Coaching Skills For Teachers

Coaching Skills For Teachers
By guest author: Dot Struthers

Coaching is now a well regarded tool for teachers to develop themselves both personally and professionally and is growing in popularity because its short, sharp and effective.

Getting coaching for yourself is one thing but developing your skills to coach others is another and requires self awareness, understanding and practice.

Coaching should be a non-judgemental and stimulating process which gives the other person time to think and share their feelings. Your job as the coach is to challenge their attitude, offer inspiration and get them to a place of action.

Here are five key principles that will help you to be an effective coach:-

1. Play to a person's strengths
We all know what we are not good at and there is no point in trying to solve a problem from a place of weakness. If you are an introvert you can't suddenly become an extrovert, it would be unnatural. When you focus on a person's strengths and uniqueness, you build their confidence.

2. Create time to think
The only way to see the wood from the trees is to step back and create some space and time. Helping people to see the bigger picture allows them to gain perspective but also to focus on their specific issue more clearly. By encouraging reflection, you are able to create more self awareness.

3. Solutions are within
So often we think the answers are outside of us but the truth is that we are good at getting in the way of our own solutions. Helping someone to explore options, ideas or thoughts has a magical quality which allows us to connect with our inner wisdom and create those "aha" moments.

4. Being Present
So often we are distracted by either reminiscing the past where our memories live or the getting lost in our dreams in the future. Helping someone to stay present in the current moment "now" will help them to stay focused and bring about the changes and improvements they want.

5. Personal Responsibility
It can be so easy to judge others and tell them what they are doing wrong or what they should be doing but in fact you are only holding them back and could be creating a rod for your own back. When you insist on another person taking responsibility for their actions and behaviours you are giving them the control and authority they need to take ownership.

Coaching skills are life skills and worth investing in. They are particularly helpful in times of stress, conflict and change and after a while it becomes a way of doing things rather than a set of techniques.

Dot Struthers works with school leaders wanting to develop their leadership and management skills. including personal coaching, HR consultancy and management skills training. For more information go to http://www.merechats.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dot_Struthers

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Baseball Exercises

Baseball Exercises
By guest author: Jim Bain

The thought of baseball exercises being important to young baseball players doesn't always get the proper amount of attention from coaches and parents that it should. It's somewhat understandable, as one equates youth with unlimited energy and abilities, but training should begin as early in a player's career as possible.

Ahhh, did you catch the word training instead of exercises? The difference in words, although they are interchangeable, shines a different light on the subject.

Players are never too young to begin a strengthening and conditioning program. In fact you are doing a disservice to the player waiting until he/she is 11 or 12 years old, because proper strength and muscle building requires time to develop and the longer you wait...the longer it takes for the player to catch up.

Let's look at some exercises through the terminology of training and Baseball specific.

Wind Sprints are a tried and true method of developing endurance as well as speed. Endurance is required to not only play 7 innings of baseball, but to be able to play 7 innings at peak performance level. Does an inside the park home run count for less in the 6th inning than the 1st? With a 0-0 score it is of equal importance, but if the level of performance has shriveled due to fatigue, the 6th inning run may not score.

Sprints in sets of 10, 30 to 40 yards in length will have the player(s) embarking on a quality endurance program. Having the players run the drills as a unit, such as pitchers together, catchers, infielders, etc. will also build a team unity which is invaluable during the course of a long season.

Squeezing racquetballs or tennis balls, is an excellent exercise for developing wrist, forearm and finger strength. The drill can be performed by the player anywhere at anytime without the need for a partner or any special weather conditions.

One may not realize, but strong fingers are a huge part of swinging a baseball bat. Think about it. You don't hold the bat in the palm of your hand, at least you better not, where there is no strength. You firmly clasp the bat in the fingers using the palms to merely keep the bat from falling out of your hand.

Strong wrist and forearms, which operate in conjunction with the hands, are the strength mechanisms which yield the snap and power of the wrist when swinging a bat or throwing a baseball.

These are but two exercises, or rather training exercises, which a young player needs to begin as soon as possible. Strength, endurance, team building and much more are accomplished through drills, exercises and training which is started young, with the intensity level increased as the player develops.

