TeeBall Parent Guide Blog

The Tee Ball Parent Blog features daily posts and updates that provide tball parents with free teeball articles, tee ball drills, and t-ball coaching tips. Our daily posts and archives include hundreds of interesting and informative teeball coaching blogs. Make sure to bookmark or save this site to your favorites so that you can visit us often to gain valuable insight and tips for helping your teeball player learn the game of baseball and improve his skills.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Drills for Tee Ball that Work at All Levels



Drills for Tee Ball that Work at All Levels
Uploaded by ClubHouseGas On http://ClubHouseGAS.com , Jim Weldon talks about tee ball fundamentals that work at all levels of baseball. Also check-out http://YouthSportTravel.com

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Friday, August 19, 2011

Top Ten Reasons Kids Should Play Team Sports in the Summer

Top Ten Reasons Kids Should Play Team Sports in the Summer
By guest author: John Gura

As a father of a 5 year old and a 7 year old, this is my first summer watching my boys play team sports. They played T Ball earlier in the summer and they play flag football now. Its great that they are able to play on the same team for logistics, but I'm sure that ends in the next couple of years. I've watched our boys take a lot from their team sports experience and I'd like to share with other parents what I've seen:

10. Teaches kids to "be on time" - both coaching staffs were very adamant that practice started at a certain time and held all kids and parents accountable. As the seasons progress, I've noticed our boys getting themselves ready for practice at the appropriate time.

9. Builds friendships - This is an easy one as we've seen our boys make lots of new friends, attend birthday parties, and basically just smile when they see their friends outside of practice/games.

8. Hand/Eye Coordination - Too many children are perfecting their hand/eye coordination by means of video games. Simple activities such as throwing a ball, catching a ball, and hitting a baseball do wonders for motor skills.

7. Creates self pride - When our kids got their jerseys with their own name on the back, the smile on their face was unforgettable. They really felt important and it created confidence.

6. Teaches kids that bullying is unacceptable - In both football and baseball this season, there were a few cases of some of the "alpha players" trying to assert themselves at the expense of the younger/smaller players. Both coaching staffs immediately addressed this with both the kids and the parents and the problem went away. Bullying is a terrible problem in schools and the more kids that can be turned off this path at an early age, the better.

5. Coaches are more like teachers than parents are. - As much as we try, we always see our children in a different light as an outsider....and that's a good thing. Coaches, like teachers tend to treat the kids equally and hold them all accountable for their actions and responsibilities.

4. Kids are learning Math and don't even realize it! - For all of you former football players out there, you'll likely remember that each "hole" (gap between lineman) is assigned a number telling the running back where to run the ball and the rest of the team how to block a play. As the kids learned this, I watched several kindergarten level students now able to count by 2's as that is the way the football numbering system works. Also, when coaches teach defensive players to run at an angle where the player with the ball is going to be, not where he is at....kids are getting introduced to geometry. As per my earlier blog entry...physics is everywhere as well!

3. Respecting elders - Talking back and yelling at coaches and other parents is not tolerated in most team sport environments and at the young ages of the players, this tends to stick with them away from the game field.

2. Teamwork - Team sports are a great way to teach kids how to work together for a common goal. Specifically, our kid's football coach requires all kids to run their laps as a group (emphasizing that this is not a race, but rather teaching them to do things together) and has them chant and do their warmups together as a group.

1. Exercise - Above all else, in the video game/tv dominated world we live in, I'm elated watching my kids get a couple hours of outside activity including cardio work, stretching, fun games, agility tasks, etc. Remember when we used to spend every summer day outside? This is a great way to show our kids what was great about our childhood and keep them in shape at the same time.

My weekly updated blog features tips for science teachers, laboratory professionals, and lab supply resellers. I'll often share helpful hints on travel, share new products, and promote professional growth events and trade shows in the scientific industry. Visit my blog at http://www.fischertechnical.blogspot.com

You can also follow me on twitter to be the first to know when we've updated the blog, debuted a new product, or have something helpful to add to the scientific community. Follow me at http://www.twitter.com/johngura

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Gura

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Monday, August 8, 2011

Baseball Coaching Digest - 6 Basic Rules Tee Ball Players Should Learn to Insure Their Safety

Baseball Coaching Digest - 6 Basic Rules Tee Ball Players Should Learn to Insure Their Safety
By guest author: Nick Dixon


Tee Ball is the very first experience that most baseball players have with the game of baseball. There are physical skills that must be learned. There are mental aspects of the game that must be learned. But, there is no more important elements of the game that a player must learn than the basic rules of the game that provide safety and protection for the players, coaches and umpires involved.

