14Th Ward Coaches Manual

14th Ward Coaches Manual

As of Feb 2015

2015 Spring Season

Table of Contents(hold CTRL + click to jump to any section of the manual)

Code of Conduct
Mindset: League Coaching vs. Team Coaching
Pre-emption
Starting Good Habits
Parent Code of Conduct - Template
Rules
Little League
Substitute Players (bringing up younger players)
Schedules
Little League
Practices
Suggested Days and Locations
Tips and Suggestions
Drills/Skills (links to web sites)
Teaching Sportsmanship
Behavior Management
Drill Sportsmanship Like Any Other Skill
Lop-Sided Games
Concession Stand Staffing
Snack Schedule
Playing Fields
Maintenance
Field Conditions and Rainouts
Communication with Families
Communication within League
Equipment
Draft
Evaluation Day
Primacy of Pitching
Horse-trading

Code of Conduct

Coaches set the tone. Coaches set the example. At all times, please remind yourself that there are children, parents, and other coaches looking to you as an example of how to conduct themselves.

At the end of the day, this is supposed to be fun and supposed to be about kids learning (both skills and sportsmanship). This can be hard to remember when the ump calls strike three on a pitch over your batter’s head, but it’s still true.

Mindset: League Coaching vs. Team Coaching

If coaches consider themselves first and foremost coaches for their team only, everyone suffers.

If coaches think of themselves first and foremost as coaches for every player in the league, lots of good things happen.

Consider the following:

You notice your runner left base way too early. Do you ask the ump to send him back?
Your batter throws the bat after getting an important hit, but the ump doesn’t see it. Do you ask the ump to give your team a warning? If a warning had already been given, do you ask the ump to call your player out?
A fielder on the opposing team makes a heads-up play to end the inning and squash your team’s rally. Do you go out of your way between innings to congratulate him or her?
In a pre-game practice, you notice a coach from the other team is doing his soft-toss drill incorrectly, jamming the batter each time. Do you tell him?

When questions come up, coaches working as team-coaches only will argue and disagree. Coaches working as true league-coaches will be far more likely to find solutions.

No manual can list rules to govern all possible situations. Things will come up (scheduling, field conditions, ground rules, game play) where the coaches will have to work it out among themselves. When coaches see themselves as responsible for every kidon the field having a safe, fun, and educational experience, problems are much easier to solve.

Coaches Code of Conduct

To be signed and returned to the league by all head and assistant coaches. It can be printed out (2 sides of 1 sheet of paper) from the two pages below...

Coach's Role

Youth baseball coaches must be leaders in every way. Coaches hold a position of trust and responsibility during a sensitive and formative period of a child’s development.

Coaches have understanding, patience and the capacity to work with children. Coaches should be able to inspire respect and sportsmanship. Above all else, coaches must realize that they are helping to shape the physical, mental and emotional development of young people.

Knowledge of the game is essential but teaching ability is even more important. The coach is the single most important variable in what makes for a positive youth baseball experience. Improving the level of leadership and ethics in this vital area must be a continuing effort.

Baseball is a competition, and winning the game is the organizing goal of the sport. Coaches will train, encourage, and strategize to maximize their team’s chances of winning. But winning cannot be the only reason to play, and coaches most important role is the help young athletes deal with competition graciously. Every at bat/game/season will have winners and losers. Good coaches help kids to learn and grow from both experiences.

Coaches and assistant coaches must be adults who are sensitive to the mental and physical limitations of children of this age and who recognize that the game is a vehicle of training and enjoyment, not an end in itself. A coach should not try to “will” his or her team to victory, nor pursue his or her own vicarious athletic glory. The players and their needs are the focus.

Who is responsible for the conduct of the coaches? First and foremost, it is the coaches themselves. Each of us in youth baseball must take responsibility for our own actions.