Jim ( Coach ) Bain is a former Minor League Player and Coach of Youth Baseball for over a decade. He has drawn from fellow successful coaches' experiences and combined them with his own extensive experience to create a Baseball Teaching Website. The site is packed with 100s of tips, drills, history and instruction on how to play and coach the game of baseball.

http://www.Learn-Youth-Baseball-Coaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Bain

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Baseball Coaching and Training Tips

Baseball Coaching Digest: The Perils of Defensive Assumption in Baseball Action by Nick Dixon
Assuming or taking certain things for granted when your team is playing or coaching baseball defense can lead to costly mistakes and could even cause your team to lose. This article outlines three things that coaches and players should never assume when you are coaching or playing baseball defense.

Baseball Coaching Digest: The Perils of Offensive Assumption in Baseball Action by Nick Dixon Coaching and playing baseball requires total mental concentration and focus. One mental thought that has caused many teams to lose in baseball is the thought of assumption. Assumption is defined by the Webster dictionary as the taking of something for granted; something expected. This article explains two types of situations during a game that offensive players must be taught not to make assumptions. This article discusses how coaches should eliminate the perils or dangers of offensive assumption by properly preparing their baseball team in practice.



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Batting Cages: The Secret to Batting Success

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Batting Cages: The Secret to Batting Success
By Jack M Patterson

While practicing as a team is the best way to go, athletes also need to work on their individual skills in a more focused environment. Batting cages are perfect for players who want to enhance their skills, in order to be able to bring more to the game.

This specialized cage is an enclosed area where baseball players can practice their batting skills. It is usually rectangular in shape and made of netting. A batter stands at one end of the enclosure. For safety and practicality, a pitching machine instead of a real pitcher is placed at the other end. The nets keep the balls within close range while allowing batters to hit at full strength. The cage can be placed outdoors or inside of a long room so that batters can practice in all weather conditions. Indoor cages are popular during winter months, when days are shorter and it takes more electricity to light up the field for a longer period of time.

A pitching machine automatically pitches balls at varying speeds and styles. It usually pitches out softballs or synthetic baseballs in place of the official leather baseball. Special mechanisms installed allow the machine to compensate for the true weight of an official ball. It simulates pitching scenarios that batters usually encounter.

Batting cages are important in improving every batter's skills. They are used by both amateur and professional baseball organizations as a necessary part of their training routine. A batter can improve his or her positioning, timing, and focus when practicing with this type of training tool. All baseball teams or serious baseball players should invest on high quality practice cages that will suit their needs.

Resource Box:

SPI Nets is a leader in providing high quality batting cages. The company also provides high-quality golf netting and other sports equipment. Log on to SPINets.net or call 866-243-6387 for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_M_Patterson



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Why Use Portable Batting Cages

Why Use Portable Batting Cages
By Andy Brock

A regular baseball cage is a must for those who play baseball or even for those people who want their children to be engaged in baseball. The functions of standard batting cages are to give limits to baseballs or softballs, so that you do not have to go to a far place to pick up the balls; and it gives you a space where you can practice and improve your skills in batting. You will also not waste time worrying about baseballs going astray and accidentally hitting someone else's window, or worse, face.

However, more and more baseball aficionados and players choose portable batting cages because of their additional benefits. Aside from the benefits stated in the previous paragraph, portable batting cages can be transported or moved from one place to another. This is very ideal for those people or baseball teams who are always on the road, going to different places to compete. It also allows you to move your cage indoors if the weather turns bad outside.

This type of batting cage can also be easily disassembled and stored away. This feature is very ideal for those who have small backyards. For example, if the baseball season finally ends, you can just disassemble the batting cage and store it in a nice place while you can use the previously used space for other purposes, such as parties or barbecues.

Moreover, if your decision for buying a portable batting cage is because your children enjoy playing baseball, this type is the best option for you. Once your children grew up, they might have a different interest not at all related to baseball. If this happens, it is very easy to disassemble the batting cage and put it away for storage or you can easily sell it to your neighbours or other people who might need it. By doing this, you can get at least a part of the amount that you had to pay when you bought the batting cage after your children could enjoy practicing in it. Not only this, you also will be able to help those people who are on a low budget but in dire need of a batting cage.

So instead of installing a permanent batting cage in your backyard or school ground, why not get yourself a portable batting cage to enjoy its features not available in standard batting cages. Buying one of these portable batting cages is very beneficial for homeowners, schools, sporting complexes, or baseball teams who are always on the road and have limited space.

If you would like to learn more you can read about batting cages and practical tips on using a batting cage to improve hitting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Brock

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