Every coach brings an assortment of stuff with them to the ball field. How big your bag or bucket or cart or trailer might be depends on a lot of things. Certainly the level of play will dictate some of what you might need to bring with you. Also the age of the players you are coaching is going to give you some guidance.
The bottom line, however is that there are some things that every coach should have access to when they hit the field for every game and practice.
Tape: Duct tape, athletic tape, electrical tape or packing tape? Which is the right choice, well, for some teams all of the above. Duct tape can be used to fix almost anything so its value is obvious. Covering the hole in a pitchers cleat, repairing a bucket or hanging your line up on the wall of the dugout are all good uses. Athletic tape, however, is a better option for a bat grip or to cover up a band aid. Electrical tape is useful, especially the narrow colored style since you can use it to make your catchers signs easier to read. And packing tape is great for getting the pet fur or lint off the jerseys for the all important Tic Tok session.
Glove repair kit: You can get a nice emergency repair kit at any sporting goods store. You may want to add some zip ties or electrical wire or shoelaces too, just in case you can’t use the repair kit. A couple extra tools will go along way too. Grab a pair of needle nose pliers, a box cutter and a small surgical clamp and you are all set.
Towels: Obvious right? The ball gets wet, or the players sweat or the players get dirty or all of the above. Having a towel is a great way to solve many problems that will arise. More than one is a really good idea but no matter how badly you want to, DO NOT WEAR the towel by tucking it into your pants. You don’t look prepared, you look…
Eye black/sunglasses/spare visor/spare hat: Do you want to lose a game because one of your kids can’t see the ball in the sun? I know you don’t. Be ready so that when one of your kids isn’t prepared for the sunny field you are. DO NOT use eye black as war paint! You don’t look tough, you look…
Throw down home plate and a tape measure: Do you want your pitcher to warm up at the same distance she is pitching at? Of course you do, be sure you can measure it off and put a plate down for them to pitch too. Or be ready for her to throw meatballs over the middle when the game starts.
Personal items: Hair ties, feminine products , sun screen and eye drops are a must have. Again, you don’t need to have a lifetime supply of these items but a couple to help a player get through the day is a lifesaver.
First aid kit: Band aids might be the extent of your medical training but they are definitely needed. I would count on the parents or players themselves to provide aspirin or Tylenol since there would be significant liability associated with providing those.
In a perfect world we wouldn’t need to provide these things for our team but we all know we don’t live in a perfect world. Is it your job, as a coach, to be able to solve all the above mentioned problems? Of course it is!
