Volunteer
Volunteering is the first and most obvious way you can help your coach. It’s the most visible way you can contribute to the team.

Assistant Coach: Do you have experience as a baseball player or coach? If you have a desire to teach, this is a great option. But the motivation must be for you to help the entire team, not just your child.

This is something to consider for the experienced baseball parent. Instead of complaining on the sidelines, be part of the solution!

Scorekeeping: Your coach may need a volunteer to run GameChanger for the season.

Fundraising: Baseball is expensive. Most leagues have some sort of fundraising or process to recruit sponsors to help with the costs. Let us know of any successful fundraising you have done, or if you or someone you know would like to be a sponsor.

Of course, doing these things will require some skill. A good fundraiser is an organizer and networker. If that’s you, let your coach know!

Team Parent: Maybe the most important role. Your coach needs someone who is a liaison between the parents and coach. This person is the buffer for complaints and helps with communication.

Provide Healthy, Timely Meals
Don’t be that parent who doesn’t feed your child prior to a game. And don’t be that parent who sends your child to the dugout with a bag of fast food prior to warmups.

I know that home cooked meals are a challenge during baseball season. However, it doesn’t need to be a gourmet meal. Your child needs fruits, vegetables, protein and water to supply the energy needed to get through a day of games.

Please, no fries, no soda, no candy, until after the game.

Timeliness is important, too. A meal shouldn’t be consumed on the way to the game. Have something ready in between games, too!

Be Dependable

It’s not expected that you’ll make every practice. And exceptions can even be made for missing the occasional game. But please… Please be dependable.

Make attending practices — on time — a priority. Make getting to games — on time — a priority.

In fact, you can relieve a lot of coaching stress by not only arriving on time, but by getting there 10 or 15 minutes early.

Of course, you may have conflicts. But when you know of these conflicts, you need to tell your coach ahead of time so that he knows — and remind him a week and a few days ahead of time!

Stay Away From the Dugout!

When the game begins, let your child be.

We know this is tough, but this can be a major problem. You think you are helping, but it often isn’t the case.

Your child just made an error in the field. Or he did something wrong that you think needs to be corrected. Resist the urge and stay away.

Ultimately, your coach or his assistants are the ones who need to talk to your child during the game. They may have already, and you didn’t see it. But your involvement often makes things worse.

Your child wants to please you. Your presence at the dugout only reinforces that they messed up. This often leads to tears and more emotion than was there prior to you being at the dugout.

Additionally, your advice may not be consistent with what the coach is telling your child. So, while you think you know the perfect thing to say in that situation, your encouragement may just cause more confusion.

Reinforce the Message

Understand the coach’s philosophy. Know the approach and strategies that he teaches. And support that approach.

Let’s say that your son swung at the first pitch late in a game when he was given the take sign. Support your coach by explaining that approach and why your child should follow it. Don’t completely oppose your coach by saying that he was right to swing in that situation.

You need to be an extension of your coach. Even in cases where you disagree, it’s important that the kids buy into the system. Conflicting messages only makes things more difficult.

Remain Positive

When the team is struggling, remain positive. Cheer louder. Encourage the players. Remain positive about the team when talking to your child.

Just as importantly, remain positive when your child is struggling. Don’t yell at them during a game after they make a mistake. Talk constructively with them about their struggles after the game.

These kids will be kids. They can be delicate emotionally. Your coach needs you to remain positive to keep them positive since the mental side of the game is so important.

Support ALL OF THE PLAYERS

It’s exciting when your child makes a big play. It always means a little bit more when it’s your child who is in the spotlight. But there are other kids out there. Cheer them on!

This is where it becomes a baseball family. Don’t be on an island, only supporting your own child. And if players other than your child make mistakes, encourage them, too.

Treat these kids the way you want the other parents treating your own.

You may get frustrated with other players on the team. Avoid talking negatively about them in front of your child as they are bound to take that with them.

Show Appreciation

Appreciate the sacrifices your coach makes!

Oftentimes parents will get together to get the coach or coaches a gift at the end of the season. That’s awesome and appreciated. But keep them in mind during the season, too.

No, that doesn’t mean you need to keep giving them gifts. Just appreciate all that they are going through. Reflect that in the way you talk to and about your coach.

Communicate Well

You won’t always agree with decisions that the league makes. But when that happens, know how to handle it.

Don’t yell at a coach or board member, remember that they are volunteers too.

When emotions are high, emails are also a bad idea. It’s far too easy for tone and intentions to be miscommunicated. Emotional emails almost always make things worse. Follow a 24-hour cool-down period. Think about it for the next 24 hours. You may even realize that whatever was bothering you isn’t a big deal after all. We are open to all suggestions for improvement and welcome solutions that you may have to offer.