Setting clear expectations in youth baseball

In order to have an organization that is cohesive and integrated in the most positive and productive ways, it is vital that the expectations for the members of the organization are laid out clearly by those in leadership positions. Baseball is a complex game with so many moving parts, especially when it comes to the youth club ball scene. If the manager/leader/head coach of the team does not make their expectations of the players crystal clear, and continue to use those clear expectations as a bench mark for which to measure and/or run their program, then they will have a tough time getting a desired result out of their club.

I have been coaching youth baseball for over 12 years now and I have seen so many things go right, and so many things go wrong. When the members of my organization know what is expected of them based on my clarity early on in the season, I have always had a much more successful, fun, and productive year. Early on in my coaching career, I skipped over setting my expectations early on. I wondered why people weren’t getting it. I was frustrated with the parents in my club and felt like they didn’t listen to me. The reality is I just didn’t make myself clear enough about what I expected each member of my team to do.

Over years of trial and error, and experiencing coaching so many different players(and parents), I have come to realize the crucial importance of making sure my families knew how things were ran within the MADE Baseball organization and what I expected of the coaches, players, and parents involved. I had the good fortune of being able to team up with John Madden from YouGoProBaseball.com to create a comprehensive video of some of the key expectations that I try to set for our clubs. Many of these are very simple and are things that should never be missed, although the so often are missed. We hope this video helps you out and makes your season run smoothly!