Are cigars frowned upon at Little League practice?

I make my baseball coaching debut tonight with my youngest son's team, they're 8 and 9 year olds.  This could be my big chance to be that guy all of us fondly remember, the salty old coach chewing on a cigar while barking out orders!
 
Probably some rule about the fields being "tobacco free".
 
Anyways, this ought to be interesting.  I've been coaching youth hockey for years now, I'm a head coach at summer camps, I coach coaches on how to coach, and I coach high level teams as well.  But I honestly don't know shit about baseball.  I didn't play past little league.  This will be a good exercise in whether or not the skills to effectively work with kids will transfer over to another sport.  I'm banking on the other coach having some actual baseball knowledge.

First of all buy Ted Williams' book on hitting. Second my neighbor is a high school football coach. Knows nothing about baseball and hockey, yet his skills with young boys transferred well to sports he knows very little about. Third, don't smoke. Bad form.
 
Doc

At 8/9, they need direction.  If you've coached at all, which it sounds like you have, you shouldn't have a problem managing the kids or their lack of an attention span.  It's all about fundamentals at this age.  Making contact, proper throwing and fielding and base running.  If you lose every game, yet excel at fundamentals/how to play the game, you'll be rewarded as they get older with winning teams. 
 
If it's their first kid pitch year, you live/die by your pitcher/catcher.  My advice, find a couple kids that can get it across the plate, doesn't matter the speed.  Also, find a catcher that can keep the ball in his glove or at least in front of him. 
 
Keep it fun.  I find the majority of kids that quit at this age, quit because of the pressure and the parents thinking they have the next MLB star under their roof.  Set ground rules for the parents as well, make sure they know what to expect.  Read this letter from Mike Matheny, it might be a little over the top at this age, but you get the idea:
 
http://www.mac-n-seitz.com/teams/mike-matheny-letter.html
 
Enjoy it Andy.  If you get in a jam, You Tube has a ton of videos on the basics.

At this age, it's a pitching machine.  They start fast pitch here when they're 4th graders.
 
I'm a huge proponent of long term athlete development at the expense of winning championships as 2nd graders.

Gonz said:

At this age, it's a pitching machine.  They start fast pitch here when they're 4th graders.
 
I'm a huge proponent of long term athlete development at the expense of winning championships as 2nd graders.

Click to expand...

 
Hmmm, my son is 9 (3rd grade age) and this is their first year kid pitch.  Anyway, good luck Andy, you should have fun.  Don't forget to set a snack schedule, that's the most important aspect of these games, LOL.

I personally wouldn't mix kids Little League with smoking a cigar.

You're bound to catch some hell from some parents....and probably rightfully so. It's just a bad setting for it IMHO.

Andy, I have coached baseball a lot.  Baseball can be boring for boys that age very different from ice hockey I think.  I know, that is obvious.  Get a few parents and break out into small groups and run a bunch of drills at a time.  Have kids run the bases while batting practice is going on keeps 'em busy and wears 'em out..  So you have one kid swinging and 3 running the bases.  Just keep it moving at all times.  Another pod fielding, (maybe two depending on the number of players) so they touch the ball every minute or so, It is easy.  Kids love to have signs for the games and even if you have only one or two they think it's very big league.
 
Since you live in MN it is my guess no cigar, too bad, my crusty old coach in grade school always had one going and I remember him with great fondness.

I have coached my kids baseball team for the last 3 years, they are 7 right now.  I have never considered bringing a cigar to anything team related, even the end of the year bbq that was at a large park.  If the leagues out there are anything like they are here most games are played at a school baseball field, tobacco on school grounds is a big no-no in California; I would imagine that would be true in most states.
 
Remember you are a role model when they are with you at practice, or a game.  Like Freebern said, get good fundamentals and teach them the skills they will need as they grow.  Most of the fundamentals and skills won't sink in the same season at this age.
 
Save the cigar for after practice or the game when you are sitting in your smoking room or the yard.

OK, of course I would never bring a cigar to an 8 & 9 year old baseball practice.  But it's awesome to think about how when some of us were kids it was quite commonplace, even on school grounds.
 
But thanks for the coaching advice.  Bottom line is I just want to provide these kids with the best, most fun, experience.

I saw a documentary on Vince Lombardi one time.  He actually started as a high school basketball coach, a sport he knew nothing about.  He was very successful in basketball (even won a state championship), despite having to teach himself the game through instruction manuals.  It goes to show that good coaching and leadership can transfer over.  Give 'em hell, Andy.

I'd steer clear of cigars at the park IMO...
 
I played a ton of ball, best book on hitting ever made http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/science-of-hitting-ted-williams/1102100989?ean=9780671621032
 
Good Luck, let us know if you have specific questions...

I like the Bad News Bears and I can see the romance for a new young baseball coach.

I actually see cigars as a positive influence- for me. Unfortunately, the general public feels as thou if you are exhaling smoke, there is a problem.

I'd say talk to the parents about stogies and maybe even have a stogie fund raiser for the league.
The montessorri school we send the boy to has a fundraiser every year. When I was there I was talking to the other fathers and most of them where into smoking cigars and said we should get together. Cool.

In a free country, you should be able to smoke outside. The fact that there is any question about this shows how far we have gone astray. On the other hand, I never liked smoking in a situation where I can't enjoy it unequivocally. After the game, maybe.

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