T-Ball / Coach Pitch - How to Choose a Glove (Ages 4-6)

By Larry Callicoat

You've signed your Little League player up for T-ball/coach pitch and now he needs a glove. Starting a new sport can be a drain on the wallet, especially if you're not sure if your son will enjoy playing baseball. You do not need to spend a lot of money on a glove in order to get a good quality one that can be used throughout the T-ball and coach pitch seasons. You just need to know how to pick out a good glove.

1. Size does matter. Contrary to popular belief, bigger is not always better for the beginner player. Beginning players need a smaller glove so that they can hone the skill of catching and fielding a baseball. Look for a youth glove that is 9 1/2" to 10 3/4". At this age, players do not need an 11" glove or a specialized glove (one made for 1st baseman, infielder, outfielder, etc.). They need an all purpose glove for T-ball and or coach pitch. Don't worry about playing certain positions at this point, T-ball is geared towards teaching fundamentals and making baseball FUN so that they want to come back next season.

2. Construction and Material. Most youth gloves are constructed with a leather palm and synthetic material for the outer shell. This allows for a lighter glove and one that easier to close. Look for a glove that is mostly leather and leather laces. If taken care of properly, a mostly leather glove can be used season to season. You will also need to look for a glove that has a good rounded pocket and one that features "easy close" or "power close" technology. Because beginning players are still developing muscles, gloves with closing technology make it easier to squeeze the glove closed when a ball is caught.

Once you get your player's glove, have him try it on and practice catching balls with it before the season starts. Not only will this practice help him, it will also help break in the glove. Since most youth gloves are a combination of leather and synthetic material, it is not advisable to use a glove conditioner. The best way to loosen up youth glove is to USE IT!

Once your player completes T-ball/coach pitch and moves into the upper leagues, it may be time to get a new glove. Again, there are key elements to look for when choosing a glove for the intermediate player.

Coach Larry is a youth baseball coach, having coached t-ball through high school. Visit http://www.superstarbaseball.blogspot.com for more on hitting, pitching, coaching and baseball tips, techniques and inspiration.

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T-Ball University Batting Grip & Hand Position www.tballu.com

Originally Posted on Youtube by TBALLUNIVERSITY
This mini lesson (www.tballu.com) will instruct coaches and parents on proper batting grip and hand position for Tee-Ball age children. Additional lessons and downloadable drill sheets, practice plans and coaching forms are available at www.tballu.com.

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Coaching Your Child In Youth Baseball

Coaching Your Child In Youth Baseball
By Guest Author Brian McClure

There are many reasons to want to coach youth baseball, one is the love of baseball and wanting to teach today's youth the great experiences and fun that come with playing youth baseball. There are many parents who coach during and after their own children play baseball. This parent probably played baseball as a child and loves the sport. Another reason parents coach sometimes is because their child will not participate if the parent is not involved in some way. Some children are accustomed to Mom and Dad being around all the time, and do not take instruction well from others outside of a school setting. Sometimes it is a necessity. No one else will do it, thus the parent becomes the youth baseball coach. Without this dedicated parent the team might not exist. This parent may not have any sports experience, but is willing to take over the team for the benefit of the children.

No matter what reasons a parent becomes a coach the challenges are the same. The biggest challenge is how to treat your own child as a member of the team. Parents tend to treat their child in one of two ways.

The first is by being harder on their child than the other team members. This is sometimes because a coach feels his/her child should lead be the best player and setting an example. It could also be an effort to keep other parents from complaining about favoritism. Regardless of the reason it should be avoided. Everyone gets to play and take turns so we should treat our own children that way too.

The second way I have seen parent-coaches handle their own child is to treat him special. Special treatment is letting him always hit first or play a popular position all the time. This is very hard on parents who paid money for their child to be treated as an equal player on the team. Non parent coaches do not appreciate it either, and believe, everyone notices. Your child has to understand that he will play as a member of the team. Not a position because you are the coach. Treating your own child too harshly and favoring your child are two situations that should be avoided. One thing I've learned as a coach is to treat every child (including my own) like I would want my child to be treated if I weren't the coach.

