New Job

Welcome to summer HS baseball. Iowa resident here. I'm not sure your question, "how to approach the season" is easily answered. The first thing that came to my mind when I saw your post was, what was motivating you to take on this responsibilty in the first place. Your currently a pitching coach "down south" and have had head coaching exoerience. Is it that you can be a head coach again, you like challenges, you want to relocate to Iowa. What's your motivation to even consider this? One of things that came to mind is that its very likely the program you are going to has done no, or at least very little, off season preparation. The program I am with has been doing off season work(within Iowa's very strict no coach contact rules)with volunteer's, since November. Now that we have gone outside the volunteer's(non-coaches) continue to work with the players. When May 3rd comes, which is the first day coaches can get involved, we start our tryouts. Most every player attending tryouts has had a full winter of preparation and are ready! It is likely in your situation that you will not have a whole lot of players ready to go, if any at all. If I where you I'd be going in to this with my eyes wide open. The process of building or re-building a program is at the very least, challenging. It will not happen overnight. If that's your goal or your mindset at this point, be prepared for anything! I think the question(s) you should be asking yourself are: 1-Why am I doing this? 2-Why would I want to do this? 3-What do I have to offer this program this season and beyond? 4-Do I even want to offer this program anything beyond this season? 5- Am I prepared to do whatever is neccesary to make this season positive for the program and players, whatever my motivation is? I think your answer to the original question, "how to approach this season", is in answering those other questions first. Hoping this helps a little.
By the way, "Good luck", pat pat.

1-Why am I doing this?

I am originally from Iowa and it is an opportunity to help a small school out. I was a head coach in Iowa for four years. It is also close to my hometown so I can work at the family farm. As soon as I get into Iowa I will be jumping into the tractor.

2-Why would I want to do this?

I love baseball and it is an opportunity to pass something on to the kids in the area.

3-What do I have to offer this program this season and beyond?
I have over 200 career wins as a head coach, have worked many camps (most notably at Clemson) the last few years, and also the fact that I have rebuilt two programs in the past. I am also bringing on board three other coaches with me. One of them is a former player who is playing college baseball in Iowa. I am hoping to pump some energy into the program this season and look to pass on the reigns to my former player.

4-Do I even want to offer this program anything beyond this season? There is a possibly of myself returning to the state, depending on jobs available in my field.

5- Am I prepared to do whatever is neccesary to make this season positive for the program and players, whatever my motivation is? Yes, I have already made some changes in the last three weeks. New hats, new uniforms, and new logo. A very close friend is an assistant at Oregon State so we have a Nike connection for bats. Their Nike rep has donated five new bats for us already. Out of my own pocket, I purchased an outfield windscreen and also a four foot windscreen for the backstop.
The player numbers are low, because the enrollment is very very small. They are excited, I have talked to each one of them individually by phone. They started a pre season throwing routine 3 weeks ago with a volunteer in the area.

Thanks for your help.

quote:

Originally posted by BVers21:
1-Why am I doing this?

I am originally from Iowa and it is an opportunity to help a small school out. I was a head coach in Iowa for four years. It is also close to my hometown so I can work at the family farm. As soon as I get into Iowa I will be jumping into the tractor.

2-Why would I want to do this?

I love baseball and it is an opportunity to pass something on to the kids in the area.

3-What do I have to offer this program this season and beyond?
I have over 200 career wins as a head coach, have worked many camps (most notably at Clemson) the last few years, and also the fact that I have rebuilt two programs in the past. I am also bringing on board three other coaches with me. One of them is a former player who is playing college baseball in Iowa. I am hoping to pump some energy into the program this season and look to pass on the reigns to my former player.

4-Do I even want to offer this program anything beyond this season? There is a possibly of myself returning to the state, depending on jobs available in my field.

5- Am I prepared to do whatever is neccesary to make this season positive for the program and players, whatever my motivation is? Yes, I have already made some changes in the last three weeks. New hats, new uniforms, and new logo. A very close friend is an assistant at Oregon State so we have a Nike connection for bats. Their Nike rep has donated five new bats for us already. Out of my own pocket, I purchased an outfield windscreen and also a four foot windscreen for the backstop.
The player numbers are low, because the enrollment is very very small. They are excited, I have talked to each one of them individually by phone. They started a pre season throwing routine 3 weeks ago with a volunteer in the area.

Thanks for your help.

In regards to your post, one thing I may advise, and I live in Iowa and have coached at a small school so I know how it is. It pertains to your statement number 4 - Do I event want to offer this program anything beyond this season. My advise is be very cautious about the way you go about this situation. With a small town, players and parents can become very comfortable with a coach, build a sense of trust in him not only as a coach, but as a mentor, big brother, parent, etc.. And if you come for only 1 year and bail on them, it can be very tough on these kids. There is nothing worse than a program that has a coaching carousel every year, where the players have to adapt the a new coaching style and philosophy every year.