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T&C Softball

Softball Coaches’ Corner

The T&C Sports strives to provide an opportunity for girls who wish to play softball in a family-oriented environment of learning and sportsmanship. From the T&C Softball Board members, to Coaches, to Parent Volunteers supporting functions during practices and games, T&C Softball needs your help to ensure we create a successful, positive and fulfilling experience for our youth. At T&C, we want our coaches to feel comfortable with their coaching duties, and we will gladly mentor new coaches in teaching the game and encouraging sportsmanship. Stay involved with your kids!

How to Become a Coach or Volunteer

All T&C volunteers, from coaches to team managers, must successfully pass a background screen and complete an abuse prevention course to be in compliance with the federally mandated Youth Safe Sports Act.  All volunteers who engage with players in practices or games in the dugout or on the field must complete the volunteer process.

To become an approved coach (or volunteer of any kind), you must fill out a Sports Engine coach application at the beginning of a season. The application will generate a criminal background check and direct you to watch an abuse prevention video.  The Softball Board will review the applicants who have successfully passed the background check and abuse prevention video and select the coaches for the season. Both the background check and abuse prevention training must be completed prior to contact with players.

The certification is good for two years from the date of completion. Coaches whose certifications have expired will need to reapply following the process above.

Coach Application

Seasonal Coaching Duties

Seasonal Fall and Spring Softball Duties/Responsibilities:

  • Pick up equipment before first week of practice
  • Review T&C interlocking rules
  • *follow home team rules
  • Find their own practice fields or reserve through T&C
  • Treat UMPIRES with respect before/during/after games even if you disagree with the call
  • If removed from game, coach is suspended following game
  • DO NOT hit balls into fences at T&C
  • SHARE batting cages
  • Return equipment after the last game
  • Report “problems” to league commissioner

Seasonal Spring Softball Duties/Responsibilities:

  • Be present for league tryouts/ draft selection process
  • Keep scorebook throughout season
  • Nominate players for the all star team at mid-season
  • Check with parents to see if girls are available for all star play
  • Communicate with commissioner if willing to coach an all star team
  • Watch nominated players of other teams to observe skill level
  • Be present for all star voting process
  • Report win/loss record to league commissioner
  • Attend closing ceremonies (usually at the conclusion of the last game)
softball players with trophies

General Information

Team Practices: Typically teams have one weekly practice and one or two games. After each practice, you are responsible for dragging the field unless another team has the field reserved immediately following your practice. Don’t forget to turnout the lights and lock the restroom if you are the last softball team on that field.

Practicing Offsite: From time to time T&C teams need to practice at a location other than the T&C fields. Occasionally these locations require a formal roster. It is against T&C policy to release the contact information of its volunteers, players, and parents without express written permission. Below is a sample email that can be sent to your entire team in order to gain that permission. Please be sure to copy both office@tandcsports.org a in the original email. If they do not require a roster, but do require proof of insurance, this can be issued to you by sending a request with the full name and address of the location you are looking to use to office@tandcsports.org

“Parents,

To reserve (Name of Field) for (Sport) practices, I need to provide (Entity) with a formal roster on T&C letterhead, including addresses, phone numbers and emails for each of the coaches and players/parents. Since your contact information is private, T&C will not send the roster details without permission from each of you.

If you are not comfortable sharing your info with (Entity), please let me know and we’ll try to find another location If you are comfortable, please forward this note to office@tandcsports.org and director@tandcsports.org (copying me) and simply state that you “permit T&C to share your contact information with (Entity)”.

I need to get this roster to the (Entity) by (Date), because they are making reservation decisions on (Date). So, please forward your permission ASAP.
Thanks,

Coach _______________”

Borrowing Players: A coach can borrow players to bring a team up to 9 players total. To borrow a player you must obtain the player’s parent’s consent. A borrowed player MUST come from the opposing team or be a registered player at T&C in the same (or lower) age group as the team she will play for. The borrowed player MUST also play in the outfield and bat at the bottom of the line-up. As a courtesy, inform the borrowed player’s coach and the opposing team’s coach when borrowing players. Please do not borrow a player from a team that has a game following your game. NOTE: due to minimal pitchers/catchers in Rec Mustang and Bronco, a pitcher/catcher may be borrowed from another team and play pitcher/catcher IF and ONLY IF a team’s regular pitcher/catcher cannot play that night. Borrowing players is to allow a team to field 9 players – NOT to win a game.

League Information and Rules: T&C Softball will be following PONY rules for all leagues, unless noted otherwise. If you are a visitor at another league’s field (e.g., Georgetown, Balcones, etc), please make sure you know the rules they follow prior to game time.

Equipment: Contact the Equipment Manager, for equipment checkout. In accordance with PONY rules, batting helmets must have chin straps AND face guards. For age divisions using a player pitcher (e.g., Mustang, Bronco, Pony and Colt), a pitcher is required to wear a defensive facemask. At the end of the season, you will be required to turn in your equipment bag. Please keep track of all the equipment during the season.

Rescheduling Games: Coaches need to contact their League Commissioner within 24 hours if not sooner to get the game rescheduled.

Rainouts: It is the coach’s responsibility to call parents to inform them of a game cancellation. You can also check the field status on the softball website under the Field Status tab. There is also a twitter field status update, you can receive tweeted updates by following TCSportsAustin. If you do not have a twitter account set up, you will need to go to www.twitter.com and set up your new account. In your set up for the account, you will have the option to download the twitter application for your phone. Most phones are set up with the twitter application pre-installed, if so, you will not have to download. Please check your device for this before selecting the option to download. Once your account is set up, you can begin to follow whomever you choose. To follow Town and Country field status, simply do a search for TCSportsAustin and select to follow. You will receive field status updates when available.

Field Duties

T&C Field Reservations: To request practice field reservations go through your Division Commissioner. Click here for a link to the Google Docs practice field schedule. You can also go to Schedules/Documents tab on the Softball website and click the button to view the practice field schedule.

Before the Game: The team listed as “home” on the game schedule is responsible for setting up the field (lining, raking, putting in bases, etc.) if they are the first game of the day. A commissioner will be on duty to help if needed. Encourage parents to help with field preparations. No infield practice shall be held prior to a game. Teams may use the outfield and batting cage to warm up. The 35′ pitching rubber on the Mustang field (#8) is removable. When using the 40′ pitching rubber, remove the 35′ pitching rubber and insert plugs.

During the Game: Have fun! Conduct yourself in a professional manner. You are also responsible for the conduct of the parents on your team. Parents can get emotionally charges at times, so help the umpires out by controlling the “excitement“. Umpires or the Commissioner on Duty have the right to eject a coach, parent, or child from the premises for inappropriate behavior.

After the Game: Make sure your dugout is cleaned out (no sugar drinks are allowed in the dugout to reduce the amount of bees around the dugout). All equipment should be removed and trash placed in trash cans. You are encouraged to get parent volunteers to manage the dugout and help make sure the dugout is ready for the next team. If you are the coach of the home team and your game was the last game of the day on that field, you are responsible for dragging the field. Again, encourage parents to help with this task.

Score Keeping: Scores will be kept in both spring and fall seasons (Shetland is optional), but no standings in the fall. Home team is responsible for maintaining the official scorebook. The winning team’s coach should report score of your game to the commissioner of your league.

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