To this end, 14th Ward Baseball has authorized the following Coaches Code of Conduct with the expectation that all head coaches and assistant coaches will read and sign the Code acknowledging that he or she understands and agrees to comply with the Code before beginning any seasonal practice or play with their teams.

14th Ward Code of Conduct for Coaches

I hereby pledge to live up to the expectations outlined by following the 14th Ward Code of Conduct:

I will place the developmental, emotional, and physical well-being of my players ahead of a personal desire to win.
I will treat each player as an individual, remembering the large range of emotional and physical development for the same age group.
I will promote respect for all players, coaches, umpires, spectators, and administrators, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, playing ability, or any other category.
I will do my best to provide a safe playing situation for my players.
I will do my best to organize practices that are fun and challenging for all my players.
I will do my best to organize practices and scrimmages before the season starts to fully prepare my team for the season
I will lead by example in demonstrating fair play and sportsmanship to all my players, including refraining from harsh negativity, profanity, obscenity,and vulgarity.
I will not cheat or engage in any form of unethical behavior that violates league rules.
I will provide a sports environment for my team that is free of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol, and I will refrain from their use at all youth sports events.
I will be honest in the use of all official league and tournament documents.
I will be knowledgeable in the rules of 14th Ward Baseball, and I will teach these rules to my players.
I will use coaching techniques appropriate for all of the skills that I teach.
I will help players to use the game of baseball as a fun community building sport.
I will remember that I am a youth sports coach, and that the game is for children and not adults.

Furthermore,

I will not challenge an umpire’s authority. The umpires shall have the authority and discretion during a game to penalize the offender according to the infraction up to and including expulsion from the game. The umpire’s decision is final and should be respected.
I will refrain from laying a hand upon, pushing, shoving, striking, or threatening to strike an official.
I will refrain from heaping personal verbal or physical abuse upon any official for any reason.
I will restrain myself from any objectionable demonstration of dissent at an official’s decision by throwing of gloves, helmets, hats, bats, balls, or any other unsportsman-like action.
I will refrain from publicly discussing with spectators in a derogatory or abusive manner any play, decision or a personal opinion on any players during the game.

14th Ward Baseball will review all infractions of the Code of Conduct. Depending on the seriousness or frequency, the league may assess disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the league.

Return to 14th Ward Baseball League

I have read the 14th Ward Little League Code of Conduct for Coaches and pledge to live up to its expectations and adhere to the rules and regulations as outlined in this document.

Print name of Coach

Signature of Coach and Date

Team Name and Division

Pre-emption

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you establish clear expectations with your players, their parents, and the other coaches RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING of the season, this will greatly reduce the likelihood of conflict later.

Examples:

Don’t ask if you can bat at a certain spot in the order
If you have questions about playing a certain position, ask before or after a game, not during
Stay on the bench unless you are on deck
Never bad-mouth anyone: ump, opposing player, teammate, or yourself
True for players, parents, and coaches

Setting The Tone To Start The Season

The habits that players (and parents and coaches) develop at the start of the season will stay with them. It is important to set clear expectations before the games start. This needs to happen every season with every family, even ones that have played in our league before. Please distribute the following Code of Conduct to all families as part of your first contact with them.

It is important to actually follow up and require families to turn in the signed Parent Code of Conduct to you. Before the first game if at all possible.

[Intermediate League Code of Conduct Template starts at top of next page for ease of printing]

TeamName – Spring 2015

Team code of conduct

Expectations for Parents

Umpires: Players shouldn’t expect umpires to be perfect any more than they should expect themselves to be perfect. Please do not model unsportsmanlike behavior by grumbling about or complaining about umpiring. At all. Ever. Parents must model how to deal with umpires and calls they may not like – it is critical that parents help players (and siblings who attend games) to develop an uncomplaining attitude right from the start.

Cheering: As much as possible, please cheer on good plays (e.g., a nice catch) and good sportsmanship (e.g., staying positive after striking out) by EITHER team, and ignore bad sportsmanship all around. This is a community league, so parents are encouraged to root for all the players, not just the TeamNamers. Cheers should ALWAYS be positive and never derogatory toward anyone (players, coaches, or umpires).

