If you have a son or daughter who plays baseball or softball, you’ve probably noticed the chaos that ensues in the team dugout. Most baseball field complexes consist primarily of fences and benches. The few types of bench organizers out there are easily damaged or simply contain an item of equipment, such as bats. Therefore, there is often no place for players to place their equipment. Many young players bring very simple bat bags to their games and hang them on the fence, but once the players get their stuff out of the bags, they don’t go back in until the end of the game. In these cases, players often throw their gloves and caps down the dugout, often ending up on the ground where they can be stepped on. In addition, the bats lean against the fence and regularly end up on the ground as well where they are kicked and trampled.
When a sideboard isn’t organized, players spend a lot of time trying to find their stuff. In the absence of any type of team bench organization, a coach must take the time to teach his players how to keep their team bench organized. Coaches should explain to players that they must put their gloves, hats, and helmets in the same place all the time. If the players do this, they will know where their things are and will be able to focus more on the game and on the training and strategy that the coaches provide.
If players are taught how to keep the bench organized, the end result is that their team will be treated better. Players will respect each other’s equipment if it is placed in the same place all the time on the bench. An organized bench allows players to help each other at the end of an inning by finding the player’s hat and glove to bring onto the field, also known as “picking it up.”
The third benefit of an organized bench is that it minimizes risk. The risk of injury is minimized by throwing fewer things on the ground where a player can easily trip over something like a bat. The risk of a player losing equipment is also reduced because if a team is taught how to keep their bench organized, then they are more likely to know where each other’s things are located.
It is a challenge to teach boys and girls how to take care of their baseball or softball equipment. Their mentality is that they are there to play and have fun. Unfortunately, this results in a dugout that is not organized and a lot of time wasted by players searching for their cap, gloves and helmets. To help keep their team running smoothly, baseball and softball coaches should spend some practice time teaching their players how to keep their dugout organized.
