The Coach Part 1

By Trevor:

Alright, quick summary here of this series… Everyone has played for that “one” coach who just drives you nuts or has that one quirk that just defines them. This series is going to be identifying all of the types (or most) of coaches we have all played for and heard stories about.  The first one we’ll talk about it probably one of the favorites: The “Yeller.”

We’ve all played for this coach.  He is the coach that for no apparent reason just yells at everyone. Even if you are 15 minutes early to practice, he’ll yell at you for not being 30 minutes early to take GB’s before practice.  He’s also the coach that will blow up when you do something stupid.  So I’m going to identify about 4 good things to describe the “Yeller” coach. And then I’ll focus on the rough parts of his coaching style.

1. He loves the game

I played for a guy, we all called him “Skundy.” Honestly one of my favorite coaches I’ve ever played for. He was for sure a “yeller.” This kinda guy loves the game of baseball as if it was his own child. Baseball runs through his blood and is a part of his heartbeat.  You can always count on the “yeller” to be passionate about the game. He yells because he loves the game and wants everyone else to love it just as much as he does. Does his yelling get out of hand? Yes. But this guy never loses respect of his players due to his lack of passion for the game.

1. He respects the game
   Due to his fond love and passion for the game, the “yeller” respects the game and wants it to be played the right way. So if you commit a “baseball sin,” like stepping on the foul line, he’ll ring ya up a little bit. He is the guy who knows all of the ins and outs of the game and is very superstitious.  You be the “yeller” makes sure all his players play the game with integrity and intensity.
2. He is always honest
   Now, as a coach, being honest to your players is not always the best thing to be. Sometimes if you are lacking confidence in your pitcher to go out and finish the 8^th inning, you don’t tell him that as he’s walking out to the mound. But the “yeller” will never keep you in the dark with where you stand on his list. I, as a player, always appreciated the honesty of my coach. But sometimes guys can’t handle the honesty and the intensity. If you are a softy then playing for this guy won’t be fun for you. You’ll learn to grow thick skin quickly!
3. He always has your back
   Now, this aspect of the “yeller” is my favorite characteristic! In every situation, this guy has got your back. If you get rung up on a strike 3 call that was 4 ft outside, he’s the first guy chirping at the umpire. If you beat out a grounder and the ump calls you out, he’s the guy who is running out of the dugout to argue the blown call. And if you get thrown at when you’re at the plate, he’s the guy on the top step yelling at the opposing pitcher. This coach is always gonna have your back and he is gonna make sure everyone hears it.

Rough parts of the “yeller”:

1. Yelling can get out of hand

As a “yeller,” most guys don’t know how to tone it down. This is not the type of coach to go to for personal advice on the field.  This guy doesn’t want to hear excuses and doesn’t want you to struggle on the field.  The yelling can really demoralize a player. So you are going to tend (not true in all cases) to get very little to zero affirmation from the “yeller” coach. The “yeller” tends to be a dude who focuses on the negatives.

1. Call you out in front of everybody
   You know that one time in the middle of a game that you made a pretty embarrassing error or mental mistake? Ya I had a “yeller” coach my first year at GFU and he let me have it in the middle of a game when I made a mental mistake.  He was yelling across the field at me to never do that again. He threatened to take me out of the game right there in the middle of the inning. So this kind of coach can really go over the edge pretty often.

So in summary, the “yeller” coach is going to tend to have some really high points and some really low points. But he tends to be a pretty consistent dude. You never have to guess where you are at in his book. This kind of coach is the type of coach that will get results out of his players and will demand respect immediately from each individual player. There is a lot to respect about these guys, and they of course have some down falls.  But overall, this is my summary of the “Yeller.”