The Easy Job of Baseball Dad and Mom

The Easy Job of Baseball Dad and Mom
From http://www.coachandplaybaseball.com/baseball-dad.html

I am really trying to help make the job of baseball dad and baseball mom easy.

I am taking all the stress and worry out of the equation.Your main job is to get the kids to the games and practice on time, practice with them when they are away from the ballfield and sit back and enjoy watching them play baseball.Ask the kids if they had fun and tell them that you really enjoyed watching them play.

It is going to be really hard to not coach from the bleachers and give them encouraging cheers.Believe me, really harming your ball players by coaching and encouraging from the stands because this adds way too much added pressure and mind clutter that slows their reactions.

Now, you can certainly clap when something nice happens, but you have to trust me to let go so I will be able to coach them for the couple hours you leave them with me. - See more at: http://www.coachandplaybaseball.com/baseball-dad.html#sthash.RQH1DPDL.dpuf

Fun T-Ball Drills

How to Make Tee-Ball Drills Fun for Your Players
By Guest Author Kenny Buford

T-ball is a wonderful way to acquaint young children with the sport of baseball. Being so young, the most important aspect is making sure that the children are enjoying the experience while learning the basics. There are many fun t-ball drills that players will enjoy while learning and practicing the fundamentals.

Catch:

Catch is perhaps the most famous and basic of all t-ball drills. It is even used in the major leagues during pre-game warm-ups. Catch is one of the fun t-ball drills that is easiest for children to learn. Catch is the best way to learn the essentials of catching and throwing.

Bounce to the Bucket:

Bounce to the bucket is a fun t-ball drill that requires a large basket or a cooler, placed on top of a base. Outfielders then try to throw and bounce the ball into the open container. It's fun to make this game a competition by giving ten points for every ball that goes in, five points for hitting the bucket, and one point for bouncing the ball closest to the bucket. This drill is important because it allows players to practice throwing from the outfield to the bases.

Catching Contest:

The catching contest is a great drill to practice catching and throwing. Break the players up into groups of two and then have them throw the ball back and forth between themselves. The last two players that have not dropped the ball are the winners.

Catch the Coach:

Catch the coach begins by having the coach run from home plate to first base. After he starts running the coach should yell out "tag me," and the player holding the baseball should run after the coach and attempt to tag him out before he reaches first base.

Catch the Players:

Catch the players is a fun drill to practice base running. The coach lets four or more players begin running the bases, starting from home plate, each player separated by about seven seconds. The coach starts running last, attempting to catch the players and tag them out one by one by grabbing the cabs from their heads.

One and Two:

One and two is a drill which is good for practicing catching and throwing accuracy involving two players playing catch. The thrower is awarded two points if the ball is caught at or above the shoulders. One point is scored if the ball is caught between the waist and shoulders. No points are awarded if the ball if caught below the waist or not caught at all.

Track Meet:

Track meet is one of the fun t-ball drills that begins with two players at home plate. At the start, one runs to third base, the other runs to first base. They continue running in opposite directions around the bases, and the first player to return to home plate wins. In order to avoid collisions, instruct the runner that begins at first base to touch second base from the outside corner, and the runner coming from third base to touch the inside corner of second base.

Kenny Buford is a baseball and t-ball coach with over 20 years of experience. You can find more of his T-Ball Drills (along with practice plans) on his website:

T-Ball Drills and Practice Plans

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

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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
http://www.coaching-youth-baseball.com/topics.html

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



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Top 10 Youth Coaching Tips For Dads Coaching Youth Baseball, Football, Or Basketball

Top 10 Youth Coaching Tips For Dads Coaching Youth Baseball, Football, Or Basketball
By Guest Author Mike McVicar

Just because you are a "Dad Coach" doesn't mean you need to be a "Bad Coach"

1. Treat every player fairly, not necessarily equally. If one player is working his butt off with a great attitude, he deserves more responsibility, playing time and recognition that the player who is goofing off or has a bad attitude.

2. Give every player the appropriate playing time. This varies based on the level of competition your team plays at. I firmly believe that if it is a recreation type league at the younger ages then everyone should get pretty equal time. As the level of competition or the age rises then you can adjust accordingly.

