What To Pack In Your Coaches Baseball Bag

Below are the items every coaches’ baseball bag should have, whether during a game or a practice.

21 Essentials In A Coaches Baseball Bag

Like any other sport, baseball isn’t just a game. It can impart valuable life skills such as teamwork and responsibility.

As a coach, you want the players to have their own set of baseball gear. But, as part of your core duties, you should be carrying the right gear and equipment, too.  

Below, you’ll find the most important items that should be in every coaches’ baseball bag. 

• Basic Gear For A Baseball Game

As a coach, you need to assume that your players may have forgotten to take essential protective and playing gear. Take the following extra items in a game or during practice:   

1. Extra Baseballs- Whether your team is participating in an actual game or is practicing on the field, it's necessary to ensure you can finish the drills and batting practice, as planned.
2. Extra Bats- Baseball bats may break down unexpectedly or become useless in the middle of the game.  
3. Batting Helmets- This protective gear is worn by batters and aims to shield their heads against a pitchers’ erratic throws.    
4. Extra gloves and mitts- One can’t play a game without baseball mitts or gloves—which, of course, are used in fielding and catching the ball.  
5. Gear Bag- To hold all your essential baseball gear.  
6. Catcher's Gear- Composed of the helmet, chest protector, and leg guards.     
7. Water- Extra water is required especially if your team is playing under the heat of the sun. 
8. Other requirements as mandated by the different leagues

• Training Aids

There are multiple pieces of training equipment used in training, depending on the skill level of your baseball team. Training activities typically include hitting, pitching, and fielding.    

These items are used in improving a baseball player’s overall performance. Take note that not all of these tools may fit inside a coach’s baseball bag.

9. Batting Tees- This training tool allows hitters to practice without the need for a pitcher. With batting tees, a player can focus on their batting swing by allowing for a baseball to be thrown at different heights. 
10. Swing Trainers- This is often used in hitting drills. A swing trained helps enhance muscle memory, power, and agility.    
11. Paddles- This tool is great in improving infielders’ quick transfers. This enables a player’s adeptness at using two hands and the glove to stop the ball.
12. Practice and Training Balls- These come in all shapes and sizes, for indoor and outdoor use. Practice balls aim to develop a player’s swings. 
13. Cones- Cone drills are essential in improving a baseball player’s footwork and balance as they change directions while running.   
14. Rebounder Nets- They're baseball practice aids for players who want to develop their throwing skills.    

• Record-Keeping Tools 

As a coach, you need to keep files of each player on your team. To monitor each player as well as the team’s overall performance. A coach should also have the following items in the bag:      

15. Scorebook- This records critical baseball game stats including batting, fielding, running, and pitching scores.    
16. Pencil- To write your notes and scores with.  
17. Players’ Roster- This list must include all the names of the players in your lineup.    
18. Stopwatch- You can either use an actual timer or your phone and watch to time the game.   
19. Pitch Counter- This small tool measures the number of times a pitcher throws the ball.   
20. Baseball scoring app-There are quite a few baseball scorekeeping apps on the market that can be downloaded for free.    

• ‘For Emergency’ Items 

A coach should also be ready during emergency situations. To ensure a quick response when something goes wrong, these should come in handy:   

21. First Aid kit- Band-aids, gauze bandages, plasters, wound disinfectants, cold and warm packs, tweezers, and basic over-the-counter pain medications, should be packed in a kit inside your coaches’ baseball bag.   

A coach should keep players’ emergency contact information and health records. Apart from calling emergency services, you must know whom to inform in case something happens to any of the players.   

Final Thoughts 

As a coach, your bag should carry anything and everything the team needs to win. To know what you need to take with you, assume that not all of your players will be using their own equipment. 

Besides a complete set of playing and practice gear, you need to take a positive mindset to find a silver lining in every loss—especially if you’re coaching little children.