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Character, Integrity also comes to mind.
Character, Integrity also comes to mind.
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Loyalty !!
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I agree honesty, character, integrity and loyalty are all main ingredients that a quality coach posesses. Lets examine those traits.
Honesty - a coaches honesty needs to be ingrained in his/her teaching, that will allow his players to learn to trust him/her. For example, can a parent coach look at his/her own kid and honestly assess her skills compared to others on the team and then assign position and playing time accordingly. I have known several that could and many who could not.
Integrity- is a must for a coach especially if that coach is a parent, it takes alot of integrity to put the teams goals ahead of that coaches personal agenda. To do the right thing instead of something else.
Character- that is a tough one because the team is a direct reflection of the character of the coach because a coaches character is manifested in their teaching. If a coach does not have a good character. then it is very difficult for that coach to establish control of the personalities on that team, and lead them towards a common goal. It is to easy for personal feelings and agendas to influence a coaches words and actions if they have a weak character.
Loayalty- Now this one, is different because this is a characteristic that is earned. when all of the above have been established a coach will earn the loyalty of his/her players and the parents of those players. if any one piece of the puzzle is missing loyalty is the first to go. I have seen this in the past on teams where there was no belief or confidence in the head coach and people jumped ship before the season even started. adversity in this game is a given, sometimes it takes loyalty to get through it. The teams that don't get through it are missing some piece of the puzzle and depending on the age of the teams players, time to figure it out may not be on their side so the players and parents must move on
Honesty - a coaches honesty needs to be ingrained in his/her teaching, that will allow his players to learn to trust him/her. For example, can a parent coach look at his/her own kid and honestly assess her skills compared to others on the team and then assign position and playing time accordingly. I have known several that could and many who could not.
Integrity- is a must for a coach especially if that coach is a parent, it takes alot of integrity to put the teams goals ahead of that coaches personal agenda. To do the right thing instead of something else.
Character- that is a tough one because the team is a direct reflection of the character of the coach because a coaches character is manifested in their teaching. If a coach does not have a good character. then it is very difficult for that coach to establish control of the personalities on that team, and lead them towards a common goal. It is to easy for personal feelings and agendas to influence a coaches words and actions if they have a weak character.
Loayalty- Now this one, is different because this is a characteristic that is earned. when all of the above have been established a coach will earn the loyalty of his/her players and the parents of those players. if any one piece of the puzzle is missing loyalty is the first to go. I have seen this in the past on teams where there was no belief or confidence in the head coach and people jumped ship before the season even started. adversity in this game is a given, sometimes it takes loyalty to get through it. The teams that don't get through it are missing some piece of the puzzle and depending on the age of the teams players, time to figure it out may not be on their side so the players and parents must move on
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I agree with so many of the posts, I would like to add a coach needs to be able to treat the players with respect. Correction, teaching or even discipline can be done respectfully and I think that is very necessary. Coaches demand respect from their players, initially just because they're in a position of authority, but eventually the respect has to be mutual or there may be none in the end. This effects the players trust level with a coach. Once the player doesn't respect or trust the coach...well, better get ready to go to some tryouts! 
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Amen!!!!
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This list could go on and on and on... just because few people have the exact same expectations and priorities. As for us - at 14u and above, we were looking for a coach that had a history of taking the team to college showcases. We weren't looking for a "cream puff" coach who had to walk on eggs to avoid upsetting our DD. On the contrary, we just wanted a strict discipline oriented coach that had high expectations, and demanded a strong work ethic - similar to what you would expect to find in any decent college coach. We also didn't look for the team coach to teach pitching or hitting skills - we had that covered from private instruction. But many folks expect a "Swiss army knife" coach who even teaches the kids how to use chopsticks.
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Head of hair, goatee, and oakleys.
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Very good points Sammy.
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Great points......
but unfortunately holding kids accountable and being honest is why good coaches keep loosing players to sales men.
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I agree with pretty much everything listed in all of the posts, so I will list some things in particular I would look for.
First, I want somebody who is at least minimally competent in the game.
