If you want to coach youth softball teams, there's one important thing you must understand: you are coaching kids.

I know that it's obvious enough but there are coaches who do not seem to understand this. For them, coaching young players is no different from coaching older and more experienced ones. And that way of thinking might cause you to do more harm than good to your players.

So read some of my tips on coaching youth softball players by reading the list below:

1. Give your players time to develop. When you see a young player who somehow fits your idea of the physique of the perfect softball player, it's easy to tell yourself that you finally found the next softball superstar.

And you may react almost as quickly when you see a player who doesn't quite fit your vision of your ideal player. You immediately dismiss her as a player that lacks the potential to succeed.

But before you do that, stop and think. Again, these are young players. And as with most kids, there are those develop their skills early, while there are those who do much more slowly.

So don't cut your players from your team just because they're short or they haven't nailed the proper mechanics yet. Who knows how much they'll develop in the coming years? And what about the players who matured quickly? Will they still be at par with the players who developed much slower after several years?

2. Let them be kids and enjoy the game. When trying to develop your players' talents, it must be tempting to push them harder and harder so that they will become better players much faster. But that is not always the case. You're dealing with young players here and not elite athletes, and that's something you musn't forget.

So let them be kids and let them enjoy the game. For kids, softball is just a game that's meant to be enjoyed. And the more they enjoy the activity, the more they become responsive to what you're telling them, and the less bored they'll become.

3. Know your real purpose as a youth coach. As a coach, it's perfectly understandable if you want your team to win games, and to dominate the league even. But you must also remember that it's not all there is to coaching youth softball. You are also there to develop not only the talents of your players but also their character.

So take a holistic approach at your coaching. Build their character as well by teaching them the importance of sharing, teamwork and commitment. Not everyone in your team may become players in bigger leagues eventually but the character that you helped them develop is something that they will carry through the rest of their lives, no matter what career path they choose to take.

These are three of the most important things you should know when coaching youth softball teams. There are others more of course and if you want to find out what they are, why don't you check out my other softball coaching tips at www.softballperformance.com. See you there!

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