You will be called upon to be a parent while you are coaching many times. It is difficult for kids to differentiate the roles of parent and coach and therefore you shouldn't expect them to never treat you like Dad during practices or games. An example would be when your child gets injured. Another player on the team might cry and get upset and probably expect his own parent to comfort him in some fashion. Your own child will do the same thing, and you should treat him like a parent during these times. If he gets hit with a ball at practice, and gets hurt, he expects you to treat him just like you do at home when the same thing happens. Another example would be when your child experiences the frustration of playing a bad game or losing . He won't want to hear your coaching speech on "what did we learn from that" , but will want to hear from Dad. When we leave a game or youth baseball tournament, we talk Father to son about the game, if he wants to, then we move on to something else.

As challenging as coaching and parenting can be, there will always be opportunities facing us I this role. That being said, some of my proudest moments as a coach have been related to my role as a parent-coach.

Author- Brian McClure
Want to learn more about helping your child in youth baseball as a parent or coach?
http://www.coaching-youth-baseball.com/

See our complete list of Topics and articles on youth baseball here
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Teaching Your Son or Daughter the Game of Baseball - Tips For Baseball Coaches and Baseball Dads

Teaching Your Child the Game of Baseball - Tips For Baseball Parents
By Guest Author John Peter

For those who "coach your son" (or those players who are coached by Dear Old Dad), lend me your ears. Here are some quick and easy thoughts to answer the common problems that surround coaching your own kid.

1st & Foremost

Help him become the best player that He wants to be. When it becomes more about You, the coach, the player's Dad . . . rethink immediately because you just became ONE OF THEM! You know the guy who's son plays shortstop and pitches, he bats 3rd . . . always . . . and probably shouldn't . . . yes, there are worse things to be than a pushy baseball Dad . . . so the good news is . . . it's curable! But seriously . . . think about this . . .

2nd

Consider the reality of the above and understand that you probably would treat discipline and talk to your own boy differently than you will with the other 12 kids on your team. So when you need to discipline ANY of your team attempt to do this "evenly" and with the same methods. This may take practice as well as having a pre-season discussion with your boy, as he knows Dad and just may attempt to take advantage (I know . . . not my boy!). REVISIT #1 . . . lol. Along with this thought is the idea of playing time and position play. On all teams there are weak links and positions you just cannot find a player to fill. It's a common problem especially at the younger level up to around age 13.

Here's my own experience. I have coached my son through many levels, from Tee Ball on up. One year we didn't have a catcher, so he played catcher a lot when not pitching. At the next level, a player I counted on for a lot of pitching left a hole at short and yet another season, a hole at 2nd. My first reaction each year was the same . . . teach my son the essentials of these positions . . . as long as he understood that he would be helping the team, and me as well. Confiding in him how I was proud of him to make the sacrifice didn't hurt either.

3rd

Is it easy? Not every day. Know this now! Why should it always have to be easy? Very few things that are important to two people are always easy. Know that you are each other's favorite coach and favorite player. Nothing is more important than that!

Here's the Downside:

Your boy won't progress quite as quickly in what you may see as his "natural position."

Here's the Upside:

Until approximately age 14 he doesn't have a natural position. He has ability and interest in his "natural position" and he has Dad hoping he will play and excel at his "natural position." But unless any boy gets experience all over the field, he may not truly find that "natural position."

My son had as much fun as a catcher throughout his 11-12-13 years as any time I ever saw him play another position . . . for whatever his reasons were. His experience there was due to his team's needs. It ended up allowing him to learn and do something he never really thought much about or had much interest in. It also helped me out of a jam because he got good at it. And yes, he enjoyed it! It also helped our pitchers because he improved where they could count on him . . . and now, as an older player, it allowed him to understand the game infinitely better, now that he is developing into a pitcher and a solid middle infielder.

Ultimately, all it took was he and I initially discussing it (I asked for and frankly needed his help - I truly believe that kids like to help), and secondly I spent time working with him at home, one-on-one, and at the park, which gave us time for just he and I! That time is worth it just by itself. . . the added benefit is that it was time spent at a baseball field!

Under the category of "never say never," my son's High School asked him to play shortstop on the JV summer team a few years ago. He regarded it as quite an honor, as he was only an 8th grader in a school of 2,000 students. Although he certainly had, and has, a lot of learning to do at such a complex position...I think he was extremely happy that he was at least forced out of his "natural position" earlier in his career and could call on past game experiences. It certainly made for a more confident and enjoyable transition!

http://www.baseballtips.com/

Baseball tips & youth baseball equipment, training aids & instruction! It's all here for baseball coaching of pitchers & hitters, little league to high school.

