Banana ball Assistant Coach Application

Working with Fans First is fun, challenging, and exciting. We have a team of extremely talented and positive people who are committed and energized by our mission. When it comes to our team members, they live and breathe “Fans First, Entertain Always.”  

 The Fans First way guides our team and our teammates to embody being caring, different, enthusiastic, fun, growing, and hungry. Everyone shows personal and professional growth and they are constantly serving and impacting others. We’ve built an All-Star team of the best players, performers, and doers in business. We constantly bring on people who contribute to the atmosphere of intelligence, passion, and fun! The team is obsessed with challenging the status quo and finding a better way to do almost everything for our fans.  

 VISION FOR BANANA BALL OPERATIONS:

• Entertain One Billion Fans Around the World. 
• The game of Banana Ball has taken the county by storm and the Savannah Bananas, Party Animals and Firefighters have become the fastest growing teams in sports. 
• The vision is to create the most effective and efficient department in all of sport for staff, players and fans. 
• In addition to their role on the field, this person will play a big role on social media and be expected to post and share some of their best moments during our shows and become one of the most popular characters in Bananaland. 
• Our goal is to create the Gold Standard of operating a sports department for our staff, players and fans every single day. Our gold standard is doing things that are amazing for everyone in our department. 

CHALLENGES FOR THIS POSITION: WHY IT MIGHT NOT BE FOR EVERYONE 

• We have a small budget. 
• Our Headquarters are in a small market. 
• We are in building mode. Banana Ball is evolving. We don’t have everything figured out. 
• We expect and push for an extremely high standard of on-stage polish and production and except someone that is hungry to learn, get better and take constructive feedback.  
• Would be micro-Led like crazy until earned trust and will work directly with Owner Jesse Cole, Bananas Coach Tyler Gillum (Director of Player Development), Bananas Coach Adam Virant (Director of Banana Ball) and Head Coach of the respected team.   
• Your job is extremely public facing. You are on stage at all times and must be aware of your actions at all times.  
• The job is demanding. Hours are long and obstacles and challenges to overcome will happen every day. 
• We look for team members that are obsessed with building the class of product, services and execution. 
• Individuals best suited for this role are Swiss army knives and live by a “Whatever Needs to Be Done” attitude to keep a high standard. 
• We travel every other week.  
• Some days are 12+ hour days or longer. 
• You will be home about 50% of the time.  
• This environment is a mix of MLB, MILB, Indy Ball and Juco Ball.  
• On occasions we will have bus trips that extend 10 hours. 
• We will have flight days that last 8+ hours with layovers etc. 
• Having fun and getting out of your comfort zone is a must. We set the tone for players.  
• We will travel to 40+ cities. 

EXPECTATIONS OF WORKING IN THIS DEPARTMENT

•  High Motor: We move fast, and you must keep up. 
• Low Maintenance: No complaints; focus on finding positive solutions. 
• Self-Starter: Identify problems and solve them—don’t wait to be told. 
• Problem Solver: Come up with practical, effective ideas. 
• Optimistic: Always see the glass as half full. 
• Energy Giver: Spread positivity within the team. 
• Collaborator: Work well across departments and teams. 
• Comedic Timing: Humor is essential to our culture. 
• All-In Mentality: Fully commit to the big picture and believe in Banana Ball. 
• Harmony: Work cohesively with multiple departments. 
• Doer: Take initiative to make a positive impact. 
• Servant Leader: Help others make their jobs easier. 
• “(FIO) Figure It Out”: You know how to execute ideas quickly. We need people who can both come up with ideas and make them happen. 
• Commitment to Standards: Hold the line on our standards, even when it’s not popular. 
• Continuous Improvement: You are obsessed with building the greatest show in sports, always working on your craft and looking for ways to improve. 
• Fast Learner: We learn by doing, and the faster we do it, the more we learn. 
• People Person: You love interacting with fans. We will see over two million fans next year. 
• Detail-Oriented: “The thing that’s going to make Disneyland unique and different is the detail. If we lose the detail, we lose it all.” – Walt Disney 
• Execution: You need to have ideas and know how to execute them quickly. 
• Thick Skin: We practice “Love Tough.” You must be able to handle honest, direct feedback. 
• Idea Generator: Keep coming up with ideas, even if most aren’t chosen. 
• Hard Worker: Be prepared to show up early and stay late. The field should feel like your favorite place. 

