Cal Ripken

Coaches Corner

 Requirements

The following certifications and trainings are required by all coaches and volunteers (anyone helping with practices or games). ALL of these requirements must be met before a coach leads a practice or coaches a game. Scroll down for more information on each.

  1. Babe Ruth League/Ripken Baseball Coaching Certification ($20, lifetime certification)

  2. Concussion Certification (free)

  3. Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention (free)

  4. Background check (every two years, via our online registration)

  5. Acceptance of our MBA Coaches Code of Conduct

Proof of completion is required before the season begins.

Cal Ripken Coaching Certification

All baseball coaches affiliated with the Babe Ruth League and Cal Ripken Baseball are required to complete a Babe Ruth League coaching education and become certified to coach. This includes head coaches as well as assistant coaches. The training is called Coaching Youth Baseball the Babe Ruth Way. Click HERE to be taken to the website.

Certification is valid for your entire coaching career with Babe Ruth League, Inc.

 

Concussion Certification

Coaches are required to take this free, online course, via the CDC. This course will help you:

  • Understand a concussion and the potential consequences of this injury,

  • Recognize concussion signs and symptoms and how to respond,

  • Learn about steps for returning to activity (play and school) after a concussion, and

  • Focus on prevention and preparedness to help keep athletes safe season-to-season.

 

Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention

Babe Ruth League fosters a culture of safety by raising awareness, developing best practices, and providing education and training to promote respect and prevent abuse. All coaches are required to complete the Abuse Prevention Training that is part of the registration process.

 

Background Check

A background check for all coaches is required every two years. Complete the background check as part of your registration.

 

Why is the Cal Ripken mandatory certification important to the national organization?

(From the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken National website)

There is no one single factor that can have more of a positive impact on our players than improving the quality and knowledge of our managers and coaches.  It is a fact that managers and coaches are the ones who spend the most time interacting with our participants and the ones who can make a child’s experience in youth sports fun and memorable. Therefore, it is very important for youth coaches to be properly trained to focus more on the child’s baseball experience and less on winning games.

With this in mind, the Babe Ruth League/Cal Ripken Baseball Coaching Certification Program was developed. Under the program, all baseball and softball coaches must complete coaching education before the beginning of the season.

The Babe Ruth League/Ripken Baseball Coaching Certification Program consists of the Level 1 coaching certification online courses Coaching Youth Baseball: The Ripken Way for Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken Baseball Coaches and The Ripken Way for Babe Ruth Softball Coaches. Babe Ruth League, Inc. and Ripken Baseball, Inc. exclusively endorse these online courses

Coaches who complete the Level 1 course with a score of 80% or better will receive the Babe Ruth League/Ripken Baseball Coaching Certification Program Level 1 certification for baseball and will be able to print a certificate of completion and wallet card from the website.