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Bring Out the Best in Your Youth Sports Team by Setting the Example

Tee Ball Coaching Tips
By Greg A. Marshall

Bring out the best ... in your youth sports team, in yourself, and in your team's parents. So, how do you do this? By setting the example - in the way you coach, the way you think, and the way you behave. We all hear the horror stories of coaches whose bad examples of preferential coaching treatment, poor sportsmanship, and negative attitudes seem to hold sway on youth sports.

But it doesn't have to be that way. You CAN be the coach who sets a positive example in these and other areas. What's more you can lead by example, showing the way for other coaches and parents to see your positive demeanor and honorable character as a yardstick for themselves, perhaps. Even if your behavior doesn't change another coach's style of coaching, at least you will always be able to know that you conducted yourself in an honorable and sportsmanlike manner.

Certainly, if nothing else, you can be the best possible example for your team's players, parents and "extended family." If your players see you as a coach whom they can trust - who conducts himself honorably, and treats the team fairly, they will respond to you better in the long haul. What's more, they will move on from your team and carry some of those attributes to their next team and allow them to develop their own sense of fair play and "best behavior."

This works for parents as well. Those parents who tend to behave poorly during a game will be more likely to temper their behavior if they observe that you keep yourself under control. Even if they don't change their behavior long term, they will generally be motivated to "tone it down" by the rest of the parents on your team "buying in" to your style of coaching. This encourages the parents to be more mindful of their attitude and actions than they might normally.

But the best possible result? It may cause a youngster to stop and think, "I'm going to play fair because my coach does."

And THAT is well worth the effort.

Greg A. Marshall is the creator of Teeball-To-A-Tee.com, a unique website offering excellent teaching and coaching tools for coaches and parents of very young baseball enthusiasts. The resources on the website are designed for the parent or prospective youth coach who is overwhelmed at the prospect of starting from scratch. The website and materials offered are full of practical advice to help youth coaches from the very first day of practice. http://www.teeball-to-a-tee.com

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5 Core Mechanics to a Good Baseball and Softball Swing

Baseball Dealz on Ebay

By Todd Thomas

In hitting there are 5 core principles that as a hitter you hope to execute on every swing. No thanks to pitchers constantly attempting to mess up a hitter's timing and balance, these core movements aren't always present in every swing. These core mechanics are dependent upon each other for a player to really execute their best swing. In order to successfully execute one's best swing, these "parts" need to work together to maximize the hitting process. These five core principles are the "blueprint" of a hitters basic mechanics. They are:

1. Weight Transfer
2. Hips lead the hands
3. Matching the swing plane to the pitch plane or "leveling"*
*(this involves the shoulder dip, tilting, & getting the bat level to the ball)
4. Ideal contact
5. Staying inside the ball

These principles of hitting are the foundation and are present in every good swing but they are not all always present in EVERY swing from the same player. A player cannot, and will not, be consistently successful if they are regularly lacking in any one of these areas in the hitting process. This is why Ted William's said that hitting a baseball is the single most difficult thing to do in any sport. Although, I tend to disagree with Ted on this thought. Hitting a baseball(or softball) may be the second most difficult thing. I believe TEACHING someone to hit a baseball/softball may be the most difficult thing to do in sports!

Do great hitters always look great or even good at the plate? The simple obvious answer is NO. If the pitcher is successful as they often are, their pitch will take one of the core elements away from the hitter. When this happens take a look at what happens to their swing. The result are often less than favorable in these cases.

Oftentimes, a player who has excellent core hitting mechanics can be struggling at the plate and even look awkward. If you regularly watch a lot of games and hitters as I do, you will clearly recognize when a hitter gets into advantageous hitting positions and when they obviously did not. In the situations when their swing looked "bad", that doesn't mean that the hitter has poor hitting mechanics. Rather, something in the process was slightly off. One(or more) of the core mechanics was out of whack for whatever reason. A lot of times it's a hitter's rhythm, timing and tempo that are off and they are "chasing" a pitch the pitcher fooled them with. Whatever the pitcher has done, it has worked in that the hitters core mechanics are thrown off. As well all know, this doesn't always mean the hitter doesn't get a hit. We've all seen the crazy off-balance swing where the hitter drops one in for a base hit. As well as, we have all seen the "perfect" swing where the hitter smokes the ball only to have it fielded for an out by the defense.