THE POSITION: HIRING A COACH THAT WILL ASSIST IN EVERY ASPECT OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

• Someone willing to do “Whatever It Takes” to “Win The Day” 
• Someone willing to “Hold The Line” on our standards when it’s not a popular opinion.  
• Someone obsessed with building the greatest Players’ Service experience at any level. 
• Someone who moves fast – we learn most from doing.  The more we do and the faster we do it, the more we learn.  
• Someone who loves interacting with people. We have over two million fans next year.  
•  “Make Things Happen”. – Knows how to execute ideas quickly.   Ideas and Execution. Need to do both.  
• Someone that is willing to show up early and stay late until the job is done.  
• Some that is in the trenches when all the work is being done. This happens before and after practice.  
• Someone identifying tasks and being proactive at improving Bananaland. 

RESPOSIBILITIES AND KEY PERFORMANCE POINTS 

Our assistant coaches are generalist of all areas of Banana Ball development but are also specialist in certain areas such as: Hitting, Pitching, Fielding etc. These philosophies are rooted from the game of baseball but will need to be adjusted for the rules and expectations of Banana Ball.  

Examples of specialty areas: 

The pitching coaches will coach their pitchers to work fast and be entertaining. The goal for a Banana Ball pitcher is to throw a pitch every 0-5 seconds. The fastest strikeout in Banana Ball is 8.7 seconds. The fastest inning is 47 seconds. Pitchers will also need to be coached on how to be entertaining and create a character on the field that fans love. Lastly, celebrating is not only encouraged but it is a must in Bananaland. You will be expected to promote and encourage dancing and strikeout celebrations that will grab the attention of the fans.  

The Infield and outfield coaches will develop their players throughout the tour by our daily vitamins system. We will encourage trick plays and practice trick plays daily. 80% of our reps will be in some form of trick play. Trick Plays is how we separate ourselves from normal baseball. We want to create “Never Forget Moments” for every fan and as defensive players this comes in the form of Trick Plays. For example, the DR Meadows backflip is a “I can’t believe” moment for the fan. This will grow Banana Ball. For reference, in 2024, Ryan Cox (Bananas Shortstop) completed 200 trick plays, Jackson Olson (Bananas 2nd Baseman) completed 100 tricks plays and DR Meadows (Bananas Centerfielder) completed 100 trick plays. For now, these players are the Gold Standard for trick plays. Our goal as coaches is to help create confidence in all position players to “Go for It” and to help create new trick plays in the future. The vision is that all players will have the skills and courage to go for an awesome trick play with the bases loaded 2 outs and the game on the line and execute it. Fans will love that!  

The hitting coaches will coach their hitters to compete pitch-by-pitch. Hitters don’t step out of the box in Banana Ball. The mentality is to ‘Stay Locked In”. We preach aggressiveness vs. passiveness. We want players hunting and swinging. Hitters will be tasked with “Walk-Ups” before their at-bat. Hitters will need to be mentally and physically prepared to execute the entertainment and then “flip the switch” to compete and execute a quality at-bat. The players that can do both are the best Banana Ball hitters. Hitters will also be challenged to execute entertainment ideas in the box. For example, wearing different costumes, using different bats, lip syncing, etc. The goal is to be the best player while entertaining. Our goal is to help hitters mentally and physically prepare for these moments so they can be successful. For reference, these moments will happen on average 3-5 times each game for each team. Also, there are three different type of walk ups (Grand, Signature and Standard). When players have a standard walk the goal is to get to the plate in 0-3 seconds. This is important to playing every game in 2 hours, therefore, hitting coaches must have their hitters “get to the box”. 

Additional Expectations 

Recruiting: Each team is responsible for recruiting 20+ players to tryouts in 2025. Coaches are expected to call, email and DM coaches and players to find the most talented and entertaining players in the world. The Head Coach is responsible for his coaching staff carrying their load to recruit in 2025. The Assistant Coach should view himself as the recruiting coordinator. Everyone will report to Berry Aldridge as the Scouting Director with Tyler Gillum having oversight.  

Field: The Head Coach is responsible for field setup and field breakdown. The Head Coach should leave the field better than they found it. It’s the Head Coaches job to lead his team and coaching staff for daily practice needs: Balls, Screens, Cages, Fungoes, etc. The Head Coach is responsible for communicating to the ops team the practice plan and the needs for practice. The Assistant Coach will take direction from the Head Coach. The Assistant Coach should look to take all of these duties off of the Head Coaches plate.  