How well do they know the game? Do they know mechanics, strategy and the rulebook? If they don't know mechanics very well (which includes me for pitching), do they know they don't know and therefore won't do damage? Are they looking to educate themselves in the game or do they assume they know all they need to know from their own playing days? They need to understand strategy well enough that they aren't making decisions that are wrong 100% of the time (sac bunting down 3 runs in the 7th inning, for example, or failing to throw through to second on a 1st-3rd in the 7th inning with a two-run lead). Any decent coach will have read the NFHS or ASA or other organization rulebook at the start of each season. The number of mistakes made by coaches (and even umpires) because they refuse to read the rulebook is astonishing.
Second, are they passionate?
I want a coach who loves the game and wants to coach. I don't want someone who views him/herself as just doing everyone a favor and who is taking one for the kids. Those are certainly good people with good intentions, but too often their lack of passion for what they are doing means that they will be a babysitter and not a coach. If I'm a parent of a serious softball player, I would much rather risk having a coach who may appear to be in it for himself but who is passionate, rather than the coach who says he is doing it just for the kids, but who does nothing more than just show up unprepared for practices and games.
Third, are they not insane?
Having done this for awhile now, I strongly believe we have to give coaches some slack. We make thousands of decisions every day we coach, in that every time we open our mouths, we risk saying the wrong thing or something that someone thinks is wrong or insensitive. The act of making out a lineup is guaranteed to bring detractors. If you have 12 girls on a team, what are the odds that any one person is going to agree with the exact lineup you put on the field, including the batting order? Because coaches are under such a magnifying glass, they are often held to a much higher standard than people in other jobs or positions. As it pertains to volunteer or even school coaches, it's just not realistic to hold them to a standard that's expected even for people in their full-time jobs. As a result, I just want to know that they aren't crazy or strange enough to where their behavior is not acceptable. Of course, that would include any mistreatment of players and any repeated embarrassing episodes. Also, they generally need to be solid role models. No drunks, drug users, etc. In my book, a good role model as a coach is one who is organized, punctual, prepared, hard-working, able to set aside which players he likes best when it comes to how the girls are treated, sets an example of how to treat people, and anything else in that whole vein. I'm not big on the coaches who constantly talk about "the game of life" and "life's lessons" and all of that. Don't get me wrong, of course we want to teach those things, but I'd rather have coaches who just set the example instead of constantly talking about it and who then come totally unprepared to practice and never bother to read a rulebook.
As Sammy said, the list could go on and on.
First, I want somebody who is at least minimally competent in the game.
How well do they know the game? Do they know mechanics, strategy and the rulebook? If they don't know mechanics very well (which includes me for pitching), do they know they don't know and therefore won't do damage? Are they looking to educate themselves in the game or do they assume they know all they need to know from their own playing days? They need to understand strategy well enough that they aren't making decisions that are wrong 100% of the time (sac bunting down 3 runs in the 7th inning, for example, or failing to throw through to second on a 1st-3rd in the 7th inning with a two-run lead). Any decent coach will have read the NFHS or ASA or other organization rulebook at the start of each season. The number of mistakes made by coaches (and even umpires) because they refuse to read the rulebook is astonishing.
Second, are they passionate?
I want a coach who loves the game and wants to coach. I don't want someone who views him/herself as just doing everyone a favor and who is taking one for the kids. Those are certainly good people with good intentions, but too often their lack of passion for what they are doing means that they will be a babysitter and not a coach. If I'm a parent of a serious softball player, I would much rather risk having a coach who may appear to be in it for himself but who is passionate, rather than the coach who says he is doing it just for the kids, but who does nothing more than just show up unprepared for practices and games.
Third, are they not insane?