3. Teach and demand respect for the game, the officials and the other team. They see enough bad examples on TV or from other teams. Make your team one that demands and lives by exemplary sportsmanship!

4. Don't Over condition. Just because your high school coach was a sadistic SOB doesn't mean it is the right thing to do. Too many kids drop out because of coaches like this. Conditioning is good, running them until they puke may not be.

5. Invest the time, commitment, and if needed, money necessary to be the best coach you can be. I didn't want to be "that dad" who didn't know what he was doing and ruined the experience for the team. I scouted other teams (especially in football), practiced every chance we got, read books and coaching manuals, watched videos and studied other experienced coaches so I could do the best job possible. I was a very good athlete, but I had no idea how to teach the fundamentals to kids. I studied from those with experience.

6. Learn and teach the proper techniques. Not only to help your players and your team do better but also to help avoid injuries. For example in football you MUST be teaching the proper "eyes to the sky" tackling technique, not the head down, stay low method we may have learned as a kid!

7. Whether you are coaching Youth football, basketball, baseball or any other sport - Defense is key! Work on things like tackling, foot movement, quick hands and hand position, or pitching! Be aggressive and practice defense often! In all 3 sports, Maximize the running game!

8. Demand and earn the teams respect and attention. Know what you are doing and how to teach it. A useful tip that I picked up was to have a phrase that you could yell out if the attention was drifting. I have used "READY" (very loud) and the team must yell back "FOCUS"! With eyes focused on me. I have also used "EARS" and they responded "OPEN" Eyes directly on me. If someone didn't say it or give me their eyes then they ran. It only takes a few times.

9. Respect the parents and be a great communicator. Don't leave them in the dark. I am not saying you need to explain everything, but communicate your passion, your beliefs about great sportsmanship, your love of the kids and the game. Let them know you have done your homework, and that you are studying and learning more about coaching youth sports every day, and that you will always make decisions that you feel are best for the team and the players. Encourage their help and support, and earn their respect.

10. Remember to have fun yourself! Being a great youth coach takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and it can also be such a blast. Sometimes it really isn't whether you win or lose, but how you played the game, and how you teach them to play the game. I cherish the opportunity and honor of being called Coach Mike for these short years, and I believe it is worth it to give everything I can give to the teams that I have the privilege to coach!

Coach Mike - Internet Marketer and youth coach.
I am a dad coach who decided to get out of the corporate life and spend more time with my family and have the time to dedicate to being the best youth coach that I could be during the few years that I will have a chance to do it.

http://www.freecoachesclinic.com

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

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A Few Little League Baseball Drills to Teach Swing Mechanics

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A Few Little League Baseball Drills to Teach Swing Mechanics
By Joseph Harrison Jr

Batting a baseball is no easy task. Often it is especially frustrating and discouraging for a child. A successful swing requires control and sound technique. This article will cover basics of hitting and introduce some very simple and effective little league baseball drills, aimed at improving mechanics and technique.

First of all and most importantly your child should watch the ball all the way to the bat. Meaning when they hit the ball they should actually see the ball hit the bat.

There are several simple little league baseball drills you can do to improve "picking up", or seeing the ball.

Perhaps the most common is to stand, chin on front shoulder. As the swing is completed the chin will rest finally on the other shoulder. A batting tee can be used to develop this skill. Soft toss is equally as effective and can offer a change of pace. Both of this little league baseball drills are very effective at improving eye hand coordination and increasing bat speed.

To be a successful hitter balance is a must. Most people feel comfortable with feet shoulder width apart, although this is the norm there are a wide range of stances out there so go with what feels comfortable and more importantly with what works. However they stand be sure they are firm footed and well balanced.

A fluid swing is the result of several parts of the upper and lower muscle groups working together. Bat speed is created by the hands and wrists and is as important, if not more, than lower body muscle groups in hitting for power. A short, quick swing will generate more power than a long over extending of the arms. A shorter swing speeds your bat up, generating more power.

The hands are also extremely important in hitting. Hands should be held at chest level with the bat in front. This is a generalization, many prefer to hold their hands high and others low but chest level is the best point from which to begin a swing for most.