There are certain basic baseball rules that tee ball players must be taught before they play their first game. The sooner young players learn these rules, the better. Here are what I consider to be the very first rules a player should be taught when being introduced to the game of baseball. Those 6 basic baseball rules are:

Rule # 1 - You can not sling the bat when you hit the ball. Young players must learn to drop the bat after they hit the ball. They must be told that if they sling the bat they are out. This needs to be the first rule they learn when being taught the game of baseball. The reason they must learn it is for safety reasons.

Rule #2 - You run from home to first, to second, to third and back home. You must drop the bat before you run. The player must touch each base before advancing to the next base.

Rules #3 - You can not run over someone. Running into or over another player at any time will result in bad things for your team. If you are on offense, you will be called out. If you are on defense, the runner will be called safe.

Rule #4 - You must not allow a ball hit by a batter bat to touch you before a fielder touches it. If you touch the ball before a fielder does, you will be called out.

Rule #5 - You do not slide into first base. It may not be against the rules, but it should not be done at the t-ball level. Base runners must slide into second, third base and home plate feet first. Sliding head first is not allowed and it is unsafe. Sliding head first is against the rules and will result in the base runner being called out.

Rule #6 - Fielders may not stand on top of the bag or in the base path unless they are attempting to field a ball. The fielder should learn to touch or tag the bag or base properly and remove the foot after the catch is made.

You may be able to think of more. These are the very basic rules. I hope that you found this article useful and informative as you prepare your tee ball team for the approaching season. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Have a great day, Nick.

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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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

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Thursday, August 4, 2011

How to Hit Baseball - TeeBall Teaching Tips - Baseball Hitting Basics

There are certaing terms and knowledge that a parent should know before attempting to teach a kid how to hit. You may find these tips useful in teeball teaching and coaching your player. The basic baseball hitting terms and tips:

1. Grip - The first thing every young player must be taught is how to properly grip the bat. The bat is gripped with the "knocking knuckles" on the top and bottom hands aligned perfectly in a straight line with each other. The purpose of this grip is to place the bat handle in the fingers away from the palms of the hands. This grip allows the hands to be move quicker and to have maximum control of the bat. Tension is a batters worst enemy when it comes having a quality swing. Gripping the bat improperly often causes tension throughout the body. A relaxed grip on the bat allows the batter to react with better bat speed and hand quickness. Feeling relaxed at the plate is a key to a batters confidence.

2. Stance - A batters stance is how a batter initially stands in the batter's box to look out at the pitcher. A batter's stance is the position of the hands and feet prior to the start of the swing. The feet should be shoulder width apart with toes pointing toward the plate. The feet should be square to the plate. Square to the plate means that they are an equal distance from the plate. The stance also refers to the position of the hands and the angle of the bat. The hands should be no more that several inches from the shoulder. The stance should comfortable and should allow the batter to look at the pitcher with ease.

3. Stride - The term refers to the batters weight shift or step prior to the swing. The stride should be short and only about three to four inches if the front foot moves. Many batters simply pick the front foot up and replace it without moving it forward. If a step is taken, it should be a little step forward with the toes pointing toward the pitcher. It is important to teach young players that they must stride to get ready to hit. They do not stride to hit, but rather, they should stride to get ready to hit. The batters stride foot should be set before the pitchers front foot lands.

4. Hip Turn - Hip turn refers to the process of a batter generating power by driving the hips through a power rotation. Only pitches over the middle and inside 3rds of the plate allow a batter to get full hip turn. The closer the pitch is to the batter, the more hip turn is needed to properly hit the ball. Pitches on the outer part of the plate require little hip turn to hit. The hitter will rotate his hips open farther on an inside pitch than an outside pitch. The batter should rotate the hips on a level plane. Player should not lean forward over the plate or lean back away from the plate. The batter's back foot must pivot in order to have good hip rotation.

