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PlaySportsTVhttp://www.playsportstv.com/trainingp... presents former major leaguer and current Princeton Univ. head coach Scott Bradley with a great youth baseball fielding and throwing drill. For over 80 more baseball drills and tips, developed specifically for 5- to 12-year-old players, visit PlaySportsTV.com.
Tee-BallBaseball Tips - Unruly Parents - Here is a Solution by Guest Author Tom Read
You Know This Parent
My wife was a self described bad sport. She had been thrown out of games, argued with the other teams' parents, yelled at the umpires, and embarrassed my son and I. I would talk with her before and after games, reminding her to not get out of control, but it did not help. Someone from the other team would say something, or the umpire would make a questionable call, and she would start in. What was I going to do?
It Can Start At the Beginning
When I was coaching tee ball, I once had to break up a verbal fight between my first base coach and the other team's coach. Another time, I noticed that a dad, who had been to every practice and game, started missing the games. I asked him at a practice if his work was keeping him from the games. He told me no, Johnny was feeling too much pressure with him at the game. This is still tee ball. I guess it was good that the dad at least realized where the pressure was coming from. Most of the time parents do not realize that the things they say can put undue pressure on their kids.
Travel Teams Are the Worst
It seems travel teams have the most vocal parents, good and bad. I have always assumed the reasons for this are either one, they have spent a lot of time and money involved with this team and are expecting a big return, or two, they are on the road and friends and family are not around. But, on the other hand, I've seen travels teams stay home to play and behave just as badly. And I have seen bad behavior at recreational games. So it can happen anywhere.
Solution - Put My Wife in Time Out
Back to my wife; a few hours after the game would be over she would feel bad about her behavior. I thought about asking her to stay away from the games, but she really did enjoy watching our son play. Finally it came to me. I needed to remove her from the home plate area, get her away from the other teams' parents and away from our son when he was batting. We moved down the outfield line; pass the dugouts and about half way towards the outfield fence. Out there we didn't hear the other team, the home plate umpire couldn't hear us, and the game became real enjoyable. Our view wasn't as good, but that was a small trade off. We were having fun again.
It Is Easy to Involve Others
Other parents were asking us why we were sitting so far down the line. My wife did not hesitate to answer that she was in "time out". Like a child, she couldn't be trusted to behave properly when located near a potential bad situation. Soon, others that had the same problem were joining us. A few games into this idea, and half the parents were down the line with us. It became an enjoyable social event. Maybe it even helped a few marriages.
Start Your Own Cheap Seats Section
There are certain situations where adults will act like little children. If you have these types on your team, ask them to take a stroll down the line with you. Everyone, especially their sons, will thank you.
Preaching to the Choir
I know most of the people reading this are not the problem. Parents with bad behavior usually do not seek out advise. But in the right way you can make a difference. To see other baseball tips and stories I have written please visit my website at http://baseballknowledge.info
Lightning Bolt Pitching Machine - Small Ball Pitching Machine - www.LightningBoltPitchingMachine.com Posted on YouTube by Coach2winVideos
The Lightning Bolt Pitching Machine has received mixed reviews since its introduction. We have tested and tryed this pitching machine and have found it to have a lot of positive points and benefits. The unit shown operates on C batteries. A new model will be availabe soon that operates on A/C. The upside is that the unit throws a small lightweight foam ball accurately and at good speeds to work hitters of all ages. Our batter moved closer to the machine to simulate higher pitching speeds. The hitter shown in the video is a college player. He loved the machine and has taken one back to college with him for personal training and workouts for fun. The unit is an inexpensive method of helping hitters develop great hand-eye cordination, bat speed, and pitch location recognition. You might want to use rechargable C batteries if you purchase the unit that runs on batteries. Availabe at http://www.baseball2u.com/sklibomipim...http://www.LightningBoltPitchingMachi... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks to Our Sponsor: Nedco Sports - BatAction Hitting Machines www.BatAction.com
Baseball Tips for Rookie Coaches - So You're The New Baseball Coach? by Guest Author John Peter
So you're the new coach. Ok, now what?
Coaching a team sure seemed like a good idea, maybe even easy...until you started thinking and getting into it deeper. All those players, parents, the draft, practices...and those game decisions...ugh. Maybe coaching 3rd base might not be so easy... What were you thinking?
