WMLL Head & Assistant Coaches must be leaders who 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. Although knowledge of the game is important, these men and women must be something more than just skill teachers. It is required that these individuals have the understanding, patience and capacity to work with children and the ability to inspire respect from their players, players’ families, umpires and spectators. Above all else, Head & Assistant coaches must realize that they are helping to shape the physical, mental and emotional development of young people.
The heart of Little League is what happens between the adult coach and the player. Children this age are strongly influenced by individuals whose ideals and aspirations are similar to their own. These adults and players share a common interest in the game, a desire to excel and a determination to win. Because of this unique bond, coaches must be sensitive to the mental and physical limitations of each player and recognize that the game is a vehicle for training and enjoyment, not an end in itself.
Some specific duties of Head & Assistant Coaches are:
- Teach players specific game skills and strategies
- Assure that players look like a team – wear the uniform properly and display appropriate team spirit and sportsmanship
- Work to provide a safe playing and warm-up environment
- Discuss in a professional and civilized manner disagreements with the umpires and not tolerate any abuse or intimidation of these umpires by the players and their parents or other spectators. Remember, our umpires are our own WMLL children!!
- Work with the Team Coordinator to maintain communication with the team’s parents and WMLL League Coordinators
- Play the game in accordance with national and local rules
- Distribute and collect equipment and uniforms
Any individual who wishes to be a Head or Assistant Coach should contact the specific League Coordinator responsible to indicate your desires and submit an application letter which outlines qualifications.
How are coaches chosen? All WMLL coaches are volunteers. Before each season, WMLL seeks out and selects a Head Coach for each team based on experience & other qualifications. Once chosen, each Head Coach may select one Assistant Coach, subject to Board of Directors approval. After the teams are drafted, the Head Coach may select another Assistant Coach & a Team Coordinator from among the parents of the team’s players.