Welcome to the Coaches Box!

Dear Coach,

Thank you for your dedication and commitment to youth in your community. Without you, too many may not have the opportunity to access and enjoy the sport that’s at the heart of what we do.

Whether you are just picking up a clipboard for the first time or you’ve lost count of the number of years you have been involved, the Red Sox Foundation Coaches Box presented by Nike has been built with you in mind. We are here to be an ally and a resource not only for you, but also for your team, families and, of course, your youth. From trainings and certifications to drills, practice plans and resources, we are thrilled to offer best-in-class content from leaders in the youth sports development.

The Coaches Box will continually be updated to ensure you are best positioned to succeed with your teams on and off the field. We also encourage you to explore our youth baseball and softball platform, which offers additional content for youth, families and leagues!

We are always here, so please do not hesitate to reach out to our team at rbi@redsox.com.

Best of luck!
Your Teammates at the Red Sox Foundation

From state-wide trainings to certification opportunities, we want you to be equipped with the knowledge and the confidence to lead your team this season.

Skill Drip Videos

The Red Sox Foundation is working with the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) on a number of mini coach training videos. We are calling these short videos “skill drips” as they are less than 5 minutes and convey some great insights to help you coach. Skill Drip videos will contain a wide range of topics and even though they are focused in, most of the information may be transferable. Keep an eye out for more Skill Drip videos in the coming months!

Coach Trainings in your state!

The Red Sox Foundation is committed to providing you with the tools to help you coach this spring/summer. See the trainings being offered in your state and if registration is open, click the active links to join the session. All trainings provided by the Red Sox Foundation are completely free! We hope to see you there!

Nike Training

Nike has teamed up with leaders in the sport industry to provide state of the art training tools to volunteer coaches. Coaches will be able to provide youth of all abilities with better, more positive experiences in play and sport. Register and watch for free!

1. How to Coach Kids: Start here! There are some things coaches can do to create a great experience for kids no matter who or what they coach. Start here to learn how to set everyone up for success (30 min or less)
2. Coaching Kids ages 7-11: This age group is ready for some teamwork, skills challenges and time management – just on a limited basis. Learn the do’s and don’ts of working with U12s (10 min or less)
3. Coaching Kids ages 12-14: Ready to get sport-specific and maybe introduce some competition? Now’s your chance. By the time kids are 12, many of them are ready for it, but there’s still a lot to know about keeping things fun, safe and free of burnout (10 min or less)

All Nike Courses

USA Develops Certifications

The USA Baseball Coaches Certification Program is a certification pathway for individuals who are currently coaching or aspire to coach at any level in the game. The program aims to create a higher standard of coaching education and enhance the ability of coaches to better serve their athletes, their team, and their communities.

“A” Certification

1. Abuse Awareness for Adults: Create a safe baseball environment
2. First Aid: Respond to injuries and emergencies
3. Confident Baseball Coach: Fostering health, safety, fun, and success
4. Pitch Smart: Protect athletes’ arms

More Certifications                        More Online Courses

We understand how much thought, strategy and care goes into coaching – as well as the complexity behind setting goals, planning drills, ensuring all youth are engaged and delivering a fun experience.

To augment your efforts, we invite you to dive into some of our pre-planned practice plans and guides – and don’t forget to explore our drill database to build out your own practice!

Nike & RSF Practice Plans     Baseball      Softball

These practice plans will serve as a foundation for your day-to-day strategy. Additional practice plans are in production and will be added when available, so please check back regularly!

Aspen Institute: Call for Coaches        Download the Report

NIKE & We Coach: Coaching Girls Guide        Download the Guide

Drills are integral to teaching the fundamentals of baseball and softball, and instilling core values of teamwork, respect and sportsmanship on and off the field, too.

We’re proud to offer a comprehensive database of drills, highlight a drill of the month and share best practices to strengthen the impact we’re making, together.

Drill Database

View or download any or all of the databases below to review drills you can run at your practice. Swap in drills from our practice plans and create your own new plan! The Foundation will continue to add in great drills for you to use. Drills in the activities database are mostly geared for younger age groups but can be modified for older players. These drills emphasize keeping the practice fun for everyone!

Activities                   Beginner*                Intermediate*                 Advanced*

*Databases are still in production

Drill of the Month

In honor of Roberto Clemente Day, this month we have a drill for youth to work on their reaction to and tracking of a fly-ball. You will be able to find this drill in the “Advanced” drill database being uploaded this month!