Having done this for awhile now, I strongly believe we have to give coaches some slack. We make thousands of decisions every day we coach, in that every time we open our mouths, we risk saying the wrong thing or something that someone thinks is wrong or insensitive. The act of making out a lineup is guaranteed to bring detractors. If you have 12 girls on a team, what are the odds that any one person is going to agree with the exact lineup you put on the field, including the batting order? Because coaches are under such a magnifying glass, they are often held to a much higher standard than people in other jobs or positions. As it pertains to volunteer or even school coaches, it's just not realistic to hold them to a standard that's expected even for people in their full-time jobs. As a result, I just want to know that they aren't crazy or strange enough to where their behavior is not acceptable. Of course, that would include any mistreatment of players and any repeated embarrassing episodes. Also, they generally need to be solid role models. No drunks, drug users, etc. In my book, a good role model as a coach is one who is organized, punctual, prepared, hard-working, able to set aside which players he likes best when it comes to how the girls are treated, sets an example of how to treat people, and anything else in that whole vein. I'm not big on the coaches who constantly talk about "the game of life" and "life's lessons" and all of that. Don't get me wrong, of course we want to teach those things, but I'd rather have coaches who just set the example instead of constantly talking about it and who then come totally unprepared to practice and never bother to read a rulebook.
As Sammy said, the list could go on and on.
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This thread could go on forever but the issue for many parents and players is how do you get enough information about a coach during tryouts to make a good decision .. to know that the coach can coach? The answer is to ask pointed questions before selecting a team for your kid. Some of the things about a coaching staff I now want to know before we commit are, 1) how are practices organized? If kids are standing around picking their noses while one kid has batting practice...bad sign. Is conditioning part of every practice? 2) Are all of the team policies, rules and protocols written down and given to the players and parents so there are no issues late in the season? A coach informing a player that she broke a team rule she never knew about says more about a poorly organized coach than about a player. 3) Is the coach paying attention to both sides of the game? If all the team is doing is focusing on offense when infielders continue making rec ball errors and the coach doesn't go back to work on fundamentals, there's a problem. 4) Is the coach keeping up with developments in the sport? Has she gone through some certification program? Is she a member of NFCA and engaged in the profession of the sport? Do they know something about training female athletes? Girls need different training schedules and practices than boys ... are they doing PEP exercises or weight training in the off season? 5) What is the coach's long term plan for the team? If the response is "deer in the headlights" ... flee, run away, go bowling! 6) If the team ends the season making the same miscues it made at the beginning of the season, start scheduling your daughter's tryouts early and find someone who is engaged with the sport and knows how to turn a group of athletes into a team. 7) Finally, can the coach talk to parents without being patronizing? You're the coach but parents have more involvement in their kids than a coach ever will ... keep some perspective.
I'm just sayin'
I'm just sayin'
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Lots of great comments so far, but one thing to consider is looking at what kind of comments the coach posts on here on the OFC and how they handle differences in opinions-are they able to handle disagreement in a respectful way or do they bash others? If they are posting many negative posts that would definitely get my attention especially if their comments cross the line.
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If you are truly serious about which team your DD joins, don't wait until a tryout to "try out" the team and the coach. You really should go watch this coach during the CURRENT season (the one that just finished) to get an idea of how they handle the visible aspects. How do they do warm-ups? Do they seem disorganized? How do you view interactions between coaches and players? Do you hear negatives and *gulp* profanity coming from the dugout area? These little intangibles will tell a lot about the "big picture" of the team.
As mentioned above, read OFC posts from parents who advertise their team affiliation. Do they sound like good team ambassadors, or are they bashing other teams, coaches and trainers? I know for a fact that there are SEVERAL I would immediately disqualify if my DD was still looking for a travel team. Remember - you will be spending the entire summer with these folks. If they peg the "annoying meter", you will have very uncomfortable summer.
As mentioned above, read OFC posts from parents who advertise their team affiliation. Do they sound like good team ambassadors, or are they bashing other teams, coaches and trainers? I know for a fact that there are SEVERAL I would immediately disqualify if my DD was still looking for a travel team. Remember - you will be spending the entire summer with these folks. If they peg the "annoying meter", you will have very uncomfortable summer.
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You are absolutely right! Reading OFC comments from the coaches and people who associate themselves and advertise team affliation is excellent advice!
In life across the spectrum (and in softball), you can find everything from quality people to total idiots -use what information you can to find the best fit for your daughter.
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After reading some posts on here I would never let me kid play for that team. Good Advice Sammy and Funsister.
