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2010 Presidents Message
It is once again time for my favorite three words
“Let’s Play Ball”. Every year prior to the start of
the season I hear everyone mentioning the same
objectives, to have a winning, successful season, to
have fun and to develop skills.
My philosophy of winning is that your athletes come
first and winning second. The decisions and behavior
you display should be first what is best for the
athlete and second what may improve your team’s
chance of winning. Striving to win is essential to
enjoyable competition. To play sports without
striving to win is to be a dishonest competitor.
Striving to win and the pursuit of the victory along
with the dream of achieving the goal is the emphasis
not the goal itself. When winning is kept in
perspective the pursuit of victory is fun. Players
will strive for excellence and risk error to learn.
When winning is kept in perspective it provides our
youth the opportunity to learn and the coach, the
opportunity to model appropriate sportsmanship.
One of the most important decisions we will all make
as coaches, players, parents and fans will be the
decisions made in front of our youth that could make
or break a child’s Little League Baseball
experience. To have fun, players need consistency,
positive reinforcement and trust. Always keep in
mind that every action on and off the field is a
form of non verbal communication. One of the most
important things you communicate by your actions is
respect, or lack of it towards others and the game.
Our youth are not out looking for inconsistencies in
the coach. It is because of the great respect they
have for the title “coach” and those who hold it. It
is a shattering experience for a child when the
coach is unsportsmanlike, inconsistent, or
dishonest.
Be a role model by example.
To be the most effective coach requires planning.
Develop an instructional schedule for the entire
season. Introduce a new skill every practice give it
a name and a reason for learning it. Motivate by
implementing competitive skills during practice.
Make sure you are having fun at practice and during
the games. This will set the tone for the entire
team during the season.
If every player had fun and returns the following
year to play baseball, we as a league were a
SUCCESS.
It is the RESPOSIBILITY of everyone involved
in youth baseball to show GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP,
to have RESPECT towards each other and
OFFICIALS at all times! I truly enjoy seeing all
the smiles on the youth of CVLL as they learn the
greatest game… BASEBALL
Rob McAfee
CVLL President
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