Minneapolis Youth Baseball Association

Ultimately, MYBA's goal is to teach players to play baseball the right way; that is, to play fundamentally sound baseball and represent Minneapolis with class and sportsmanship. The MYBA Board of Directors considers teaching players the game of baseball the most important element of the MYBA mission. MYBA fully expects coaches to help us enthusiastically accomplish these goals.

Every year, we receive feedback from parents about our organization and coach performance that helps refine our tryouts, team selection process, and other policies. As parent expectations in the area of player development continue to rise, MYBA continually raises the bar for its coaches. The following clearly summarizes MYBA's expectations for coaches relative to the MYBA mission:

• Application/Interview Process -- To become a MYBA Head Coach, the MYBA Board requires that all candidates interview with the MYBA Coach Selection Committee. Applicants must also complete a criminal background check as stated in the MYBA Traveling Baseball Handbook.

• Coaching Criteria -- Above all, MYBA expects coaches to be models of adult-like behavior and sportsmanship and treat all players, parents, opponents and umpires with respect. MYBA also evaluates candidates based on prior baseball coaching experience, prior coaching experience in other sports, rapport with players, organizational skills, willingness to devote the required time, and feedback from parents of players of teams coached previously.

• Coach Re-certification/Annual Evaluation -- Incumbent MYBA coaches are not guaranteed a coaching position in the next season. To continue coaching in MYBA, incumbent coaches are required to meet with the MYBA Coach Selection Committee each year to review their performance, parent feedback, and to provide player evaluations to facilitate the team selection process for the following season. New individuals interested in coaching for MYBA must interview with the MYBA Coach Selection Committee and be selected by the committee to coach a MYBA team.

• Concussion in Youth Sports --  New for 2012, all coaches are required to complete the Online Training Course for Youth Sports on concussion.  The training and test can be taken at www.cdc.gov/concussion/HeadsUp/youth.html.  Click on Online Training Course for Youth Sports under the Information for Coaches.  It will take approximately 30 minutes.  

• Practice/Player Development -- Developing players so they can compete successfully against the state's best baseball programs requires a substantial commitment. Coaches are expected to conduct a minimum of three practices per week during the pre-season (4/1-5/15) and conduct at least two practices per week once the season begins (5/15 – 7/30). This is an average of four events per week. Coaches are also expected to develop four to six pitchers per team, so that the burden of pitching does not rest with a couple of young arms. Coaches are also expected to develop about three catchers per team.

• Required Practice Format -- MYBA expects each head coach to have a solid practice plan designed to consistently improve fundamentals over the course of a season.

• Time Commitment and Responsibilities -- Head coaching applicants should understand that leading a MYBA team is a time consuming proposition. Coach responsibilities include, but are not limited to, participation in the tryout process, attendance at meetings conducted by the Metro Baseball League (including the initial organizational meeting and the scheduling meeting); making arrangements for tournament participation, providing regular information regarding practices and games to the players’ parents, coordinate obtaining equipment and uniforms; and, assisting with field preparation, if required.

While it is important that a coach have baseball expertise, it is equally important that the coach to be sensitive to the welfare of the individual players. Even a person of integrity, sincerity, and substantial baseball knowledge needs other qualifications; namely, the ability to remain even-tempered under pressure, the ability to discover ways to impart the coach’s knowledge to each individual player, and the ability to understand and relate to children and be reasonably sensitive to their developmental requirements.

• Required Practice Format -- MYBA expects each head coach to have a solid practice plan designed to consistently improve fundamentals over the course of a season.

• Volunteer Coordination -- Building a successful team requires delegation of a variety of tasks. Coaches are required to recruit parent volunteers for assistant coaches, scheduling practice fields, collecting fees, coordinating rides, keeping the scorebook and player statistics, maintaining a phone tree, and any other management duties outside of player development. Coaches are also ultimately responsible for making sure all player fee obligations have been met.

• Coach/Child Objectivity -- MYBA recognizes that many parents can successfully coach their child's team. However, MYBA also expects that parent coaches assess all players within their charge with ultimate objectivity regarding playing time at key positions and to not offer an unfair advantage to their child. MYBA also requires that parent coaches defer to other objective evaluators with regard to grading their child's playing ability and placing the child at a playing level appropriate to his skills. Furthermore, a parent cannot coach at a level higher than their child's ability.

• Placing Players at Appropriate Levels -- In the interest of offering players the best opportunity to develop their skills prior to high school, MYBA's goal is to always place players at a level where they are challenged, yet not over-matched. Further, MYBA expects coaches to share this goal and not persuade players to play at a level below their skills (due to friendships or to strengthen a roster), or lobby to place a child at a level above their ability (due to friendships or past performance). In the event a player contemplates ‘playing down’ for whatever reason, MYBA expects the coach to strongly encourage the player to play at the level that offers the most challenge and greatest opportunity for skill development.

• Continue to Improve Your Coaching Skills -- MYBA requires that all coaches attend training provided directly by MYBA or attend coaches’ clinics each year, such as the clinics offered at the University of Minnesota, St. Olaf, and others. All coaches with less than two years of MYBA coaching experience must attend mandatory MYBA coaches’ training. Coaches with at least two years of satisfactory coaching experience may or may not be required to attend the training, depending upon their parent feedback.

• Reporting Statistics -- Player statistics have become an integral part of the MYBA team selection process. Therefore, coaches are required to appoint a team statistician to maintain game statistics for every player on the team. Coaches are required to submit these statistics, along with their Pre-Tryout Ranking for each player, to the MYBA Board at the conclusion of each season.