by USA Baseball
USA Baseball announced through its partnership with the National Federation of State High School Associations, that it has provided the Guyana Baseball League with its coaching education program, “Fundamentals of Coaching Baseball.”
The program, which was announced in December 2012, is part of USA Baseball’s emphasis on coaching education and growing the game of baseball both domestically and internationally.
“USA Baseball through its partnership with the NFHS is proud to present this opportunity to the coaches of Guyana,” said USA Baseball Senior Director of Development, Rick Riccobono.
“As baseball continues to grow both in Guyana and around the world, we are confident that the ‘Fundamentals of Coaching Baseball’ can be a tremendous resource for coaches, and by extension, their players.”
Robin Singh, President of the Guyana Baseball League – the national governing body for baseball in Guyana – echoed Riccobono’s sentiment.
“The NFHS coaching education course developed by USA Baseball is the cornerstone upon which baseball in Guyana will be built,” Singh said. “It is a vital resource needed to provide quality coaches with requisite knowledge and recognized certification to coach our nation’s youth.”
As USA Baseball and the NFHS continue to grow their coaches education program with the emphasis on providing the best resources to those cultivating the game at the grassroots level, Guyana is beginning to develop the game with a similar process.
“The majority of the participants in the course are young school teachers,” Singh explained. “A recognized coaching certificate is important to these young pioneers and an asset to their schools and community.”
Furthermore, Singh expressed that members of Guyana’s governing body would be involved with the program, and stressed the importance of coaching education to developing a successful baseball program in Guyana.
“Guyana Baseball League development officer, Romel George, and I are participants in this historic first step,” Singh said. “We cannot emphasize enough how important this course is to Guyana and the growth of baseball here.”
Providing the program to Guyana is the first step in growing the game in that country, and another step in USA Baseball’s continued emphasis on growing the game at the grassroots level in the United States and across the globe.
The course is divided into five units: Coaching Philosophy, Offense, Defense, Pitching and Team Strategies. These units teach the basics of catching and throwing, offensive skills and defensive tactics; offer an overview of each position’s role on the field; show coaches how to develop a practice plan and provide additional coaching tips that coaches can use to teach and help improve their teams. Additional resources, video demonstrations and references are also included within the course.
Additionally, the NFHS Coach Education Program offers 32 online courses, including the two core courses – “Fundamentals of Coaching” and “First Aid, Health and Safety for Coaches.” The NFHS also offers 14 sport-specific courses and 16 elective courses, including seven that are free. All NFHS Coach Education Program courses are available at www.nfhslearn.com.
For more information on the program or to become a certified coach, please visit USABaseball.com or NFHSlearn.com.
