During a fun day at the park watching my daughter play 12U softball, I was reminded of a view very important tips for coaching softball. At the field that day there was a coach that had a very loud, commanding voice. It's not that he was yelling, nor did he sound bossy, he just had a voice that was a bit louder than most and it's tone and volume just made you feel like this was a voice you better pay attention and listen to. I thought it was actually a pretty cool "feature" to have as a coach.

Unfortunately, this coach hadn't quite yet figured out how to best utilize this gift he had. Yes, he had this wonderful, strong, coaching voice, but there were a couple of problems…

1. He Used it Too Much

More is not always better. This coach went a bit overboard and was using his voice too much during the game! He sounded like he was trying to be the brain of the entire team. While his softball brain may be more competent then those of his players, it's still tough for one brain to effectively take the place of nine. He was in the dugout literally trying to instruct every move his players made. I could tell his intentions were good. He really was just trying to help out his team. But you see, at 12U, you really need to train your players think for themselves. You cannot dictate every move they make from the sideline nor should you try. The more you "help" them during the game, the less they use their own brain. Eventually they will be like zombies on the field waiting for you to tell them what they are supposed to be doing. After all you make it a point to try to "do it for them" every second of the game. This is NOT what coaching is about!

Our job as coaches is to teach our players and to give them the knowledge and tools they need to play this game to the best of their ability. Not to stand on the field and wait for us to tell them what to do. Yes, you can guide your team during the game. Any good coach would. But you can't be right by their side all the time holding their hand or worse, trying to carry them through every struggle. Not only that, you standing there on the side trying to "help" them every single second can also send the message that you don't believe they are capable or that they haven't been well prepared. Either message is not one you ever want to be sending to your team.

2. He Used it in the Wrong Way

During the game, this coach's team started to struggle. The coach got frustrated and the bad thing was that is frustration was broadcast loud and clear in his voice. No longer was his voice commanding, instructional, and supportive. It became nagging and irritated. This loud powerful voice was still very much loud and still very powerful, but was having a negative impact on the team. Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut!

I came away from this game with two very strong coaching reminders: more is not always better and sometimes it's better not to say anything.

Your coaching voice can be a very powerful tool, but tools can be either constructive or destructive depending on how you use them. A hammer can be used to build as well as tear down. Remember that WHAT you say and HOW you say it (i.e. the tone you use) can have a big impact on your players both positive and negative. During game time especially, make sure your voice is helping your team!

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View Original Post at softballperformance.com

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