SOLUTIONS:
Rule #1 - Relax, It will work out!
You'll probably even turn out to be good at it. How do I know? Why would I think this?
Well, first you are searching for information. Websites like ours with articles like this are sure signs you are at the very least trying, instead of sitting on your hands, ducking your head and relying on your Little League experiences from long ago. And because of...
Rule #2 - You will be organized...
And yes, you will have the time to do it. As a matter of fact, there is an article that I strongly urge you to read. It is about how to organize your team and yourself and is titled, "Plan To Succeed."
Please finish this article before you jump there (I'll include the link at the end of this article).
Rule #3 - You will have fun!
Look, the more fun you have, the more fun your kids will have...and yes, the opposite is true.
Personally, I think that some of the best things about youth baseball are the adults! I also think they are some of the worst things about youth baseball. I mean this because as we get older...we tend to forget how to have fun and play games. Life just does that to us. Here we are trying to solve problems on a baseball field like we do at work...UGH! We get tight, our kids play tight. We say ugly things in the dugout...well, you get the picture... Let's move on (This lesson either hits the mark or it doesn't).
One final thought (from someone who is privileged to be in baseball for 350 days each year)... IT'S JUST BASEBALL! BASEBALL IS JUST A GAME! (It just happens to be the best game ever!)
Rule #4 - You are here for every player!
If you are in this game for any reason other than those kids... every one of them... GET OUT NOW! (This was paraphrased and stolen from a speech given by a friend, Gordie Gillespie, the winningest coach in college baseball history! He is absolutely correct!)
You will get more joy with that attitude than you can imagine!
Every player who doesn't share your last name is not here for the entertainment and support of you and your son! (You have probably seen it happen). Coaching your own child is a trick indeed. I hope you will truly enjoy it (though it can test your mettle). But, I can assure you that embracing an entire team of kids can really give you an idea of how good a coach and person you might be or can be! Personally, I can tell you that the early influences of my youth coaches are indelibly stamped on me...That's how important you are.
Rule #5 - Winning is important...It is just not everything.
I determined something many years ago. Take this for what it's worth...
Few 10 year olds have a grasp of the concept of winning! Half of the 11 year olds have a grasp of the concept of winning! Almost all 12 year olds have a grasp of the concept of winning!
Every? All? No. I guess I wouldn't include all players on some hot team of 9 year olds who travel the country vying for the many "World Series" out there (how many worlds are there anyway). Those teams and families have adopted a lifestyle. It's a language spoken at the dinner table. They are probably more the exception than the rule anyway.
You simply need to have a strong grasp of the competitive nature of your league and your team.
Rule #6 - You will be the boredom police.
Looking for a great way to turn a perfectly good baseball player into a soccer player? (God forbid)... BORE HIM!
A young boy begins his day by opening his eyes with a first thought of..."HEY, WHAT'S FUN TODAY!" And we dare to bore them? Remember my comment on how we tend to want to solve problems in baseball as we do in the office? They are kids. It's a game...and games are fun... It's fun OR THEY FIND A GAME THAT IS MORE FUN!
Rule #7 - Ask for help from other parents. Women are right...Men do not ask for directions. We need to be rock steady and have all the answers...yada, yada!
Personally, I have never had a coach come up to me after a game and ask me anything on how or why I played a situation the way I did! I MEAN NEVER!
WHY? Because this is baseball...and we are guys. We played Little League (20 TO 30 YEARS AGO). We watch Pro Baseball on TV...UGH. What a bad idea to try and teach a group of kids to play the same way the greatest players in the game do. So, we don't ask...and that cheats our kids.
SOLUTIONS:
Aside from reaching for information such as reading articles such as this and finding videos, books, etc (did you check out our video and book library?)... Why not incorporate and embrace some of the parents. Have a parents-only meeting for 10 minutes after one of your very first practices. Let them know who you are and how you envision the season (in general).
A team mom is worth her weight in the dozen roses you had better buy her at the end of the season.
Make note of the dad(s), hopefully plural, who hang around the fence during practices. Many really want you to ask for their help. They don't want to horn in so it's up to you to ask because they may not!
Some parents are better served as your scorebook keeper instead of your BP (batting practice) pitcher. Another may be most comfortable helping you set up the dugout and raking and lining the field before games.
