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The best coaches are the ones mainly concerned about helping every player on the team improve from play to play, from at bat to at bat, from inning to inning, from game to game-- and who have the knowledge to make that happen. This, as you might imagine, is a very select group. Most of the coaches with the experience and talent to accomplish this are too obsessed with winning to focus on the bigger picture. The rest are well-meaning people who just don't have the tools. What do the players think? That always depends upon how much the players really know about the game. What do the parents think? Same thing. It's a complicated game. Very few coaches, players or parents really understand the nuances. Some coaches make the same silly mistakes without anyone ever noticing. Those mistakes cost runs, games, championships. Still, no one notices-- or if they do, no one wants to rock the boat by mentioning them. The bottom line is that if your best players think you're a good coach-- and if your most knowledgeable parents think you're a good coach, then you probably are.
Over the years of watching my DD play, I discovered a trend. A team is a reflection of the coach. If the coach seems to be a hothead, the whole team seems to have short fuses. If the coach is disrespectful, so goes the whole team. If a team seems to be continuously struggling to find enough players, maybe a self assessment is due?
However, coaches who are perceived as successful are obviously doing something right. Maybe it's just that they are surrounding themselves with great players with a common goal and a common attitude? Maybe it's because successful coaches don't tolerate poor attitudes from players or parents?
"The best coaches are the ones mainly concerned about helping every player on the team improve from play to play, from at bat to at bat, from inning to inning, from game to game-- and who have the knowledge to make that happen."
I agree, because this is what we were after. But can you say this for every family that jumps into travel ball?