Rules are something that we all must get use to as they are found in every aspect of life and every game that we may participate in.  In youth sports and above, you will find an official rule book for every organization and league around the country.  These rule books are a valuable guide to ensure the game is played with integrity, safety, and sportsmanship.

It is the responsibility of coaches to teach the rules of the game and to provide leadership during competition that rules will be obeyed and followed.  The first thing that coaches can do to help players understand the rules of the game is to include the teaching of the rules in practice sessions.  I always bring in a couple of umpires each year to go over new rules and review important rules that may occur at home plate and other parts of the field.  It is amazing how many people have played the game for quite some time but have never taken the time to understand the rules and their interpretations. It is imperative that we teach our players to play by the rules and to respect the rules of the game.

Today, we have a challenge in many organizations to abide by the rules because they are not always enforced.  I good example is the restrictions on our bats and the implications of circumventing the rules to gain an advantage and possible harm an individual.  We all know that bats can be tampered with and if that occurs on your watch – what are we teaching these individuals?  Our job as coaches and parents is to teach the rules and a respect for the rules of the game.  At the NCAA level, we actually take this rule very seriously and test our bats prior to competition to assure the bats fall within the rules.  I cannot say that this is the case in many games that I have watched in lower leagues and it is quite easy to spot a bat that has been tampered with to improve performance.  I would hope any parent or coach would not knowingly allow this to happen.

Officials are the enforcers of the rules and regulations of the games we play.  Without their expertise to interpret and apply the rules, we would not have a game as we know it today!  It would look like a free for all!  We must not only respect the rules but also the officials that most of the time are volunteers or get paid very little.  The reason for mentioning this is sportsmanship includes how we handle the umpires and respecting their judgement.  After all, we are all human and humans do make mistakes on occasion.  Teach your players and coaches to show respect while visiting with an official and discussing a call we may not agree with!  Let’s face it, sometimes they are right and we are wrong! 

We have a responsibility as coaches, parents, and players to understand the rules of the game and to play the game within the rules to assure everyone involved an opportunity to participate with one of the most important pillars of youth sports – sportsmanship!  While sometimes it may be hard for kids to see at the time, playing by the rules does matter. We can find numerous examples of athletes who break records, only to be found out later that they were cheating. Their reputations are then tarnished, skills are questioned and accomplishments are tainted. Kids can see just how cheating does eventually reflect badly on the cheaters themselves.

Playing by the rules ensures fair outcomes, helps keep players safe, creates consistency and helps players learn respect. Winning “fair and square” means something – and helping our kids understand this is an important life lesson that sports can uniquely teach

Until next time,

Coach Candrea