Any Coach that acquires a sponsor can receive a $50 discount of their child's registration costs.  If you wish to take advantage of this discount, it will not be processed until the Sponsor pays the sponsor fee. The Sponsor can find information and the Sponsor form on the website under the Team Sponsors tab. If you register your child before BNBA receives the Sponsor funds, the discount will be given as a refund.


                                                                                                                Coaches Meetings: Saturday, April 19, 2025

                                                                              T-Ball (Alternative): 12pm
                                                                         Rookie (Coach Pitch): 1:15pm
                                                                         Prospect: 2:30pm                            
                                                                         Minor: 4:00pm
                                                                         Major: 5:15pm

                                                                                                              All meetings are being held at the Corn Crib

As a coach you will take on one of the most beautiful, powerful, and influential positions a person can ever have. Some people may call it a job, and others a profession, but in reality, being a coach is not that at all. It is so much more than that.

By becoming a coach, you have chosen to work with young athletes. You have chosen to guide them through the trials and tribulations of learning two beautiful games: baseball and life. You are in a position to change their lives forever, not only by making them better athletes, but better people. You are a leader, you are a role model, you are a person who serves your athletes, and you are a person to whom they entrust their physical and emotional well-being. Never take this responsibility lightly.

Every time we coach, our words and actions can have a huge impact in the lives of our players, both positively and negatively. We are faced with moments of success and failure, and with calls from officials both good and bad. Our words and actions in these situations can stick with our players forever. The thing is, we don’t get to choose which things stick, and which ones they forget, so in everything we say and do, we have to choose wisely.

 We leave a lasting impact on every player we coach. There is no way around this; you will influence every player you come in contact with. What will your influence be? Will it be something positive and affirming that bolsters your athletes and serves them through life? Will it be a more fulfilling experience for you and your players, more enjoyable, and more successful?

Or will it be something that tears them down, that diminishes their self-worth, that makes them fearful of failure, or ties their self-worth with sports success? We all mean well, but sometimes when we are pushing to win a game, or talking to our teams after a tough loss, we say and do things that we later regret.

Being a coach is so much more than running a bunch of practices and organizing kids for games.

It’s about connecting with your players as people first, and athletes second. It is about being passionate, and loving the game you teach, so your players will play with passion and love. It is about empathy, making every player feel important, and giving him or her a role on the team. It is about integrity and consistency for kids during good times and bad. It is about being a model of the behavior you expect from your athletes, on and off the field of sport and life. It is about being a teacher, not only of the X’s and O’s of a sport, but about life, about optimism, about persistence, and about character. No, coaching cannot simply be a job. It must be a vocation, a calling to a place that best suits your skills, your passion and your ability.

You can change lives with a single word, a single pat on the back, and a single conversation that says “ I believe in you.”

Further instruction and reminders for Coaches:

Communicate with your parents. At the first practice ask for input on any special needs (medical, disabilities, etc.) of your players and adjust accordingly. Many parents have indicated they are willing to help in some capacity, so please keep them involved. You will get an updated roster with phone numbers and emails. Ask parents intending to help if they could assist with coaching, keeping score, or clean dugout area after the game. General clean-up of the dugout area is appreciated by field owners and our crews.

 Please review the rules and keep them with you at all times. The umpires do their best to interpret the rules and to be as fair as possible. Midway through the season, securing umpires becomes a challenge for several reasons, although, the top concern is usually a poor experience with a coach or parent. Please keep this in mind and appreciate that you have umpires available for your games.

 Please recognize BNBA does not have a staff or committee on call to resolve rule disputes and the likelihood of a call or ruling being overturned is negligible. The logistics of re-playing a protested game is nearly impossible, and in the big picture not necessary. It’s recreational baseball, a game for the kids. Keep in mind, NO ONE involved in our program, or ANYTHING written in the rules is in anyway attempting to cheat or take away any participants’ enjoyment or satisfaction from their participation. BNBA will try to make the rules as easy to understand and enforceable as possible, but nothing is bulletproof, and things happen.

 Remember, only Head Coaches are to discuss rule interpretations, or any call on the field with officials. When time is called, only the Head Coach can be on the field to discuss such issues. All other coaches, players and parents should NEVER be involved in such discussions, except, when information is needed from these individuals. NO ONE IS TO EVER ARGUE WITH THE OFFICIALS. If for any reason a Head Coach is not satisfied with answers given by the officials, then he or she may file a formal protest.

 If the umpires do not initiate a pre-game meeting, please take it upon yourselves to do so. this is a good time for introductions, review the ground rules, discuss strike zone. If the umpires fail to show, it is more than acceptable for a coach or parent to take over the umpire duties, if they are willing. In- the- event that this happens the BNBA will pay them the umpire fee. Please have them contact the office the following day.

Remember, each pitcher’s pitch count should be recorded on the umpires cards as-well-as in each team’s scorebook. Both Head Coaches will sign the umpires game cards either before or after the game. The pitching limits included in the BNBA rules are there for the safety of our pitchers, please keep careful track of every pitch in each game and per week. These numbers should be available to the office if a dispute should arise. If a dispute should arise during a game, the disputing Head Coach shall let the umpire know he is playing under protest, but the game will continue to its conclusion. Be honest, do not attempt to circumvent the pitching rules, and by doing so risk injury to your players.