Yet others really want to be on the field hitting fungoes or infield.
The bottom line is that I believe that adults play better when they work together...and as a byproduct, you will all be richer for actually developing relationships with your new-found friends.
WARNING: There is one rule I highly recommend... You are the coach, they are the team's parents. One guy has the final say so. You, the coach! This is a no lobbying area, disputes are handled away from the kids and the action and decisions of management (you) are final. There are no politics, just honest decisions made by you...the coach!
Note: Baseball is the greatest game in the world to second-guess!
One Last Important Suggestion Regarding Communication:
Get all of your parent's email addresses and use them for two things:
Communicate - Communicate - Communicate. Not necessarily lengthy, just frequent.
Subscribe all your player's parents (and maybe players, if they are a bit older) to our Baseball Tips Newsletter. It is a quick read 2 times each month. We do not rent or sell their names and just want to supply our 14,680 (at last count) baseball families with some added knowledge and fun. Of course, they can delete us easily if they so choose. (You can add them individually. The sign-up box is just below our logo on the http://www.baseballtips.com home page).
Rule #8 -Good Teams Practice Well!
Every league is different. Some restrict practice times. Others have limited fields. Some coaches have limited time as well. HAVE A PLAN! Plan tomorrow's practice today. Plan next week, this week. Planning is the operative word. I don't think that any drill should take longer than 20 minutes! (OK, excluding BP - more on that later).
TIME ANYTHING & EVERYTHING!
If you will keep a watch, you can get their blood flowing even more. More as in, "OK guys, 10 more minutes, let's do it right. Pick up the pace...Ok, 5 more minutes...Keep it going"...you get the idea. And it becomes more fun! The blood is pumping, the kids are focusing. Just be sure to tailor it to your player's age and skill level.
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW!
Teach something new each practice. As importantly, review and drill a particular skill taught in a previous practice using one of your 20 minute segments.
Quality repetitions are vital and incredibly important! Too many coaches teach a skill and then next season, they teach it again; once a year...need it or not! If you think about how counter-productive this is, you will never do it...or do it again.
ARMS - ARMS - ARMS!
There are more throwing errors than fielding errors! It may not sound correct and it is not my opinion...It is a fact! Teach proper throwing and work on arms every practice.
Have them constantly throwing to or at a target. (The exception will be when teaching one of your pitchers a new pitch.) You begin by throwing to a tarp, net or fence. The reasoning is that accuracy will not be great until a skill like a new pitch is learned. Accuracy will follow proper mechanics and you can avoid unnecessary shakes in confidence.
THE LAST 10 MINUTES OF PRACTICE IS JUST FUN! Preferably doing something that requires players to use oxygen. Leave them with their tongues hanging out. I learned this many years after I began coaching.
Many players think baseball is boring...and that is why they leave the sport too soon. They are kids...and kids want to run, play games, have contests, run races, hit balls, etc. You know...fun stuff.
Well, drills can get boring if that's all there is to a practice. But drills are really important, vital lifelines to improvement and success of both player and team...or not!
But let's not forget the fun aspect and the prime reason most kids play. (It is play ball, not work ball, right?)
Get creative! Here are some of my ideas. (Do not limit yourself to these, got it?)
Relay Races - ½ of team at home plate and ½ at 2nd base with hats on backwards. 1 simple relay race. Then 1 race backwards, then 1 final race for all the marbles, running sideways (or heel to heel side-kicks like basketball teams do....you may have some better variations).
Ball In The Trash Can - Find a trash barrel from the dugout or near the practice field and place it on home plate on its side. Now take your team to a distance where most all players can throw to the target at least on a bounce or two.
Now toss them a short fly ball where they can make like they are the centerfielder throwing the runner out at home. They ooh, aah and cheer on close throws (there are always a bunch of these). I have no idea why but they really like to do this...Go Figure!
Home Run Derby - Find a spot where about ½ or more of the team can hit one over the fence and soft toss 3 per each player (soft toss, also known as flip drills, is the drill our automated Wheeler Dealer machine does automatically. It can be seen on our training aids page if you are still unsure how to do this.) Have a second round, then have a finals. Maybe the player who comes in 2nd gets to go after all the homers. Watch 'em cheer for each other.