Practicing: Kids won’t improve without practice, so please try and bring players 30 minutes before weekday games and 60 minutes before Saturday games. Those will be our only scheduled team practices, although optional practices may take place from time to time. In addition, players who practice (even just playing catch) at home will improve more than those who do not.

Safety and Equipment: Players should ALWAYS bring a glove, cleats, uniform shirt, team cap, uniform socks, and long pants suitable for sliding. If your child wants to play catcher, you must provide a cup – no male player will be allowed to play catcher without a cup.

No grabbing the chain link fence – foul balls and errant throws can crush little fingers (younger siblings tend to grab the fences a lot).
No climbing on fences.
Protective head gear MUST be worn when batting, running the bases, or pitching.
League bats will be available, but many players bring their own. If you bring a bat, you must be willing to share it with the rest of the team.
Keep a close eye on younger siblings – swung bats and thrown balls can cause serious injury.

Garbage Disposal: Lots of other teams and other Pittsburghers use the same parks we do. Please make sure empty wrappers, bottles, cans, lids, etc… end up in garbage cans.

Winning and Losing: Young players already prioritize winning and losing. Parents should balance this by focusing on things other than the final score. Please emphasize specificacts during the game: a new position that was tried, a first hit, getting the glove on the ball in the field, running hard down to first base, clapping for a teammate who got up after being injured…there are a hundred different positive things to focus on other than the final score. Focus on these, and the game will be a positive experience for every player no matter which team scores the most runs.

I, ______, have reviewed the above expectations and discussed them with my child, ______. I agree to conduct myself according to the above code of conduct during all 14th Ward events and to encourage my child to do so as well.

______(parent’s signature)______(date)

______(child’s signature)______(date)

League Rules

Specific rules are spelled out separately below for each league.

No set of rules can cover all circumstances. The umpire has the final say.

If coaches have questions, please ask them as questions (“Can you help me understand this…?”) rather than complaints (“No way was he out!”). Again, coaches set the tone. If you argue and grumble - your players, their parents, and the rest of your coaching staff will argue and grumble.

Little League Rules

(Unless specifically noted, Junior LL will use same rules as LL)

(Governing all regular season and playoff games)

Pitching (LL)

A pitcher cannot exceed 6 innings pitched in one game.
Each player shall be limited to 6 innings of pitching per week.
If a player pitches 4 or more innings in one game, he or she MUST have a minimum of 2 FULL DAYS of rest before pitching again.
E.g., after pitching 4 innings on Wednesday, a player cannot pitch again till Sat.
It is not “48 hours” - it is the next two full calendar days.
One pitch delivered in an inning constitutes one inning pitched.
A week is defined as Sunday through Saturday.
Following each game both managers MUST INDICATE, on a form posted in the refreshment stand, the number of innings each pitcher on his team pitched. A team will forfeit any game in which an ineligible pitcher pitches. If a manager does not report the innings pitched at the end of each game, the team will forfeit that game and the pitcher will forfeit his entire week of pitching. It is up to both teams to make sure that only eligible pitchers do, in fact, pitch.
Jan 2014: It is good practice for the head coaches of opposing teams to review - BEFORE THE GAME STARTS - who is eligible to pitch and how many innings
A second visit to the mound to the same pitcher in the same inning by a manager or coach will cause the pitcher’s automatic removal from pitching in that game. The manager or coach is prohibited from making a second visit while the same batter is at bat.
Jan 2014: A manager or coach may confer withother infielders including the catcher during the visit with the pitcher.The length of time of such visits/infield conferences will be monitored by the umpire to assure no undue delay of the game.
Once removed as a pitcher, a player may not pitch again in the same game.
There is no rule about the number of pitchers of any one age who may pitch in one week.
There are no balks called on pitchers (or catchers) nor are “balls” called on pitchers who inadvertently go to their mouths while on the pitching plate.

