By Brian Gotta, President of CoachDeck

Youth leagues have rules in place, usually to encourage participation for all or for safety. They may be age or weight limits; playing time and position rotations; maximum pitches allowed—the list goes on. And while the vast majority of coaches abide by these rules, there are times when we are tempted to cross into "grey areas."

The "grey area" coaches usually justify their actions by saying that their team wants to win and/or the rule they're "bending" is a dumb one anyway. A baseball coach might look the other way if he knows a player has brought an illegal bat. "If the ump doesn't say it's illegal, then use it." A soccer coach might decide their best player doesn't have to come out of the game.

When I began coaching in Little League, I read a book on coaching tips and the book was focused on how to win, which was fine. However, in one part of the book the author recommended teaching players on base to leave before the pitched ball crossed the plate so that they could get an extra jump. The reasoning was that even though the rule was that the ball had to cross the plate before the runner could go, there was no penalty in the rules for the early jump, so why not get the edge.

When my oldest son finally got up to the level where this strategy could be employed, I explained this to the team. I'd read it in a book, written by an expert, so it must be OK. "Leave just a bit early," I said as my son toed first base. He looked at me and asked, "Wouldn't that be cheating?" I had raised him right, and was forgetting my own morals.

The kids we coach are impressionable. They absorb the lessons we teach—even the unintentional ones. If they see us bend the rules—even just a little, they will begin to wonder where the line between right and wrong is.

The Greek playwright, Sophocles said, "Rather fail with honor than succeed with fraud." If we want the next generation of our society to be better than their parents, coaches can help set the tone.

Brian Gotta is a former professional recreational youth baseball coach and volunteer Little League coach and board member. He is President of Help Kids Play, a collection of companies whose mission is to further the development and enjoyment of youth sports.