“The thing that these boys need to hear is that you enjoyed watching them and you hope that they had fun.”
– From a letter written by Mike Matheny to his teams’ parents, when he was coaching kids, not managing the St. Louis Cardinals
We’re in the heart of basketball season with our 4th grade team. We sent out the minor league rosters for baseball this week, and practice starts early in February, with pitcher and catcher camp kicking off January 5th.
The best thing about coaching kids is seeing the “light bulb go on” for them, seeing the excitement in their faces when they get it right and seeing the tears when they lose, tears that show you how much they care, and how much they want to win. Another great thing about coaching kids is hearing the laughter and the shouts of excitement while they’re learning the game(s).
The hardest thing about being a parent is sitting back, letting the coaches coach, enjoying watching the kids play and hoping / letting them have fun.
It’s the one thing that makes the biggest difference, though.
Try this website, dads. Moms, you can try it, too. It’s made a difference for me and my fellow coaches — and hopefully for the kids, as well.
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