Pitching (specific to Junior LL)

Pitchers may pitch up to two consecutive innings per game. Six innings total per week.
One pitch delivered in an inning constitutes one inning pitched.
A week is defined as Sunday through Saturday.
No need to publically log each pitcher's innings.
Once replaced, a pitcher may not pitch again that game
Mound: 44 ft (instead of 46 ft typically used in regular little league).
No intentional walks

Participating Rules:

In 2015, we will use a continuous lineup (if 10 or 11 players per team in LL). There will be no offensive substitutions, in that all players will remain in the lineup the entire game.
(Rules below related to offensive substitutions are struck through and will be disregarded.)
Each player must play in the field for six defensive outs and bat one time during a complete 36-out game. This rule does not apply to rain shortened games or games in which the home team does not bat or need its full at-bat in the bottom half of the last inning. It should be noted that players not playing the minimum amount of time due to a shortened game should make up the playing time at the next game. If at the beginning or the middle of the fifth inning all eligible players have not played in the field, the opposing manager can request that all players who have no yet played enter the game. Upon entering the game, if such player is on the home team his/her name must be placed in one of the next six spots in the batting order, if such player is on the visiting team his/her name must be placed in one of the next three spots in the batting order.
If an eligible player fails to meet the minimum playing requirements, that player will start the next game in which that player is eligible to play and play a minimum of twelve defensive outs and bat up twice without substitution.
A player in the starting line-up who had been removed for a substitute may reenter the game once, in any position in the batting order provided:
The substitute has completed one time at bat and:
Has played defensively for a minimum of six consecutive outs.
A pitcher may not re-enter the game as a pitcher.
Only a player in the starting line-up may re-enter the game.
The limit to the number of batters a pitcher can hit in an inning is 2 and in a game 3. If this should occur the pitcher must be removed from the game. The umpire can remove a pitcher from the game if in the umpire’s judgment the pitcher’s wildness might harm the batter or cause undue stress. This is a judgment call by the umpire. The umpire should first inform the manager of the pitcher’s team that one more wild pitch will cause the removal of the pitcher.
Male catchers may not participate unless they are wearing a protective cup.
There will be no minimum playing time required for a player who is being disciplined for inappropriate behavior, as determined by a majority of the Little League managers.
Each team shall have two base coaches, one at first and one at third. One of the two coaches must be an adult. Any player who coaches must wear a batting helmet while on the field.
If an injury occurs and the injured player is unable to continue and as a result the team is left with less than nine players, a player (starting or non-starting) who is on the bench may re-enter the game immediately to replace an injured fielder. If the injury lowers the number of available players to less than nine and there are no substitutes, the team will have 15 minutes to secure a ninth player. If the team is unable to field eight players the game will be forfeited.
Coaches Meeting Decision 2/11/14: In a continuous lineup, if an injured player is unable to complete an at bat or to take his/her turn at bat, that player will be removed from the lineup without consequence for the batting team. The lineup will contract (e.g., the #5 hitter will become the #4 hitter if the original #4 hitter is injured).
The head coach for the team with the injured player will be responsible for determining if an injury is genuine (i.e., actual injury, not just a little injury and a lot of fear). This is an honor system, and the player's own coach is best positioned to determine if an injury is real or exaggerated. If an opposing coach feels that the rule is being abused by a particular team, that coach can raise the issue with the league commissioner at a later time.
If a player refuses or is otherwise unable to take his/her turn at bat (e.g., fear of being hit, a lightly skinned knee that clearly should not keep him/her from playing), that team will be charged an automatic out the first time that batter's spot comes up in the order. After the first time, the spot will be skipped without consequence. Again, the player's own coach will make the determination as to whether a player is refusing to play or is physically unable to play due to a legitimate injury.

Participating Rules (specific to Junior LL):