I'm sorry if this is elsewhere on this board, but I read it in Peter King's MMQB this morning and thought it might be of interest here. Mike Matheny has a book out about coaching kids.
The entire King excerpt on what became a book is here
http://mmqb.si.com/2015/06/08/russell-wilson-seattle-seahawks-contract-nfl/2/
In 2008, his first year out of baseball, Matheny considered answering the call of some in his Missouri community that wanted him to coach a boys travel baseball team with Matheny’s 10-year-old son on it. One night he typed out a five-page letter with his rules; if he was going to coach the team, the parents would have to sign a paper saying they’d abide by his rules. Those rules weren’t complex, but in the era of helicopter parents they went against the grain.
He wrote, “The biggest problem in youth sports is the parents.”
He said he would teach the players the game from its very roots, and they would play with sportsmanship and they would hustle and they would never, ever question an umpire. The parents would be quiet in the stands. No, “You can do it, Billy!” Just adds to the pressure the kids feel, Matheny wrote. “You need to be the silent, constant source of support,” he wrote.
Every player would pitch; no young arm would be overused. While the players learned the game, the batting order would be meaningless; all players would bat the same number of times. Players would rotate keeping score, because Matheny wanted their heads in the game. Parents, stay away from your kids at all times after you’ve dropped them off for practice or games.
Don’t question the coaches, or rather, question them in private but understand there will be no negotiation on playing time or positions played or where kids bat in the order. Let the coaches do their job, and even if you disagree, don’t tell your kids. “Give me the benefit of the doubt that I have [the player’s] best interest in mind, even if you’re convinced I’m wrong,” Matheny wrote.
The entire King excerpt on what became a book is here
http://mmqb.si.com/2015/06/08/russell-wilson-seattle-seahawks-contract-nfl/2/