How To Select All-Star Team Managers And Coaches

This resource stems from a question submitted to the Ask PCA blog. Responses come from our experts including PCA Trainers, who lead live group workshops for coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes.

“Do you have any best practices or recommendations for selecting managers for Little League All-Star teams? In our league, the manager of the first-place Majors team is (subject to board approval) selected as the Manager for the 11-12 All-Star team. Any other suggestions on determining All-Star managers?”

PCA Response by Ray Lokar, PCA Trainer–Los Angeles

All-Star Managers and Coaches are entrusted with the league’s best players and perhaps the most important and visible leadership position within the league, so careful selection is important. Some leagues simplify the process by awarding the Tournament Teams to those who win their divisions, pending board approval. Other leagues let players, managers, coaches, and board members cast votes.

PCA’s National Partner, Little League, recommends a two-step process. First, let players, managers and coaches in the division select the managers and coaches for the tournament team. Second, the local league board of directors should review these selections to ensure that none of the coaches have violated any league policies or guidelines or otherwise created cause for concerns with their selection.

PCA tools that help establish criteria include the Double-Goal Coach® Job Description, which lets parents and coaches know what the organization expects of its coaches. You also can use our coach evaluation form for parents and coach evaluation form for players. These evaluations can guide the league’s Board of Directors in its final selection of coaches.

In any coach selection process, it is important that procedures be determined before the regular season starts and communicated to all players, parents, volunteers, managers and coaches, as well as posted on the league’s website. This helps avoid controversy later on in the season.

Regardless of the method used, personal agendas, friendships, and loyalties need to be set aside for the greater good and everyone should be aligned with the same mission – to select the best team to advance in tournament play and represent the league while Honoring the Game.

Ray Lokar has coached a variety of sports for over 25 years at the youth, high school, and college levels, including his son and two daughters who have gone on to play college athletics, as well as a 8-year old son playing youth sports. Ray was the Head Basketball Coach for the 2002 California Interscholastic Federation Champions while at Bishop Amat High School and is a Past-President of the Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association.