Entertainment: The Head Coach is responsible for communicating with the entertainment team on Tuesday & Wednesdays for OTTs and sending potential pitching rotations for the weekend. The Head Coach should collaborate with the entertainment team to create the best show. The schedule each weekend can change often, communicating with the entertainment team to create the best schedule for the weekend games is important. The Assistant Coach should take the lead from the Head Coach. The AC should help communicate all entertainment request, so players are prepared and doing their jobs properly. 

Clubhouse: The Head Coach is responsible for maintaining their clubhouse to a high standard. Cleanliness, trash, organization, etc. falls on the Head Coaches shoulders. The Head Coach is responsible for having the players clean up after themselves. The Head Coach should encourage their players and coaching staff to help clean house. The ops team is there to help but they are not expected to be cleaning ridiculous amounts of dirt, trash etc. The coaching staff and players should help foster a clean environment. The Assistant Coach should take the lead in helping inside the clubhouse. We want the AC to be the eyes and hears to everything behind the scenes to help us navigate through the season. Helping clean the clubhouse is one way to create relationships, build trust, talk with players, and hear any rumors that need to corrected.  

Spring Training: Spring Training starts Jan. 6th for Bananas and Party Animal Coaches. Firefighters and Tailgaters will start April 1st.  

Equipment: The Head Coach is responsible for keeping up with fungoes, balls, etc. The Head Coach will work with Adam Virant and Banana Ball Ops Staff for any equipment needs throughout the year. Players not taking care of equipment or uniforms should be disciplined by the Head Coach. The Assistant Coach should help all equipment cleanup. The AC should assist when things need to fixed or upgraded for efficiency.  

Branding: Fans First Entertainment is partnered with Evoshield, Louisville Slugger and Wilson. Players must opt-in or opt-out of this portion of their contract. The Head Coaches are responsible for maintaining proper etiquette of all brand guidelines. The Head Coach should be the reminder and enforcer of all brand rules. If a player fails to follow the rules the Head Coach is responsible for spotting the problem and discipling the player through suspension or fines. The Head Coach can always ask for help on the direction of the decision with Gillum, Virant, Berry or Jesse. The Assistant Coach will spot these branding situations before anyone else because you are on the field and in the cage with them the most. Lightly have constructive talks with the players to correct any problems before they happen in game.  

Practice: The Head Coach is responsible for creating practice plans for each practice. Head Coaches should maintain a high standard of communicating with players by posting a practice plan every day. The practice plan excel template should be used by all Head Coaches. Gillum will provide the excel spreadsheet. Banana Ball has multiple teams in Savannah, collaborating with other teams is not only encouraged but a must for the best culture. When two teams practice together, the Head Coaches must work together to create the best plan for that day.  

Development: Reps is the mother of all skill development. Each Coaching Staff is responsible for creating practice plans that foster the most amount of high-quality reps. Our Daily Vitamins system should be implemented in spring training and executed throughout the tour. The most trick plays in a game by two teams is 28 trick plays. Coaches should be developing players to break that goal in 2025. It’s the Head Coach’s responsibility to foster a trick play learning environment in practice so that players can be successful in-game. The Assistant Coach will lead the charge in their respected area. The less standing around the better. One fungoe with 8 guys in a line isn’t the answer. Look for ways to get the most reps in the least amount of time. Example partner work and multiple fungoes will help. 

Gameday: Head Coaches are responsible for turning in the lineup by 8am on a 1pm game or 10am on a 7pm game. Please send the lineups to the entertainment team and PA announcer. Coaches are expected to arrive at least 1 hour before all players arrive to make sure everything is in place for a successful day. Exceptions will happen.  

Volunteering: Banana Ball coaches are expected to lead by example and attend volunteering opportunities throughout the tour. Our goal is to grow to a billion fans and volunteering to impact other people in different cities in the mornings is a part of what we do. We will expect our players to participate therefore we will lead by example.  

Camps & Banana Ball U: Coaches will be expected to work and lead camps throughout the tour. One of our big projects is hosting Banana Ball tournaments. We will need help in this area. This is your opportunity to lean in and help develop the next generation of Banana Ball players. Look to help the organization grow in this area.