Coaching Tips for Girls' Softball

Coaching girls' softball can be a fun and rewarding experience. Not only will you be showing young ladies how to be team players, take care of their bodies and build self-confidence, but you will get to watch them grow and learn values they can use their whole lives. To be a good, effective coach, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

  1. Safety

    • As a youth coach, you should take a safety certification course; in many leagues this is mandatory. Even if safety certification is not required, you should consider it for your own peace of mind should you encounter a problem or injury. Whether or not your league requires it, you should ensure that each player returns a liability waiver before participating. Always have at least one other adult at practice with you to watch the children should you need to leave in the event that a player gets injured. Typically, parents will agree to take turns being present at practices. In addition to having a first aid kit at each practice, always have enough ice, plastic bags and water for each player. These are children, and they may not always remember to bring water with them. The ice and bags are for soothing minor injuries.

    Practices and Structure

    • As a coach, it is best that you arrive at the practice site at least 15 minutes before it is to begin; arriving 30 minutes beforehand is ideal. Some girls will get dropped off early, and parents occasionally will want to talk to you. Have a structure for each practice so that the girls know what to expect, and so you can stay organized. Most practices are about an hour and a half, so split them into segments. Start out with stretching and warming up to avoid injury and soreness. A brief run, and throwing and catching are good techniques to practice after the initial stretch. Even if a player arrives late, don't let her participate until she has warmed up. Follow your warmup with base running, infield and batting practice. Over time, you will see what areas the team is weak in, and you can work more extensively on them. Emphasize good fundamentals and lay a strong foundation for the team.

    Attitude

    • Although everyone will practice and play hard, your girls simply won't stay on the team if they're not having fun. Even teams that win regularly will experience players dropping out if the only thing their coach emphasizes is winning and working rather than having a good time as a team and being good sports. Having an annual sports banquet, taking the team out for dinner or treats on occasion, and regularly recognizing players for their efforts with awards or by simply talking to them are great ways to keep your girls motivated and happy to be part of the team.