Best practices of good high school coaches?

Do you think keeping stats is crucial? If yes, how should stats be used? Who should be keeping/entering stats--head or assistant, player, parent?

I believe stats are crucial.  Whether they are run of the mill or something that is important within you program.  We use Stats to explain where the kid is at and why or why not the kid is playing.  In regards to who keeps them, as a head coach, I don't care less who keeps him.  There have been seasons that parents have kept them and I go over them after the game and redo the book as needed.

 

How active should a coach be with respect to players' college recruiting efforts? Should coach be taking videos, calling/emailing college coaches, etc., or are these the responsibilities of parents and players?

I believe it is the responsibility to aide the gamily as needed.  I am willing to help the parents and contact coaches BUT it is no my job.  I ask all underclassmen to put a list of 9 schools together.  3 I can paly at, 3 I think I can play at, 3 that are a long shot.  I will help in contact with those as well.  We also use Field Level to promote players.  In regards to video I will shoot video only on request from a college.  However we do film every game and I have that available for the players.

 

What about team-building and character building? Do these play a role in making good teams? If you think so, what are some specific way that you've seen coaches develop character and team-spirit? Team building and character building is huge and makes a big difference in a season.  You can not put 16 teen age boys together for a year and "hope" things go good. 

Judefrawley,

Welcome to the site.  Yes, your first question is very general.

 

There is a WIDE range of shapes and sizes to HS baseball programs.  Big/small, on-campus coaches/off-campus, many potential college players/none, coaches with lots of time/very little, competitive league/not, heavy school support/none, financial support/none, parent involvement/none, great staff of assistants/none, facility variance and needs, etc.  Even from year to year within the same program, a coach can have significant variances that may require different thinking on things like recruiting efforts and appropriate team-building exercises.

 

It would help a great deal if you elaborated on what your particular situation is.  Are you a parent wondering how your son's situation compares to others?  Are you an aspiring coach?  What is size and history of the program?  What are you seeing that doesn't line up with your expectations?

With this info, you will likely get far more responses.

 

cabbagedad is right.

 

But I'll do this…the best HS coach I know (was our second son's coach) did many great things.  It was a very competitive private school program…won lots of games, but thats just background.

 

Best things he did?  Engaged both parents and players from day-1 at tryouts.  Talked to them all, over and over.  Explained how things worked, expectations in every dimension, what he expected of kids and parents, what he thoughts about lessons, summer ball, travel ball, how tryouts work, what he would do about college ball, etc… Everything.  There was not mistaking any of it and it was all good.

 

He also practiced his entire program together.  He has 2 fields + cages.  Frosh, JV and varsity all shared the same 9 coaches and rotated through drills…the same drills.  As soon as you were a frosh player, you would get coached by the varsity coaches.  And you might find yourself in a varsity scrimmage sometimes too.

 

Everyone was on the same page.  Problems occasionally?  Of course, but kept out of the mainstream and private.  Very approachable.

 

…and a darn good coach as well.  Best game coach around.  Teams were incredibly well schooled on everything.  They just play their game and the results were just gonna be whatever they were gonna be.

 

…and they won a mythical national title our son's junior year.  Best HS team I've ever seen.

I just completed my first year as an assistant coach.  The best thing a coach can do is be prepared and be honest. Have practice plans ready and everything runs smoothly. If you don't know exactly what you as a staff want to do each day the kids will realize it and take advantage of it.

Be honest with the kids on what you're looking for and expect out of them every day. Set the expectations and don't deviate from the plan.

Lead by example. If you want the kids to carry themselves a certain way, then you need to do that as well.

Be willing to stand up for them and help them when they need it. Keep your office door open. 

If you're not willing to out work and out learn every other coach in your area... don't start coaching.