5. Balance - A batter must have good balance to be successful. Balance refers to proper weight distribution prior, during the swing, and at the finish of the swing. Good balance allows the hitter to have more control at the plate. Good balance begins with even weight distribution with a proper stance. The batters ability to control the body during the stride is the key to good balance.

6. Bat Speed - The speed of the bat during a swing. The bat the batter used must be the correct length and weight for a batter to generate optimum bat speed.

7. Squash the Bug - This term refers to the pivot the back foot during the baseball swing. This foot action allows the hips to open up or turn.

8. Shoe Laces to Pitcher - The best back foot action is not a squashing action with downward pressure. The best motion is to turn the back foot with the shoelaces toward the pitcher. This turn should be performed with a "light-weight" pivoting motion with little downward pressure. The batter pushes off from the ball of his rear foot to shift weight to the front side. Putting downward pressure on the ball of the back foot as it pivots and the hips rotate tends to constrict the quickness and power swing.

9. Trigger - Load - Both have the same meaning. Batters must learn to trigger or load to get ready to hit. The loading or triggering process is a batter's final movement of the body and hands to the optimum bat launching position to get ready for the swing. Different batters use different movement as a triggering mechanism. Many batters turn the front knee and should slightly inward. Other batters simply take the hands slightly up and back to what they call their launch position. The loading or triggering action should be a very slight movement.

10. A, B, C Baseball Swing - The "A, B, to C baseball swing" means a baseball swing that is not fundamentally correct. The term describes a swing that is not compact and not direct to the ball. The batter sweeps the bat in a slow long arch.

11. A to C Swing - Used to refer to a sort compact swing that take the bat from the "A" launch position directed to the "C" or contact position. The perfect baseball swing is a short compact "A to C" Swing.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Batting Coaches for Everyone

Batting Coaches for Everyone
By guest author: Jeffery A Wise

Batting coaches can be very helpful for baseball players of all ages. These coaches specialize in hitting, without having to worry about all the other aspects of baseball. Because of that, they are able to devote more individual attention to players and their hitting techniques.

The problem is, there aren't a lot of batting coaches out there. Many teams can't afford to hire a batting coach or they can't find someone willing to volunteer for the job. If you have a batting coach on your team, consider yourself very lucky. Take advantage of the situation and learn as much as you can from this coach.

For those who don't have a batting coach, there are other alternatives that are just as good. First, you have a head coach and while he may not be able to give you a lot of his time, he will have a lot of knowledge on batting. Show an interest and effort and he will be more eager to help you.

A parent is also an excellent alternative. Since parents personally care for you, they will have more patience and words of encouragement for you. If a parent wants to help you out, let them. Your teammates can also benefit your hitting as you can bounce ideas off of each other. Just be willing to help them in return.

Watch tapes of you hitting during a game to see how you look and how you need to improve. The tape doesn't lie. If it's possible, it would even be a good idea to review tapes of pitchers you'll be playing against to see exactly how they pitch. This will prepare you for the games against those pitchers.

Finally, read baseball hitting books and watch videos about hitting. Most successful players have at one time or another invested in educational materials to better their hitting. Who better to get help from than the experts?

Considering using any or all of these options to improve your hitting and be a better player. Anyone can benefit from these examples, no matter what your age. You can even go so far as to say these are your many batting coaches. They will help assist in developing proper hitting skills.

So, even if you don't have a batting coach, there's no excuse to not improve on your hitting. Seek help from those around you who know what they're talking about. No one makes it big without the help of others.

Remember that the reason to practice with batting coaches is to give you skills and talent to become the baseball player you want to be. Download free hitting videos with tips and instructions you need to get started quickly by visiting Baseball Hitting and learn how to hit the baseball better.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffery_A_Wise

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www.BatAction.com



---BatAction Machine at CoachesBest.com
---BatActionMachine on Ebay.com
---BatAction Machine Video Clips
---BatAction Trainer - 15 Reasons Why You Must Own This Machine
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---If you are looking for BatAction Replacement Balls or Power Bands Click Here