The Dad Coach: How to Lead Kids to Succeed On and Off the Baseball Field

by Mike Matheny, Jerry B. Jenkins

The New York Times bestselling author of The Matheny Manifesto offers the definitive guide to coaching youth baseball and instilling positive values on and off the field.

Long before he became manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals, Mike Matheny grasped the core values of what really mattered when it came to playing baseball. It wasn’t attention from fans or the trophy at the end of a season that guided his morals, but the hard-won discipline, labor, and humility that he incorporated into every game he played. Now, in The Dad Coach, Matheny puts his philosophy into action and provides a step-by-step template for coaches and parents to develop solid fundamentals and a strong sense of character in their players,

Age-specific drills and exercises to develop skills, along with practice plans to help young ballplayers improve
Game preparation and evaluation techniques to help coaches stay on track and keep kids engaged
Advice on making coaching a meaningful experience and investment of time
More than seventy QR codes leading to instructional videos featuring Matheny and other Dad Coach advocates

Drawing on Matheny’s playing and coaching expertise at every level of the game, The Dad Coach is an engaging and essential resource for anyone, regardless of experience, who wants to coach their players to success in baseball and life.


* This audiobook edition including a downloadable PDF of links to instructional videos, tips and resources to help you be the best coach you can be!

Genres: Sports

Audible Audio

Published March 25, 2025

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently half way through the book, so here's my opinion so far:

I've not found much to relate to personally, though my family member was involved in baseball.
I wanted to learn more about the sport and the coaches mindset. The book says, “The key is to approach these with the right mindset, never assuming you already know it all.” However, this book is not just for anyone with a passing interest. It is for those who most closely resemble coaches, as the author's perspective appears to focus on people who are actively involved in the sport.

Perhaps this would be the perfect read for those with preexisting knowledge of the sports history, and may be particularly interesting to those curious about the author's life.

I do appreciate that the book is tailored to a specific, somewhat niche audience, and now I know exactly who I can recommend it to.

[Robert Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, could do without the Christianity-based stuff but its mostly benign. The QR codes to drills/ideas are neat but I wonder how that will hold up over the long-haul. Overall highly recommend for those getting into coaching, not just baseball but anything.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A valuable and thought provoking resource for any coach, parent or player involved in youth sports. Though designed for baseball, the insights provided throughout this book may be readily applied to other sports and life experiences. {A}

[Javierthearcnovice · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won a copy but Received an arc two weeks before the book is actually on shelves…. This made me not want to read the book. There was no mention of an arc in the giveaway post.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute wonderfully written book about being an all-around, good coach for kids. Really applies to any sport.

[Muhammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madrasah was a placed near of the office. There is no God, but Allah SWT. Peace be upon him. Ahlussunnah wal jama'ah.