Jeff Rodin (@JeffRodin) is in his 16th year as the Director of Baseball Outreach & Development for the Arizona Diamondbacks of the MLB. In this role, Rodin has revamped the community initiatives of the team by creating youth baseball and softball programs that allow Phoenix area youth to learn and benefit from the same tools and techniques as Diamondbacks players.

Over-coaching is easy to fall into because emotions are involved and coaches want the best for their athletes, Rodin explains. This is particularly true for parent-volunteer coaches, who are even more emotionally involved and have a tendency to say too much rather than just let the players play. Rodin suggests that real teaching usually happens in practice, but in game situations, Rodin argues coaches should play more of a facilitator role and only actively step in when players need help learning from a teachable moment or a mistake. Coaches should learn the appropriate times to facilitate and as Rodin says, "When they get thirsty, then you can give them that drink of water."

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