You already know what it takes to be a great baseball coach. Getting to know your clients, spending time developing areas where they need to improve and actively listen probably come easily by now. But, how do you make it so the entire professional side of baseball coaching is easier for both you and your clients?
It can be difficult to manage your time between clients and between the coaching itself and the tasks with taking payments and setting up your schedule. But, it doesn’t have to be!
Here are our top time management tips for baseball coaches, so you can book more appointments, reach more clients, and spend more time doing what you love.
Tip #1: Apps for Coaches
A lot of coaches have stayed away from apps because they have a really impersonal feel to them. Part of the reason that players come to you, is for that human interaction and know-how.
So why bring an app into the middle of it?
Well, let us say that this can eliminate a ton of your administrative tasks. Who wants to do that part anyway? Time spent pouring over your schedule and processing transactions could be time spent with a new client.
One app designed specifically to relieve you of many of the unwanted duties in coaching is Time Slot Pro.
This software is designed to:
- Enable clients to book time slots through the app
- Allow clients to make payments
- Reduce time coaches spend on the phone or filing paperwork
What this means for you is that technology should be one of your go-to’s for time management. Anything that allows you to better spend your time focusing on hitting, base running or quick decision making, is a tool worth looking into!
Setup Time Slot Pro and begin to use your time more effectively.
Tip #2: Technology for Time Management
Coaching, as you know, is a completely different form of teaching. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use tools made for the classroom too!
A computer, tablet, or smartphone can replace the pencil-and-paper methods for tracking your player’s performance during practices and games. Technology is here to help and it makes data capturing more accurate than ever.
The Time Slot Pro app we mentioned can be a huge ease on your calendar but scheduled messaging and habit trackers for your players can allow you to be more effective with your time. Instead of drilling through basics that you’ve seen your client perform successfully, you can know where to delegate time to work on areas that need marginal improvement.
Try using a habit tracker through a practice session to identify successful base runs, infield hits, and steal decisions. There are a ton of apps, but Habit Bull is one of the most customizable. Then use the time that you would have spent tallying up your notes to sit with your client and review what areas you will work on at your next session!
Tip #3: Recover Your Lost Time
Time is often lost between switching activities or working with multiple players in a setting where you are building rapport with a particular client. Baseball is a team sport that relies on each player having a strong knowledge of the fundamentals and being able to execute them well. So each moment in practice is vital for their development.
How do you recover lost time? Try these actionable methods to recover between activities:
Block your schedule during areas of low productivity
If your 5:30 appointment is always late because of traffic, close out your 5:30-6:00 pm practice time and use it to build development plans instead!
Schedule blocks that run on a timer.
Drop the old method of running drills for a specific amount of reps or run-throughs. Go through base runs, batting, and successful sign-reading for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time. It encourages hustle and you can set goals for each client.
Have a backup plan for wait times.
Know there will always be interruptions but having a clear drill routine is better than an assistant coach popping off fly balls for your client while you take care of an emergency.
Build resources for your client to use pre-game. From touching the ball to mental preparation they can learn to use this valuable time even if your full focus isn’t on them at that moment.
Control Your Time Coaching
The key takeaways here are to control your time. Allow apps like Time Slot Pro to make it easier for your clients to book baseball coaching, private lesson times and make payments; which they are sure to appreciate. Don’t forget to use technology to track data that will enable you to become more effective with the time spent with your client.
Finally, use tried and true time management techniques like time blocking and closing schedules for administrative tasks to be sure you can make your time with your players meaningful!
The goal of using a blend of apps, technology and time management skills is to book more appointments, have a higher client satisfaction rate and work more efficiently!