Avoid dropping the hands before swinging. This cuts the time a batter has to react to a pitch. The soft toss drill is one of several little league baseball drills that will develop wrists and hands. A tennis ball can be used to promote hand strength. Stronger hands mean more bat speed can be generated.

The lower body is also an important part of hitting. Many players over stride when swinging, creating an awkward swing. Have your child lift the front foot off the ground and simply place it back. This helps in keeping their weight back, creating more power in the swing.

Proper hip usage is crucial to a good fluid swing. Squashing the bug is one of several little league baseball drills to teach proper hip usage. Your child can practice swinging by placing the left hand out in front of the body over an imaginary strike zone. Then have them swing through with the right and make contact with the left in the center of the zone, keeping in mind to pay attention to form and technique. The drill is used to teach correct balance. The batter will sharply turn the right, or back, ankle as if to squash a bug with the toe as the hand swings through the zone.

The key aspects of hitting are balance, seeing the ball and precise timing of the body's lower and upper muscle groups. Hitting is very difficult by any measure. Improvement will come through good habits and practice.

I am Joseph Harrison, a baseball coach since 20 years ago. I love baseball since I am young, especially the feeling when you know you will absolutely crush the ball. Training your kid to gain interest in baseball will benefit him from both mentally and physically. In with he will gain team spirit, learn how to cope with teammates, and at the same time train up his physical, and concentration (to have good eye and hand coordination and the ability to use both at once). Go through my article and you will know all the benefits of baseball.

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

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5 Core Mechanics to a Good Baseball and Softball Swing

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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.

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

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What Everybody Should Know About How to Discover Great Hitting

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By Jeff A Heath

You need to have a very good purpose to every cut at the ball in hitting exercise. In your first round of hitting practice you might concentrate on hitting every throw to the other direction. In the next time, try to make certain that you are swinging down on the ball. Prepare yourself for game scenarios, or perhaps the training will not be as beneficial as it could be. If you find yourself inside a bad times, try and focus on defensive play and possibly save the game with an above average defensive play. Ineffective players ought to understand that it does not always take a home run in order to help the team.

Junior baseball members and coaches need to look to boost your emotional perspective on the whole team using positive comments to all players. Bad remarks is not going to bring something beneficial for the team morale. Batting can be a lot about confidence. Batting a baseball is quite a difficult ability that sometimes becomes overlooked by instructors,players,and mothers and fathers. We occasionally neglect how qualified most of these youth baseball players tend to be and wish a lot more from all of them. Let's simply have fun in addition to enjoy this excellent game of junior baseball.

Focus while at bat is crucial, and optimistic thinking assists you. You have to go up to home plate telling oneself, "I am just intending to hit the ball. Any player requires rhythm. Attempt to watch the pitcher's hands and keep your attention on the ball. Be aggressive at the plate, but also remain calm and relaxed. Should your forearms become too tight, you will be hard pressed for putting enough power forth for the swing.

Probably the most useful help that a children's baseball coach can provide a beginning player is to consider hitting the ball right up the middle. If you think about hitting up the center, you may adjust and hit the ball no matter where the ball is thrown. If you are at the plate intending to pull the ball, you are going to struggle hitting an outside pitch. If your hips are exposed too soon, you will not be able to reach a pitch on the outside portion of home plate. You need balance in anything that you do in baseball, especially in batting. Your body is going to shift, however you must keep your focus still. The only method to do that is to get good balance. Junior baseball at bats tend to be just like adults at bats, they need balance.

http://hamptonlittleleague.net
Youth baseball members and coaches need to look to boost your emotional perspective of the whole group with positive comments to any and all competitors.Bad remarks will not bring anything beneficial for the team spirits.Batting can be a lot about confidence.Batting a baseball is quite a difficult ability which at times becomes unnoticed by coaches,players,and parents.Sometimes we neglect how qualified these youth baseball competitors tend to be and want even more out of them.Let's just have fun in addition to enjoy this excellent game of youth baseball.

For more information about hitting and coaching hitting go to: http://hamptonlittleleague.net

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

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