Drill: Catch Like Clemente         Ages: 12-18            Difficulty: Advanced

Equipment Needed:

Setup:

• Mark spot for player and set up two cones diagonally to the player’s right and left 30 feet away
• The coach and player should be facing each other about 8-10 feet apart
• Player should be in an athletic ready position and be ready to react

Instructions:

• Player (1 at a time) watches the ball in the coach’s hand held above head
• Coach drops arm, pointing left or right, signaling which cone the player should run towards
• Coach throws a fly-ball to the cone when the player is halfway to the cone
• Player looks over shoulder to track ball, locates ball, and runs to the spot where the ball will land aiming to be under the ball and catch with two hands
• Repeat the drill with the next player

Catch Like Clemente

The Best of New England

Have a drill that you find useful? Share it with us and we may share it with our New England community! Our Drill Database will be constantly updating and if we use a drill of yours, we will give you credit!

Email A Drill

Parental and family support is vital to a young athlete’s developmental growth. 

To support all that you do, we’ve compiled the following resources to assist you in being a supportive and involved parent/guardian, coach and spectator. 

Hispanic Heritage Month

About Hispanic Heritage Month – Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

MLB Players Association – The MLB Players Association will be honoring baseball’s Hispanic Heritage throughout the month.

National Hispanic Heritage Month – View the exhibits and collections from the National Hispanic Heritage Month archives.

Hispanic Heritage Month Website – Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by recognizing the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success.

Kids Corner

Red Sox Foundation’s vRBI Platform – Stay active at home with drills and skills players can do at home.

USA Softball Activity Book – Have some fun with the USA Softball Team! This activity book is for youth ages 5-12.

RBI Mound Visit – Watch all video mound visits hosted by MLB. Open to all ages.

Play Ball at Home – Additional MLB content for all ages to watch, engage, and create!

Fun at Bat at Home – Learn the game with this entry-level program!

Sports Parent/Guardian Resources

10 tips for first-time sports parents: PCA Article

Talking to your kids about COVID-19: USA Softball

How a growth mindset is deeper than having an open mind or having youth athletes try harder; it’s about actively promoting a growth mindset to enhance learning: Carol Dweck: The Rise of A False Growth Mindset 

Learn how to have a positive relationship with your child’s coach: Tips for a Positive Parent/Coach Partnership

Coaching your own child: Utilizing a Coach Hat

Importance of accountable sports parents highlighting research on the impact family members have on an athlete: USA Softball Parent/Guardian

A full library of resources for parents: PCA Parents & Guardians

Women’s Sport Foundation      Parents Guide      Guia Para Padres

Women’s Sports Foundation created a downloadable parents guide to help provide insight into the latest knowledge about motivating your daughter to become active and creating a positive and supportive environment for girls.

There is no one-size-fits-all model for how we coach and empower our youth.

To that end, we have outlined additional resources for your coaching needs.

Roberto Clemente Day

On September 15th, MLB honors the life and legacy of Roberto Clemente. All players, coaches across baseball will wear #21 as well as sport a commemorative uniform patch to celebrate his memory. Each MLB team has also nominated a player for the Roberto Clemente Award, which celebrates extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

About Roberto Clemente – Dive into Roberto Clemente’s bio to see how 21 became a legend!

Roberto Clemente Legacy – Explore the history and impact of Roberto Clemente through his family’s memories.

Hall of Fame Gallery – View the artifacts, awards, and items that are located in the Hall of Fame!

MLB’s Roberto Clemente Day – MLB honors the life of Roberto Clemente

Smithsonian NMAAHC Sports – Sports: Level the Playing Field explores the contributions of athletes, both on and off the field. Journey through the exhibition!

MLB VOTE – The Roberto Clemente Award is presented each year to the Major League player who best represents Roberto Clemente’s values. Read about this year’s nominees and vote for who you think should win!

Baseball Specific Resources for Coaches

The Individuality of Coaching: USA Baseball

The Value of Positive Coaching for New Volunteer Coaches: PCA Development Zone

Identifying Success in a One-Win Season: PCA Development Zone

High- Performance Coaching: USA Baseball

11 Tips for The First-Time Coach: PCA Development Zone

A full library of resources for coaches: USA Baseball Coaches

Softball Specific Resources for Coaches

USA Softball offers resources to coaches: USA Softball Resources

An award-winning curriculum, resources, and guides to keep girls moving: Go Girl Go!

USA Softball divisional focus for coaches: MLB Softball

3 Steps to Hydrating Youth Athletes for Healthy Performance: USA Softball

Sports Nutrition Tips for Promoting Healthy Bones: USA Softball

Sportsmanship Starts Outside of Sports: USA Softball 

Resources for Inclusion

Coaching People with ADHD: UK Coaching

Coaching People with Asperger Syndrome: UK Coaching

Coaching People with Autism: UK Coaching

How to Coach Kids with Intellectual Disabilities: Special Olympics

7 Ways Coaches Can Create An Inclusive Environment: Positive Coaching Alliance

Additional Resources for Coaches

Keeping athletes safe online: US Center for SafeSport

Working through cancelled sports disappointment: PCA Expert

Ted Williams and the positive perspective of not playing: PCA Blog

Have a question about coaching? We have experts to answer you: Ask PCA

A full library of resources for coaches: PCA Coaches