Sometimes coaches don’t notice improvement until it is pointed out to them, they go about things the same old way and resist change. In the future, you might want to volunteer to be the scorekeeper and team statistician. Then you can provide the coach each week stats that show how the team and individuals on the team are doing. They are often enlightening for both parties.

Thanks for listening.

Kate from CT

We ran an experiment in our fall instructional program a couple of years ago where we mixed all the kids from majors and minors onto one team. Remember, this was AFTER the spring season, so this group included all the kids that would be moving up in the spring, playing with all the kids who were the young players in the majors during the spring. Basically, the kids sitting the bench in majors mixed with the kids that played every inning in minors.

Hands down, without fail, the kids that spent time on the bench’s skills were far beyond those who had played every inning in the minors program.

It is great that you had a good coach at a young age and it sounds like you had a coach that understood you should definitely play that way in the minor’s divisions. I tend to believe that you probably would have been successful regardless of your coach, because true success requires individual drive and willpower, but again, your were lucky.

This article is in reference to the Major leagues up of Little League that are, by design, competitive and consist of only those kids with skills that are developed enough to compete at that level. You will not find a kid that cannot catch a fly ball in that division. In the minor divisions, absolutely, everyone gets a chance to play and at all levels, positive reinforcement is required.

Don’t give me that crap that kids are learning more sitting on the bench. They excel when they have a coach who believes in them enough to let them play even if it might cost them a victory. I had a coach who believed in me very early on in my little league career when I couldn’t even catch a fly ball and I went on to be a great player in high school. Little league coaches who make players sit excessively do that because they don’t have what it takes to help them to improve.

I actually did tell my son he should ask the coach what he can do himself to improve his skills. I will encourage him to do so again!

I must disagree a little with you here. When he asks why the other 10 year olds are playing more, the answer should be “because the coach feels that is what is best for the team right now”. Then you should encourage him to figure out how he could help the team more. Maybe learn to bunt great? Play right field w/ a smile on his face aggressively backing up 1st base and nailing runners trying to advance to 2nd on overthrows. Whatever it appears the team needs.

Have him flat out ask the coach what he needs to improve to play more. Coaches respect this coming from a player. I always preface my answer w/ “you asked the question, I am going to give you an answer, do you really want the answer because it might hurt?” Almost always, the kids that ask focus on what it is I said they needed to do better and improve their game.

Do you support the other players on the team? He will act as you do. On our older softball team we have parents show up even when their kids aren’t playing to support the team.

One more thing, are his outs any less important than another players? If he bats once and makes an out, he is individually responsible for more than 5% of the team’s total outs for the game! How can his at bat not be important? Do his runs count any less? See what I am going after here?

BTW. Thank you for your service to our country and for sharing your husband so that we have the freedom to have discussions like this!