One thing to add here is two-strike situation. A hitter should be less concerned with staying perfect with their mechanics and should be simply focusing on doing whatever it takes to make contact and put the ball in play. There is typically not much a hitter can do when they have two strikes on them except let the ball travel as deep as possible and simply put the bat in the path of the ball. Any thoughts of putting the perfect swing on a pitch when a hitter has two strikes must be out the window and he/she should focus on making the adjustments necessary to put the ball in play.

What is the perfect swing anyway? It's the adjustments a hitter makes appropriate to the pitch they get. This is the reason why a lot of times no two swings look very similar. It all starts with the core mechanics and then expands from there. Every element is necessary to maximize the swing process to a consistently high level. When a player is taught improper core mechanics or if core mechanics are not firmly established, hitting problems are exacerbated greatly and hitting frustration is escalated. Learning the core mechanics and learning them correctly while continually working on them is crucial to all hitters.

Todd Thomas is a Baseball Coach and Professional Hitting Instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. Coach Todd's personal hitting website is http://www.HitItHere.net. Coach Todd also enthusiastically endorses http://PlayMyBestBaseball.com as a place where baseball and softball hitters can master the Confidence, Composure, Focus and Consistency of their game so they can reach their full potential.

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Good Sayings For Communicating With Batters in the Box.

Good Sayings For Communicating With Batters in the Box.

Players should Know All Hitting Terms.

"See it out, See it in, See it off!" - Tells the hitter to keep the head down and see the ball out of the pitcher's
hand, into the strike zone, and off the bat!"

"If it is close enough to call, its close enough to hit!"Reminds a hitter with two strike to swing at anything close. Do not go down "looking".

"31-Zone, Nothing Above, Nothing Below!" The batter with a 3-1 count is looking to hit a perfect pitch to hit in a tight zone. The batter should lay off anything above or
below that zone.

"Base Hit, Ball Four, Something Good For Us On this Pitch". The batter has a 3 ball count. The batter
is looking to hit the pitch hard or get a base on balls.

"Don't Guess - See, Read & React" Tells the batter who has two strikes to even the stance and hit anything close. Do not gues or look for a certain pitch but rather hit the ball "where it is pitched". Pull or Punch.

"Nothing Above the Hands" If a batter has a tendency to chase high stuff out of the zone, this reminds the batter to start with the hands at the top of the zone
and do not chase anything above those hands.

"Squash The Bug" or "Shoelaces to Pitcher" - The correct action of the hitters back foot.

"Trigger"-The hitters final inside turn movement before the swing.

"See The Ball Flat"-See the ball until it goes flat against the bat and comes off.

Baseball Secrets - Avoid Dehydration During The Game

By Bhatnagar Sumit

A very important fact about baseball, that most of the players do not know, is that one must always be careful about the hydration level in the body while playing.

You must drink the required amount of water everyday. Water is very important for human body.

But, you might not have seen it written like this earlier; at least, not with respect to baseball!

We are going to tell you some of the facts about this game that are very important for you to understand.

Most of the Americans (almost 75%) suffer from severe dehydration. The same thing applies to the people who are drinking soda pop around the world.

In some 36% of the Americans, thirst mechanism has been found to be extremely weak and most of the times, people take it as a hunger pang, unaware of the fact that they are highly mistaken.

Dehydration can become a factor to slow down your metabolism.

In one survey, conducted by University of Washington, it is found that one glass of water can stop your night hunger pangs.

If you are experiencing the daytime fatigue, beware! It can be due to lack of water also.

Most of the people who suffer from the back and joint pain, are advised to take 8 to 10 glasses of water daily.

If the water level in your body decreases by 2%, it can give you instant poor memory, fatigue, headache, problems in solving math and you can find difficult to focus on your computer.

So, now, you might have realized how necessary the water level is for us.

So, as a baseball player, you need to take plenty of water to avoid any such symptoms that we just described above.

Free Baseball Picks and Handicapping Betting System - Avoid dehydration during the game.

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Too Much Emphasis on Winning! Not Playing Great Baseball!

