The Team manager and coach must be leaders. All must recognize that they hold a position of trust and responsibility in a program that deals with a sensitive and formative period of a child’s development.
It is required that the manager and coach have understanding, patience and the capacity to work with children. The manager and coach should be able to inspire respect. Above all else, managers and coaches must realize that they are helping to shape the physical, mental and emotional development of young people.
The Team manager must be something more than just a teacher. Knowledge of the game is essential but it is not the only badge of a Little League coach or manager.
The heart of Little League is what happens between the adult manager/coach and player. It is the manager more than any other individual who controls the situation in which the players may be benefited. Improving the level of leadership in this vital area must be a continuing effort.
Children of Little League age are strongly influenced by adults whose ideals and aspirations are similar to their own. The manager/coach and player share a common interest in the game, a desire to excel, and determination to win. Children often idolize their managers and coaches, not because the adult is the most successful coach or mentor, but because the manager and coach are sources of inspiration.
Managers and coaches must be adults who are sensitive to the mental and physical limitations of children of Little League age and who recognize that the game is a vehicle of training and enjoyment, not an end in itself. It has been stated many times that the program of Little League can only be as good as the quality of leadership in the managing and coaching personnel.
Anyone interested in being a Team manager or coach should contact their local league president in person, and be willing to undergo a screening process that may include a background check, as well as interviews of those with personal knowledge of your qualifications.
The best way to train and qualify Little League managers and coaches is through the Little League Education Program for Managers and Coaches. A wide variety of materials are available for players and adults, as well as clinics and seminars led by experienced experts. You can learn more about this program by clicking this link. Manager/Coach Education
Who is responsible for the conduct of the manager and coach? First and foremost, it is the manager or coach themselves. Each of us in Little League must take responsibility for our own actions.
However, as the chief administrator, the president selects and appoints the managers and coaches. As such, no person becomes a manager or coach without the approval of the president. All appointments are subject to final approval by the local league’s board of directors.
Having qualified team managers and coaches are key to the smooth operation of teams in Coeur d'Alene Little League. Often, the League receives questions about the differences in the roles and responsibilities for managers and coaches. This section summarizes several of the key differences between managers and coaches in our League.
Interested? Contact [email protected] or [email protected]
| Roles and responsibilities of Team Managers include: | Roles and responsibilities of coaches on the team include: |
| Overall team leadership and accountability | Skill instruction (pitching, hitting, fielding) |
| Teach and demonstrate good sportsmanship by respecting the rules, opponents, officials, teammates, and one's self | Teach and demonstrate good sportsmanship by respecting the rules, opponents, officials, teammates, and one's self |
| Refrain from the use of insulting, embarrassing, foul, or abusive language. Be a good role model. | Refrain from the use of insulting, embarrassing, foul, or abusive language. Be a good role model. |
| Have the understanding, patience, and the capacity to work with children in the age group of the division | Have the understanding, patience, and the capacity to work with children in the age group of the division |
| Attendance at mandatory manager/coaching clinics | Attendance at mandatory coaching clinics |
| Accountability for actions of the team (parents, players, coaches) | Responsible for understanding, complying with, and enforcing all Coeur d'Alene and Little League rules, regulations, and policies |
| Responsible for understanding, complying with, and enforcing all Coeur d'Alene and Little League rules, regulations, and policies | Player Skills development training (ground balls, fly balls, batting practice) |
| Game preparations and related decisions | Base coaching |
| Practice planning and game strategy | Pre-game dugout set up. |
| Discipline and personnel moves | Pitcher warm-up |
| Team communication (rules, schedules, league events, etc) | Field preparation and cleanup |
| Field preparation and cleanup | Manage the team in the absence of the Team Manager |