By Brian Gotta, President of CoachDeck

Dear Coach,

Thank you for coaching my team this season. I hope you can pick me again next year, because I had so much fun. I thought I’d tell you some of my favorite things about you being my coach.

I loved how you were always in such a good mood. I had been scared before the first practice. I didn’t know anyone on the team and I’ve had other coaches who always look serious and mean behind their sunglasses. You smiled at every kid and knelt down when you talked to us. You were always making funny jokes, but not ones that made anyone feel bad.

I really liked coming to practice. We all got so much better because of the drills and instruction you gave us. And since you usually divided us into smaller groups we weren’t ever standing around bored that much. My dad said that gave us a lot of “repetitions.”

But what was amazing was even though we were working hard, your practices were so much fun. I guess part of that was because you were always encouraging us and complimenting us on things we did right. I’ve seen other coaches who are constantly yelling about the things their players are doing wrong. I like your way better. And when someone did make a mistake you’d point it out, but not in a mean way. You’d show us how to do it right and ask us to try again. That really helped.

Another reason your practices were fun was that we were always playing games. Everything we did, even when we were just warming up, you’d figure out a way to make it into a competition so that everyone got excited and wanted to do it again when it was over.

I especially liked coming to the games. I know I wasn’t the best player on the team, but you made me feel like I was. I got to play as much as everyone else and there were a couple of games you said I was one of the “MVP’s”. Did we win those games? I can’t remember.

There were a few times I saw other teams’ coaches yelling at the officials, and then all of their parents did too. I don’t remember you ever doing that. And our parents were quiet. I guess we were lucky and all the calls must have gone our way this season.

It was great that we could count on you. If there was ever a day when I was the first kid to the field, you were already there. And even the times when my mom was the last one to come and get me, you still hadn’t left. Did you live there? Just kidding. I know you really didn’t.

So Coach, I really, really want to say thank you for being such a terrific coach. Every game this year I saw how you joked around with kids you’d coached before, even though they were on the other team. If I can’t be on your team next season, I hope you’ll say “hi” to me too. And I hope my next coach is just like you.

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.