By Stephen K Reynolds

In Today's Climate of over bearing parents & coaches driving youth sports towards a win at all costs mentality it is difficult to sort out what is right for the players! There is too much emphasis on just winning and no focus on the players playing at there peak every play. I hear it every day, we need to win the game! Hey I like to win as much as the next guy and enjoy seeing the players win but a lot of coaches mistake that for Success!

The Great John Wooden said success is measured whether a player Has given a maximum effort during each and every game. You are only a failure if you give any thing less. Too often coaches think that just because the team won every thing is peaches and cream. Many games are won because 1 player had an exceptional game while the others played lousy! Coaches focus on the better players and don't develop the other players to there full potential.

Here is my point: You need to get the players to focus on each and every play and tell them that they have to bring an maximum effort mentally and physically in order to be successful. If you have an above average team the wins will take care of themselves. By getting players to be in the moment that takes the pressure off of them about having to win! When you do that the players can play to their full potential and enjoy the game at the same time!

If your team plays it best baseball and gets beat hey it happens! No shame in that! Oh sure you will be disappointed in the outcome but not your players effort! Remember why you are coaching Youth Sports!

Stephen K Reynolds is publisher of the LSR Unlimted "Free" newsletter which focuses on helping newcomers & seasoned pros learn the secrets to marketing in the ever changing world of the internet! He is also a youth baseball coach in Western Montana Working on the Internet allows him the freedom to coach little league baseball. For more information on this e-mail lsrwealth@gmail.com

(800)758-1282

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Getting Kids to Youth Baseball Practice on Time

Getting Kids to Youth Baseball Practice on Time
By Marty Schupak

As the season starts, we want to get off to a good start with our team and what is expected of them. Of course, youth baseball is unlike a school team sport and you cannot force a player to practice or even force them to be on time. However, there are certain things you can do as a coach to ensure your team develops good habits.

My own personal pet peeve was having the players arrive late for practices. My practices usually run no longer than one hour and if a player is fifteen minutes late, he misses a full quarter of a practice. I have tried a number different tactics. The first one is, I give each player a number as they arrive at practice and they keep that number throughout the practice. Whoever arrives first is number one and when it comes to batting practice he or she goes first. The players remember this and after a couple of practices, you will notice the difference with players arriving early to get a good number.

Another technique I use is to start practice with a mini batting practice even before warm ups. After you do this a few times, you'll notice the players arriving early and telling you that they go first. Do not do this technique every practice but every once in a while. Practices, especially early in the season, will set the tone for a successful and fun season. The kids take notice when the coach arrives early and organized. Use these two techniques to get your players to arrive on time.

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com

Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 18 years and is the creator of "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice", "Backyard Baseball Drills" and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is also President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.

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Baseball Coaching Digest - Survey Results - The Top 10 Worst TeeBall Parent Excuses of All Time

By Nick Dixon

The word "excuse" is a bad word to most coaches. A parent excuse is a reason given by a parent to explain or justify their son's poor performance, tardiness, or inappropriate behavior. Coaches really would prefer that someone simply say they were wrong or give a legitimate reason rather than a ridiculous excuse.

If you coach any sport, you are going to hear your share of excuses from parents. Most parents refuse to make excuses. They understand that behavior and actions have consequences.

However, there is that small percentage of parents that are always ready with a reason or excuse for their son's behavior. Some of the worst excuses are those that parents try to use to justify getting their player to practice or a game late. It is no wonder that players use excuses when their parents do so frequently.

The Baseball 2Day Coaching Journal surveyed baseball coaches. One of the questions was "What is the worst excuse you ever heard from a parents? Here are the top 10 worst parent excuses of all time:

#10--- "I can not get my son to any games or practices because I'm pregnant."

#9---- "My son does not like playing 3rd base because he says the balls come to him too fast."

#8----"You should play the 12 year olds the entire game, they have earned that right."

#7----"I could get my son to practice his father had the kid and he did not bring him back on time."

#6----"The game started late (8:00) and it was too late for a kid to be out!

#5----"We did not know that we had a game today."

#4---"I know he did not play well, but he did not get into bed to after midnight. He was watching TV."

#3---"The reason he did not play well was because he ate 3 hotdogs before the game."

#2---"He did not hit the ball because he did not have his new bat. That old bat just does not hit as good."

#1----"I could not get him to practice Saturday, because I had to go to the casino."

Unbelievable as they may sound these excuses were used. I am sure that you have heard some excuses that are just as amazing. Thanks for reading my article. Have a great day! Nick

The Coaches Best 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.

