Coach, if you feel like there’s a never-ending amount of information you need to teach to your team, that’s because it’s true. It never ends. Ever.

Great coaches are great teachers. They never stop teaching, in fact. They teach physical skills like fielding position and pitching mechanics and how to get the hands inside the ball on the swing. They teach hustle skills like running on and off the field. They teach strategy skills like when to throw for the lead runner and when to hold the ball. They teach mental skills like how to recover after a game-ending error. They never stop teaching.

Coach, your job is to teach and love the kids you’re coaching. If you’re unwilling to do those all the time, coaching is not for you.

The kids on your team need a patient, loving, instructional approach to the game and to life. And, the younger they are, the more they need it.

My encouragement to you is that what you’re doing as a teacher of these young kids matters, even if you aren’t congratulated for it (don’t expect to be). My challenge to you is that you have to keep going, even if you aren’t congratulated for it (you’ll more likely be criticized for it).

Never stop teaching. Ever.