Baseball Coaching Info

End of the Season Player Evaluations Part 1

Chances are that by June the coach is as burned out from the season as the players. Before releasing the players for the open season (and suddenly freeing up a lot of time for yourself!), end the year on a positive and productive note. Let each player know that you appreciate the effort and performance that was given for you and the team.

One way to help smooth the transition is to conclude the season with a short evaluation which can be expressed verbally or on paper. If possible, do both. In the last practice, have the players scrimmage. Pull one player to the side for five minutes each and talk about the player?s season. Make sure the conversation is a dialogue. For some of the more quiet players, this may be the first time you have really communicated one on one. Ask the player questions like:

• How do you feel about your performance this season?
• What do you think your role was on the team?
• Did you like the positions you played and which did you think is your best?
• Do you think you should play on the same team next year or move to another? (if there are other options)
• What are some of your strengths?
• In what areas can you improve?

The last question should be the lead-in to your ideas for improvement, including what areas and ways to improve. Provide some exercises for summer training purposes. Go through each category and provide two areas of strength and then two areas of weakness. Again, with the weaknesses you need to have some ideas for exercises. The most important area for summer training is improving each player’s confidence.