 Schedules will be posted to the website, any changes during the season will be posted ASAP. Please understand that there are a number of reasons why the schedule could change, and could do so in a moment's notice, or in several days. Schedules will be posted under the Registration Information tab on the homepage of our website, as well as under the Team Central/Posted Schedules tab on the homepage. Only individuals with a BNBA account will be able to Access the Team Central tab.

 BNBA gives each team practice and game balls to start the season. Coaches should hold on to used game baseballs and turn in what you have left at the end of the season. Each team will give a new baseball to the umpires before the game starts. Umpires will not be required to collect the game balls.

 Please encourage your players to wear the league issued uniform (Jersey, Pants, and Hat). If any part of the uniform is lost or damaged, a new one can be purchased to replace it. Jerseys may take 2-3 weeks to receive and are more expensive to replace.

 Please do your best to ensure that each player receives equal playing time, and that they are given every opportunity to play a variety of positions. Give each player opportunities to hit in different parts of the batting line-up.

 Please report scores!!! The sponsors appreciate having their names associated with their sponsored team, win or lose. You can report game score via text at 309-838-5492, office phone 309-829-2129, or email at [email protected] after the game, but no later than noon the next day.

 Player safety should always come first! Be sure catchers wear a cup and all the required protective gear. Any player on the team at bat who is in the field of play must wear a helmet, this includes all base runners, on-deck hitters and any player who may be assisting with coaching at 1st or 3rd in the Prospect, Minor and Major divisions. If any of your equipment becomes defective, please come to the office to exchange it.

Please return the equipment to the BNBA office within two weeks of the end of the season. If you have vacation planned immediately following the season, please make plans for another coach or parent to return the equipment. If for whatever reason the equipment is not returned, BNBA must purchase new equipment, and the cost of doing so will affect everyone.

 Check the website regularly for updates. Please refrain from calling the office regarding weather. BNBA does not cancel games due to heat/heat index, or weather forecasts. Rain outs will not be re-scheduled until a team has two, and then it will depend on the schedule of the teams involved and field availability. Please recognize that each field responds differently to rain, and on any given game day there are 12 to 20 fields with games scheduled. BNBA may not be able to prep every field by game time. We will work on the fields that need less work to prep first and then attempt to prep the worst fields. Usually, not getting fields prepped is the result of too much water for the field crews to get dry enough. Friday night/Saturday morning rains are an extra challenge for field crews because time is limited to get fields ready by 10am Saturday morning. When late afternoon showers occur after field crews are finished prepping fields, we rely on coaches to make the call on the playability of the field. BNBA utilizes fields throughout the Bloomington-Normal area, which adds to the difficulty when rains are involved.

Operation of Lights

It’s no easy task being the coach of a youth team. Whether you’ve volunteered to coach for the first time or been there before, looking to better your team, there will always be ways to improve yourself. Ultimately, there are many responsibilities when leading a team.

It’s best to simplify it, and just as you tell your players, get back to the basics yourself. You might not always know what’s best for the team, but these tips will be here to help you build a solid foundation for the team. Regardless of your experience, if you’re looking to improve, here’s how you can make this season the best possible experience for you and your players.

Set Rules at the Beginning of the Season

The first few meetings with players or parents will set the stage for your interactions for the rest of the season. It’s important to establish boundaries and rules from the start, otherwise you may encounter tough situations down the road. For parents, you should set boundaries on when they can discuss issues, otherwise you might have parents coming up to the dugout in the middle of the game asking about playing time for their kid. Tell parents that email is the best way to air any grievances or offer suggestions.

Get to Know Your Players and Their Learning Style

To coach your team to the best of your ability, you must know your players’ personalities, habits, skill sets, and even limitations. Every player reacts to feedback differently. Some need positive reinforcement, and others might need more stern feedback. An easy way to do this is by getting to know each athlete individually and scheduling activities outside of practice and games that provide bonding time. Whether you plan a team barbecue or fundraiser (among many others), spending time with your team will undoubtedly help build chemistry. 

 “Players need to know that you care, before they care what you know”

Give Players A Chance at Different Positions

Arguably, one of the most important tips here is to allow every player a chance to play each position. Kids are just beginning their involvement and development in the sport at a young age. Find out what they love and what motivates them to stay on the field. A positional rotation will help keep things fair between all players and allow them to determine which position is the best fit for them as they progress.

Structure and Prepare Practices

Ensure you keep the players engaged throughout a full practice. This can be difficult in youth sports, with shorter attention spans the younger the athletes are. A steady practice plan will keep players focused and motivated to maintain structure and avoid distractions. Remember to include competitive drills with fun at the forefront. Healthy competition is a great way to speed up development and build winning habits even at a young age. If you’re looking for a few drills to include in your plan.

Build a Love of the Game

Baseball is tough, and every success is preceded by a number of failures. Some say that baseball is the only occupation where you can fail 7 out of 10 times and be considered great. In other sports, such as soccer, the spotlight is on the full team. In baseball, when you get up to hit, the spotlight is only on you. This is daunting for many young players, so it’s important for coaches to help them understand that failure is a key component of the road to success. You can still give honest feedback and hold players accountable but remind them that every player will have setbacks while improving.