Coach Mays 12 Coaching Commandments

#1- Teach the game of baseball.
#2- Identify areas of weakness in your game and help you overcome them.
#3- Offer opportunities in the off season to improve your game. Strength and conditioning program , summer league etc.
#4- Work dilligently to find showcase teams select teams etc that you can play on in order to be seen by college coaches.
#5- Be honest with the player and tell him where you think he can play. D-1 D-2 D-3 Community College JUCO. Then go out and work hard to find them a place to play if they have the exhibited the work ethic required to play past HS.
#6- Encourage them to seek others to help them in areas of the game that you fill you are not qualified to help them at. Hitting instructors , pitching coaches etc. If this be the case. Put your pride aside for the players sake. Never let your ego hinder a kids opportunities to improve.
#7- Teach life lessons through the game of baseball. Players look up to coaches. Sometimes players will listen to the coach and not the parents even if they are saying the exact same thing. Mine included folks its just a fact of life.
#8- Let them know that you will be there for them no matter was the situation is. Yes there will be consequences for making bad decisions and yes I will be there for you no matter what.
#9- Preach Preach Preach and Preach some more the power of a good education. Preach Preach and Preach some more the importance of academics. And Preach Preach Preach the fact that decisions you make today can impact the course of your life for years to come.
#10- Team. Team. Team. You are not an individual on the baseball field. You are part of a team. You will never accomplish anything in life as an individual that will hold the importance to you as what you accomplish as part of a team. I tell the story of the "Big Bass". Catch it by yourself and who do you share it with. Catch it with a buddy and its a life long memory.
#11- OFF SEASON. What you do in the off season when no one is watching will determine what you are capable of doing during the season when everyone is watching. Be selfish in the off season. It is all about you. What do YOU need to work on. Then work on it. What do YOU need to do to get better. Then work on it. I WILL BE SELFISH TODAY SO I CAN HELP MY TEAM WIN TOMORROW.
#12- Balance and respect. Life is not baseball. You must have balance. Go ride a four wheeler. Go fishing. Go hunting sit in a tree stand and watch the squirrells play. Take the time to watch the birds at a bird feeder etc. Understand the big picture. Baseball should not define you as a person. Its not who you are its just what you do. Respect. Respect is not given. Respect is earned. You must respect yourself if you want others to respect you. You must RESPECT THE GAME or the game will not respect you.