7 Lessons I Learned from Coaching My Six Year Old Son’s Baseball Team

I just completed my third season volunteering as coach of my son’s little league baseball team. I truly loved almost every minute of it. We were “undefeated” but so were all of the other teams since there’s no score keeping allowed in the league until the eight year old age division. Here’s what I learned from coaching my son’s team:

1. KEEP IT SIMPLE: Six and seven year olds don’t need to learn every possible detail about hitting, catching, fielding and throwing. Instead, I kept it simple and taught the basics (e.g., how to properly grip a baseball, hold the bat, run the bases) without being overly complicated. I knew the players would improve over the season once they understood the fundamentals of the game. Break it down. Avoid confusing jargon. Less is sometimes more.
2. EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN: The majority of players on my team didn’t know each other and came together from different elementary schools. But they were all excited to play baseball and try different field positions throughout the season. First base and catcher were the most popular. Mix it up. Try new things. Be fearless. You might surprise yourself and find a new passion.
3. BE PREPARED: I taught my son how to properly wear his uniform (including his baseball socks) and break in his hat and glove. We’d set up and pack his bag in advance of games with water, emergency snacks and other essentials to survive the day. Don’t overlook the small things. Anticipate the unexpected and make adjustments to succeed.
4. DEVELOP A ROUTINE: It can be overwhelming for a six or seven year old to step up to the plate and hit the ball, especially when facing a pitching machine or “coach-pitching”. Throw in parents and the crowd yelling advice from behind the fence and a kid’s head can explode. I encouraged my players to have a simple batting routine – grab a bat, walk up to the batter’s box, tap home plate with the bat, check your grip and rip it. A routine can help you focus, relax and filter out the noise.
5. PRACTICE: My team improved with every practice and game played. Although not intended for sports, Malcolm Gladwell cites the 10,000-Hour Rule as “the magic number of greatness” needed to master a skill. Practice won’t necessarily make you perfect but regular repetition of an activity, when done properly, improves overall proficiency. 
6. BE PATIENT: I managed a team of players with varying athletic skill levels. My end goal was to simply ensure each player had enough fun playing baseball so they’d want to continue playing the next season. Some players picked up the game quicker than others. I “gently” pushed and challenged players where appropriate. Great things take time and usually don’t happen overnight.
7. HAVE FUN: Baseball is a challenging sport for young kids as they are still developing hand-eye coordination and learning the rules of the game. But I noticed during the season that even when a player struggled to hit the ball or forgot to run to the next base, he or she still had fun. Enjoy your craft. You don’t have to love every minute of it but at least have some fun doing it (bonus points if you’re also good at it). And don’t take it too seriously. It’s a game after all.    

David Turner is Vice President at JLT, the largest specialty insurance broker worldwide. When not helping companies make better-informed insurance decisions, he can be found on a tennis court or enjoying the East Village of NYC where he lives with his wife and two children.