of your team. He or she gets the big bucks because the duties are so demanding:

* Create a team culture of fun, fun, and more fun

* Recognizing what a joy it is to be on the ball field with youngsters in perhaps their FIRST baseball experience

* Focus 100% on the kids’ experience

* Acknowledge a successful season is one where the kids say, ‘I love baseball!’

 

Other requirements:

*  Be responsible for the equipment we issue

*  Attend ONE meeting with the Commissioner

*  Create xcel roster of team members

*  Run practice and games

*  Communicate to team

 

A coach has ‘no paperwork’ duties and supports the manager with the on-field practice and game-time positive attitude, creation of a SAFE and FUN atmosphere.

Other coaching duties include but are not limited to:

  • Serving as role model for the kids and other parents with attitude, behavior, and all communication
  • Running practice and game if manager is called out of town for monthly manager retreat at posh league chalet in Tahoe  that up to this point was a well kept secret.

 

How much time is required of the manager and coach?

  • Weekly: 60 minutes of allotted practice time and 2 hours of allotted game time
  • What about strategy meetings? Press conferences? Time on the team bus to and from airports? Forget it!  Your entire strategy and travel time should consist only of such brain-wracking decisions such as “Should Mikey sleep in right field this inning or in left?” and “If Kelli’s pink glove doesn’t light up am I responsible for changing the battery or is that something the League or parents ought to do?”

 

What if I can’t make every practice or game and I still want to manage or coach?

No sweat!  You can co-manage, co-coach and that’s fine by us!  All we ask is for one or two key contacts with whom we can officially communicate via email and phone. 

 

Where can I learn about how to conduct practice?  Or how to make a line up for a game? Or where to position kids in the field? Or how I can get my own parking space at the field and get my car detailed while I’m laboring under the intense scrutiny of visiting grandparents and aunts who flew in just to see their future Timmy Lincecum throw blazing heat?!  Oh the pressure!

 

Easy there.  

  1. We’ll provide you with some hand outs about ‘how to conduct a tee ball practice’.  We’ll also send emails with suggestions. And, we’ll even recommend a web site, book, or DVD or two!
  2. We also offer a free coaching clinic;
  3. We’ll have a Q&A opportunity with veteran and returning  Tee and Farm coaches.

 

As for dealing with the pressure of the visiting grandparents or Aunt Martha?  Reminder to us all: No child has ever gone straight to the big leagues from ANY level of Twin Cities Little League.  Further, according to our meticulous records, no kid has ever signed a college scholarship letter of intent either….particularly from the Tee and Farm levels!  And, while we’re on the subject, no Manager or Coach has ever been ‘called up’ and asked to apply his ‘placing-the-ball-on-the-tee’ skills to professional baseball.

 

How long is the season? 

Practice begins the week of XXXX, games begin the week of  YYYYY and the season ends by ZZZZZ.

 

What is a team parent? And do they get the big bucks and use of the team limo also?

A team parent is the glue the binds the team.  Typically this role is held by the same glue that keeps us a civilized people. Yep, a MOM usually does this. 

 

The duties?
* Attend ONE meeting prior to the season

  • Work with team manager to get team roster of names, contact info, etc
  • Organize and manage those crucial post-practice and post-game SNACKS
  • Coordinate opening day parade activities (truck, decorations, donuts, etc)
  • Coodinate team photos
  • Coordinate end of season gathering

 

Are families allowed to miss practice or games?

Surprisingly enough, our Tee Ball and Farm league thrives year in, year out even if a birthday party, vacation, or other facet of  life conflicts with the season.  Like anyone overseeing activities for kids, a courtesy call or email to the manager ahead of time is always helpful but we leave it up to each manager to address how this will be handled.  Usually, a missed practice or game is just fine J

 

Does the league keep standings for Tee and Farm?  Will my child be voted to the All Star Team? 

We keep a few measurements and to these we are relentlessly attentive:

  1. Are the kids safe at all times when they gather? Are we teaching safety first to our managers and coaches and are they in turn modeling and teaching the same to our families?
  2. Are the kids having fun? This is why we have our league.  This is why we volunteer. This is why kids come back!
  3. Is our ‘culture’ positive for all participants? Are we modeling good sportsmanship, positive behavior, respect for all participants and respect for the game?
  4. Have we created an environment which inspires our families to participate now and next season as volunteers (managers, coaches, team parents, board members, sponsors, donors, etc)?
  5. Will our kids return as players? As umpires? And yes, as coaches?

 

Otherwise, we keep no other ‘statistics’.  We have no all league, no all star, no all world team at our Tee, Farm or Rookie leagues.  At our Tee and

Farm levels, we keep no ‘standings’ to show who’s won and who’s lost.  Only at the Rookie end of season tournament does that level show standings.

 

Officially, every Tee and Farm league team go undefeated and undefeatable.  Sure, some kids will ‘keep score’ but we ask that the parents, from manager and coach, throughout our standing room  only fan base remind and model to the children that our league is about SAFETY, FUN, and INSTRUCTION. 

 

‘Success’ may also be measured by such criteria as:

  • First ‘catch’ of a batted or tossed ball
  • Reduction of 8 kids chasing a ball to just 3
  • Running to first and not to 3rd after making contact at the plate
  • Throwing the ball in the area code of a team mate