Selecting a good coach is the most important thing we do at Hard 90 and it is the most important thing you can do as a parent to support your player on their baseball journey.
When we select a coach at Hard 90, our very first question is "would we want our own son to be coached by this individual?" The owner and general manager have had collectively 5 children go through the Hard 90 program - so this question is paramount to our coach selection process.
If an individual passes the first question, we then take a look at their core values and see if they align with our core values. The Hard 90 Core Values are:
1. Do Your Best
2. Pick Up Your Teammates (be a good teammate)
3. Overcome Adversity (no excuses positive movement toward a solution)
4. Always Learn
These core values are extremely important as this sets the foundation from which you teach the game of baseball - and ultimately the life lessons learned through sport.
After core value alignment, Hard 90 reviews an individual's expertise. While playing the game at a high level does not directly translate to coaching, Hard 90 requires coaches to have either collegiate or professional playing experience. This experience is an important aspect to being able to relate to players as they aspire to play the game at the highest levels.
In addition to playing experience, Hard 90 also looks at a track record of player development. Hard 90 has a strong track record on over 300 alumni that have gone on to play collegiate and professional baseball and we look for coaches that are focused on a similar level of development.
After qualifications, Hard 90 looks at level of investment in players. Hard 90 hires coaches that spend time outside of practices and games focusing on how they can help their players achieve their goals. Hard 90 fosters this culture through formal player reporting, frequent coaches meetings to discuss player development and informal conversations about player development.
Finally, Hard 90 hires coaches that are focused on continuous improvement. Hard 90 coaches are constantly searching for more effective ways to teach the game. This search is supported by frequent coach meetings to discuss the game and industry experts that visit The Clubhouse to share their knowledge.
So the next time you look for a coach, take a page out of the Hard 90 book and focus on:
1. Core Values
2. Expertise
3. Track record
4. Investment
5. Continuous Improvement
If you are interested in experiencing the Hard 90 coaches - check out our travel team tryouts: youth and high school.
Note: Hard 90 completes comprehensive background checks on all of it coaches. Most training centers in the industry do not complete basic background checks.