At higher playing levels, your main job as coach is winning ball games. For Kirk Walker, it’s a commitment he makes to his athletes each season, and he’s very consistent with it. By being clear about this, his team understands that playing time is based on winning games. That means putting the strongest lineup on the field to accomplish this goal.
It’s important, however, for every player to feel like a valued and respected team member, and that starts with the head coach. According to Coach Walker, this stems from how he establishes and values his team as a unit, how he recognizes success, and how he includes everyone in that success.
This doesn’t mean everyone gets equal playing time. If your team is up a couple of runs, however, you may want to consider giving a non-starting player an at-bat opportunity.
Whatever your strategy, your main job when coaching competitive teams is to make decisions first and foremost on winning games.
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