Basketball Game - If there's a court or a hoop nearby, simply produce a hidden basketball AFTER dividing them up into teams. Announce a 10 minute game. Watch 'em go. Totally unexpected...and a lot of fun
Water Balloon Toss - Pick a hot day and have a supply of filled baseball-sized water balloons (make sure they are small balloons to begin with so they remain taut). Partner them off in lines (like you do when warming up their arms) with players about 6 to 8 feet apart and with a partner on one row having the balloon.
USE 2 HANDS!
Express to players that in baseball, every ball you can catch with 2 hands should be caught with 2 hands. Also, display how the pinkie fingers of both hands should be near and parallel to each other with hands being parallel and held below the waist.
SOFT HANDS
Explain that all infielders must have soft hands. This begins when both arms are outstretched (elbows are not locked) and then cradled toward the body as the underhand toss comes toward you. Water balloons will require special focus on soft hands to keep from breaking.
READY...GO!
On coaches command... Player underhand tosses to his partner who catches and holds the balloon. His partner then tosses it back to his partner.
After 2-4 rounds, teams with a full balloon step 2 feet further apart. Repeat. Then 2 steps further apart! Keep going until you have a winner.
Once you have a winner, coaches produce as many extra full balloons as there are coaches and the winning team gets to "blast the coaches." Yes, turn around coach...and do use typical precautions as boys will be boys. (Now you tell me that 10 or 20 years from now those players won't remind you of how much fun that was?!)
It's not all about baseball...but it is all about fun!
Baseball tips & youth baseball equipment, training aids & instruction! It's all here for baseball coaching of pitchers & hitters, little league to high school.
Youth Baseball Digest - 4 Important Factors That Can Help New Little League Coaches Be Successful by Nick Dixon The 4 Most Important Rules that all New Little League Baseball Coaches Should Follow
Coaching Little league is a great way for baseball and softball players to give back to your community. Every baseball player remembers his first t-ball coach, coach pitch coach, little league coach, and high school coach. Baseball coaches have a profound effect on the lives of the players they coach. Being or becoming a great youth baseball coach requires a high level of commitment and dedication. There are 3 important rules that every new little league coach must always follow. Those rules are:
1. You must be a student of the game. To be a good youth baseball coach, you must have a good knowledge of how the game is played, how the rules are applied, and how certain skills and drills are performed. If you feel uncomfortable about a certain position, skill or fundamental, look for help. You may ask another coach. You may go to your local library or book store and find a book on how to coach baseball. You have access to an enormous amount of information about every aspect of the game through your computer and the internet.
2. You must have good help. You can never have too much help when coaching a youth team. Ask your parents and friends to find other volunteers to help you coach your team. It is best to have a parent meeting. Ask for parent volunteers. The parents that volunteer to help should choose a specific area in which they concentrate their effort. You will need at least 2 good assistant coaches. One needs to have enough knowledge and patience to be the pitching coach. One should be the hitting coach.
3. You must remediate your weaker players. In you draft, you may find that you must pick children that are good at certain skills but extremely week in other areas.One often overlooked and neglected aspect of coaching is remediation/ Remediation is special attention and help given to those players that need it. This is a job for what I refer to as the remediation coach. The coach that takes one or two players to the side and works on specific areas of the game in which they are too weak to compete. They may need help with swing mechanics, throwing mechanics, or simple footwork. These kids will master these skills easier and faster when they receive one-on-one personal attention. These "tutoring" lessons pay back huge returns if you can have enough help. The theory is that you must bring every player up to a certain level or much valuable team time will be lost to working with them during team drills. It is best to take these kids aside and work them separately from the team until they get their skill levels up. These lessons should be done in such a way to not embarrass the child or players involved.
4. You must work hard and set a good example. A willingness to work hard may be the most important trait of a successful coach. They work hard at planning, organizing, and executing individual and team drills for both offense and defense. They have high energy levels and are always willing to put forth that little extra effort to make a practice or game run smother.
I hope that you found this article to be helpful. Good luck to you and your team. Have a great day, Nick
The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.
Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.
Baseball Pitching Drills for Kids Posted on YouTube by CoachBuford
http://www.YouthBaseballVideo.com - The one-knee follow through drill will train young baseball pitchers to develop a safe, fluid pitching motion. It will also improve accuracy and speed.
