What is expected of a coach in CHALL?

The following excerpt is taken from the Little League Baseball Operating Manual. It is the criteria that Little League Baseball Inc. recommends that local leagues consider, while selecting managers and coaches.

"The Little League Manager must be a leader. All managers must recognize that they hold a position of trust and responsibility in a program that deals with a sensitive and formative period of a youngsters development. It is required that the manager have understanding, patience and the managers must realize that they are helping to shape the physical, mental and emotional development of young people.

The Little League Manager must be something more than a coach. Knowledge of the game is essential, but it is not the only badge of a Little League coach or manager.

While an adult with training and background in the game is desirable in a candidate for manager or coach, league screening committees should look for other important qualities.

The late Dr. Arthur A. Esslinger, who was Dean of the School of Health and Physical Education, University of Oregon, and a member of the Board of Directors of Little League Baseball, is the author of an outstanding article, "Little League's Greatest Challenge." Copies are available to local leagues, as are copies of an outline on Adult Leadership Training.

According to Dr. Esslinger, the heart of Little League is what happens between the manager and player.

It is the manager more than any other individual who controls the situation in which the players may be benefited. Improving the level of leadership in this vital area must be a continuing effort.

Youngsters of Little League are strongly influenced by adults whose ideals and aspirations are similar to their own. The manager and player share a common interest in the game, a desire to excel, and determination to win. Youngsters often idolize their managers, not because the adult is the most successful coach or mentor, but because the manager is a source of inspiration.

Managers must be adults who are sensitive to the mental and physical limitations of children of Little League age and who recognize that the game is a vehicle of training and enjoyment, not and end in itself. It has been stated many times that the program of Little League can only be as good as the quality of leadership in the managing personnel. New leagues particularly, should make a determined effort to enlist the best adults in the community to serve as managers."

In keeping with the philosophy described above, Cherry Hill American Little League has established the following minimum requirements to be considered as a manager for one of our teams.

	Agree to abide by the league objectives and manager responsibilities as detailed in the coach's contract.
	Attend or arrange to have your coach or another team parent attend managers meetings throughout the pre-season and regular season.
	Attend and assist with tryouts.
	Hold a minimum of two 90 minute practices each week prior to the start of the regular season. Once regular season games have begun, each team is expected to hold at least one practice per week unless 3 games are scheduled that week or tournament team practices have begun.
	Maintain equipment and return in good condition.
	Distribution and collection of team uniforms.
	Distribution of league literature and notices.
	Attend Opening Day and closing day ceremonies.
	Participate whenever possible in league sponsored events
	Select a team parent and work closely with him/her to ensure that the fund raiser and other team functions are successful.
	Conduct a team meeting at or prior to first team practice so that all league parents are informed as to the rules and expectations of them and their children. This meeting can also be used to solicit volunteers to help coach, umpire, keep score, etc. Each coach will read the annual letter from the president at this meeting.
	Help to prepare and groom fields before each game and police the field after the game to ensure that equipment and litter are put away.
	Keep an accurate scorebook (except tee ball) with special attention paid to pitching record.Insure that all children meet play requirements as outlined in Little League rules.
	Complete injury reports and turn in to the safety officer or league official.
	Even though fan harassment isn't really the manager's responsibility, the enforcement of this ticklish problem involves the manager. If a fan (usually a parent or grandparent) harasses the umpire, players, etc. unduly, and it happens to be a fan (parent) from your team, the enforcement procedure will be as follows:
	The Umpire will take that Manager to the respective fan.
	The fan will be advised that they have sixty seconds from that point to refrain from the harassment, or they will be asked to leave the park. If they do not leave, their child will be removed from the game.
	If the parent persists at that point, the game will be forfeited to the opposing team.
	The Umpire-in-Chief and respective Player Agent and Vice-President of Operations must be notified prior to any ongoing disciplinary actions taken against a player.

Complaint Policy

Every Little League coach knows that complaints will come. No matter how many hours you put in, you won't be able to satisfy all of the people all of the time.