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Baseball Skills For the Beginning Player

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Baseball Skills For the Beginning Player
By Ethan D Orman

If your child is serious about becoming a better baseball player, then he will need to devote some extra time to develop his skills. One of the most important areas to focus on is hitting. Since most kids don't get enough time at bat during team practice, any amount of extra time with the bat should yield results. But if your child really wants to make a run for the Hall of Fame, make sure that the extra time focuses on technique and bat speed.

Begin by making sure that your child is using the correct sized bat. We spend time making sure we have the right fit for shoes and gloves, but we sometimes ignore the size of the bat. Since bat speed is critical to successful hitting, a bat that is too heavy will slow down your slugger. Have your child hold the bat out away from his body, parallel to the ground. If he can't hold it for 15 seconds, or his arms start to wobble, then the bat is probably too heavy.

You should also focus on position at the plate. If your child stands too close or too far from the plate, then it will hinder his ability to make a strong connection with the ball. This is why it is important to practice swinging at a plate. If you are using a field that doesn't have a home plate, bring one with you, even if it is made of paper. This will allow your child to develop a consistent feel for proper foot positioning and distance from the plate.

Bat speed is a key to good hitting. A simple exercise to help young hitters is to add a donut to your child's regular bat. Have him swing at eight pitches with the loaded bat, and then remove the donut and have him swing at eight more pitches. Two or three sets of this a week should help your player build up his bat speed, resulting in better hitting.

Your child will also want to improve his vision. Players are often told to keep their eye on the ball, and there are some excellent drills to help them do just that. First, soft toss some plastic golf balls to your little leaguer. The small ball will force him to focus on his target all the way through contact. You can then switch to larger whiffle balls, which will help instill confidence with a larger target. A fun twist on this is to use different colored balls. Have your child call out the color of the ball when he swings. This will help him stay focused on the ball throughout the entire swing.

When trying to become a better hitter, nothing is more important that time at the plate. Repetition will help your little slugger develop a better feel for his swing and making contact with the ball. But by adding in the above drills, your player will hone different parts of his swing that will lead to more success at the plate, and just possibly the Major Leagues.

Ethan has been an online writer for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in sports, finance, and product reviews, you can also check out his latest website on T069120 Epson Ink which reviews and lists the best T069120 Epson Cartridge for your Epson printer.

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Baseball For Kids - Useful Tips For Parents

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Article Title: Baseball For Kids - Useful Tips For Parents
By Tobias Moeller

If your children love baseball, there are many opportunities for baseball for kids you can take advantage of. The games are fun and they are not as physically demanding as the ones in other sports. Apart from the fine physical training your children will receive, they will also learn to be team players and will gain self confidence, which is important for the young ones. Finding a good school and a coach who is experienced in working with kids is the first step towards giving your little ones the superb sport training they deserve. However, the role of the parents does not end there and you will certainly need to adjust your time and attitude to the new situation. Here are some ideas that can help you in this task.

When looking for a team or school, which offers baseball for kids you have to take into account a number of factors. The current standing of the team and the sport reputation of the school are not that important. After all, your children need to have fun and be physically active rather than be winners all the time. In case your kid happens to have an exceptional talent, you can always transfer them to a different place of training at a later stage. It is essential, however, for the coach to have experience and also a good attitude towards the young players. They should also be able to motivate and encourage the kids and treat them with respect. When choosing the appropriate training place, try to inspect their facilities. These are usually of good quality and well maintained, but you have to be certain that the little ones are safe and well. It is also a good idea to pick a place that is near your home especially if the baseball practice has to be outside of the general school hours. You might not be able to take your children far away during the day, so it is best if they can travel quickly on their own. When signing up your kids you might want to pay attention to the training schedule as well as to the program of the tournaments in order to make sure the little ones are not going to be overly tired and have enough time to do their homework.

The different teams and schools usually provide the necessary equipment for their baseball for kids training. Still, if the little one wants a special bat or a glove, you should buy it to encourage them as long as you can afford to spend money on such an item. Before making the purchase, remember to consult the coach or another specialist concerning the type of bat or glove that is appropriate for your kid. As a parent you have to be actively supporting your child and try to motivate them not only with treats. Do not be too pushy, however, it is best to listen and to show understanding when necessary.

