Your Team Needs a Business Plan

by Coach Fox

Run your Team like a small business, with goals, a plan to implement skills and with core operational values that bond the Coaches, Players, Parents and anyone surrounding the events, including the umpires and league officials. Train the “Diamond Master” way so that young players, new to the game or already playing, may be challenged to be as good as they can be in development and execution, which will also strengthen life’s skills. The term “Diamond Master” is coined to emphasize the mechanical, tactician-like training for the field, to be combined with training philosophy that includes focus, attitude and determination, to get the best work and skill development for each player.

Co-concepts, as core values are the “Diamond Master” theme, with “The Next Level” mindset, which means: No matter what the given, natural ability of any player, or the learned techniques of players new to the game, there is always a Next Level to strive for, plan for, work toward. No developing or established player will have the complete package of timing, speed, technique, anticipation, dexterity, intensity, or power, without the need for game-day knowledge and ongoing intense training determination to constantly improve. Thus players and coaches must work with Diamond Master, toward their Next Level.

The competition is always more intense at the Next Level. It is the extension of the Next Level realism that leads to the concept of: coach a 10 year old, like a 12 year old, pushing accomplishment; coach a 12 year old like a 15 year old, and expect results. Coach for the player’s skilled future – your players may begin to show skills ahead of seasons to come.

Make an effort to share your coach’s gospel of influence and work ethic, explaining essential technique ideas to the players, parents and associate leaders of the team effort. Everyone needs to understand, we may not be the best, but we want to be as good as we can be. Being as good as we can be, is what life fulfillment is all about. The Game provides the stage.

Life and Diamond Master are synonymous: they take planning, dedication, training, implementation, courage, sportsmanship, and an overall view of right from wrong within the human spirit, chance taking, and learning from losing – then being re-invented at a Next Level. Plus, in the game you get to have Victory at the conclusion of a challenge – Victory by a score – nothing wishy-washy about a score. You will either win, or lose, either way, you and your team must still succeed to a Next Level.

With your team’s Next Level, attack, embrace the challenges, then attack again with training challenges that are mental and physical. Let the other teams, coaches and players be normal, good enough, unchallenged by the nagging, difficult process of “improvement”.

The Next Level attitude will not only train, but succeed to inspire the suspecting, who are ambitious toward the game; and will support the unsuspecting who go through the motions and sense there is a bigger picture for their team to work toward, if they just had the baseline direction.

To Coach, you must open your mind to the various skill sets of the team you are blessed to work with. You must also open your mind to the training needs, potential and methods of working with each individual player. Accept the simple premise that one important, major coaching goal is about finding a way to make each and every player’s experience rewarding.

As a Coach understand what is inside your coaching. Understand how your team views your methods and behavior through practices, games and the season. If you have players under performing, not progressing, or frustrated with their participation; Is it the player, or the lack of coaching technique or patience that is the root of the frustrating team issue?

Rattle the Bats – Have a Plan – Play Ball!
Article 2 in this pre-season series is: Developing Diamond Master Hitters