The Cherry Hill American Little League supports you as a coach as long as you operate within the bounds of your signed coach's contract. Coaches routinely operating outside of these guidelines, dependant on the seriousness of the circumstances, will:

Be made aware of any verbal or written complaints for feedback and input
Be asked to take steps to address any identified problems
May be put on official probation

Behavior found to be abusive physically or verbally to any player or league official shall be grounds for immediate termination with a 2/3 vote of a quorum at a board meeting.

Coaches should keep in mind that it is rare not to receive negative feedback at some point from a parent who disagrees with coaching style, the playing time of their child or even the position their child should play. Board members will encourage parents with those types of complaints to address coaches directly.

Umpires, opposing coaches and spectators may be interviewed regarding issues of unsportsmanlike conduct, treatment of players, etc...

Know the rules

Each coach in the Cherry Hill American Little League will be issued a rule book. It is the manager's responsibility to know the rules and abide by them. Games are won and lost each year by rulings which come straight out of the Little League rulebook. The more experienced managers have learned their lessons in previous years - some the hard way.

	New managers are encouraged to study their rule books and pay special attention to:
	Rules regarding pitching eligibility. Trust us, it will come up.
	What constitutes a complete game

Minimum play requirements - especially in the case of shortened games by weather or the mercy rule. Each child MUST play EVERY child a minimum of 1 time at bat and six defensive outs (excepting injury). If it looks like your game will be shortened it is your responsibility to get your players in. Failure to do so means they start the next game, finish their required playing time and then get an additional 1 time at bat and six defensive outs.

EXAMPLE: Nine year old Johnny's coach has not entered him into the game. He is playing for the home team. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Johnny's team rallies and leads the other team by ten runs. The game is over and Johnny hasn't played.(Or, a thunder clap ends the game with the home team ahead after 3 and a half innings) In the next game, Johnny must START and complete 1 time at bat and play in the field for six outs to meet his requirements from the previous game. He then gets and additional 1 time at bat and six more defensive out of playing time in that same game. That is the reason most experienced coaches sub in their less experienced players in the second or third inning. Coaches should try to pay attention to the other team's roster to make sure all players are played the minimum. If they are not, it should be brought to the umpire's attention before leaving the field. Managers must pay attention to when subs enter and leave games to be sure minimum play rules are adhered to.

	Substitution rules
	Visits to the pitcher

To newer coaches it might seem that other coaches have the rule book memorized. Our advice is to cut yourself some slack in learning the rules and allow yourself to make some mistakes. Do your best to avoid bringing your team members and parents into rules arguments when rules appear unfair.

EXAMPLE: You are the visiting team. At the end of the fourth inning you were losing 10-4. In the top of the fifth your team scores 10 runs and is pumped now leading 14-10, but the umpire rules it is too dark to continue (or a storm hits). The ruling? The final score stands at 10-4, the end of the last completed inning and your team gets the loss. The game will not be continued after becoming a complete game. That's a tough one but all the debate in the world does not change the published Little League rule on complete games.

Manager and Coach Behavior

If each of us has wholeheartedly adhered to our objective of sportsmanship, we of course, wouldn't have to be concerned about our behavior. However, as the season wears on, our temperaments wear thin and as a result, we need to have some guidelines.

Cursing and Swearing

Cursing and swearing cannot be tolerated. We can adequately express ourselves without using "expletives" to make a point. Profanity is usually a sign of ignorance that we do not want to pass on.

Smoking/Alcoholic Beverages

Smoking and alcohol consumption are strictly prohibited on Little League grounds - including parking lots and stands. Obviously, the more positive examples that we can make for the players, the better influence are. If you notice fans who are violating this rule, please inform them, in a courteous manner, of our policy and ask them to please abide.

Game Behavior

Once the game starts, the umpire is in charge and it is our responsibility to exhibit proper behavior as well as giving the players positive reinforcement. Always ask the umpire for a time out before entering the playing field. Once permission has been granted, you may then talk to your player, umpire, etc.