The baseball for kids can be a lot of fun indeed, but it is a good idea to schedule a medical check for your children before they start playing sports actively just to be on the safe side.

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


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---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
---6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Drills
---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Video Demo Clips

Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.

How to Improve Your Batting Efficiency

Article Title: How to Improve Your Batting Efficiency
By Nancy Kelsey Smith

If you are a baseball player and you want to be an asset to your team, you know how important it is to be proficient at batting. No matter how good you may be at pitching or fielding, if you have a poor batting average you are hurting your team.

No one hits the ball every time they step up to the plate, not even the very highly paid professionals. However, there are tips you can take that when followed will improve your efficiency and the satisfaction you feel with your level of play and your ability to contribute to your teams success.

Consistency is an important goal for someone who wants to be good at batting. You want to feel that your bat is going to connect with the ball every single time and that when you step up to home plate you have the confidence to get the job done.

Being good at anything requires practice and learning to be a good hitter is no exception. Plan to spend a fair amount of time working on improving your skills. You can go to a local school yard, a park or an empty field and get someone to pitch balls to you. Family members and friends come in very handy for this project. Remember that the more practice you put in, the greater the likelihood that you will achieve your goals.

Mental preparation is also important. You need to be mentally ready to bat a ball with complete focus on the task at hand. The hand to eye coordination which is so necessary to this sport requires that you concentrate fully on your objective. You might want to try some visualization exercises. Get a mental image of the perfect swing and how it feels. Set this in your mind to crowd out any negativity about your ability to hit the ball.

Take a deep breath and relax your body relieving built up tension that can cause your body to stiffen up. Think positively. Many events in life involve mind over matter and batting a baseball is certainly one of them.

Nancy Smith is one of the owners of RobbinsSports.com, an online retailer specializing in volleyball nets and basketball backboard.

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

Youth Baseball Bats - How Do I Choose the Right One?

Article Title: Youth Baseball Bats - How Do I Choose the Right One?
By Jeff Heitz


When purchasing a youth baseball bat, there are a number of important things that need to be taken into consideration. The bat's weight, length and barrel width are very important and must be selected based on your league requirements. Some leagues will only allow a 2 ¼" barrel and this will change how you choose the proper bat verses leagues that allow 2 ¾" barrels. Wood bats are still available and make an excellent choice for all of your cage work as it helps to develop a proper swing and gain an understanding of the sweet spots on wood verses aluminum or alloy bats.

The most popular choice for youth baseball bats are aluminum or alloy. The technological advancements in these bats have come a long way and they keep improving from year to year. A basic rule for selecting the right bat is to choose the lightest bat for its length in order to fully maximize your swing power. In a lot of cases, lighter youth baseball bats are just as costly as some of the heavier ones, but with so many quality suppliers, you are sure to find one that will satisfy your budget.

When choosing a longer bat, you are insuring more plate coverage; but it might cause the bat to be too heavy and slow down or alter the mechanics of the proper swing. Not a good idea! Shorter, lighter bats will cause the player to crowd the plate a little more but will definitely create more bat speed. Bat speed is essential and choosing the right bat is very important. It would be best to have a bat that is a little too light than to choose one that is too heavy.

Barrel size has become the talk of the dugout. A larger barrel will produce more power and have a bigger sweet spot allowing the hitter to drive balls that would otherwise be harmless outs. Choosing the proper youth baseball bat is an imperfect science. If you are playing in a league that will allow 2 ¾" barrels, I would always recommend choosing bat speed over any other factor. Players come in all shapes and sizes and all have different strength levels...this complicates the process when choosing. Before purchasing, you might talk to your coach or a youth baseball bat representative and get information based on your players age and size and what the general trend is.

The rules for Little League Baseball differ from most all other youth organizations on their bat requirements. A 2 ¼" barrel and a maximum length of 33 inches is all that is allowed. Little League bats are required to have a taped handle up to 10 inches. Youth bats are measured in inches for the length and ounces for the weight. Negative or minus numbers are used to determine the bats weight. For example if a bat is 29" long and has a -10 rating the bat will weigh 19 ounces. The bat would be referred as a minus ten negative ten or a drop ten bat. The higher the negative number the lighter the bat is for its length.

For more detailed information on choosing the right baseball or softball bat visit http://youthbaseballbats.ws

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

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