T-Ball Lessons

T-Ball Lessons
By guest author: John Mehrmann


Watching children at play offers valuable lessons for adults.

Many years ago I had the privilege of being a coach for my son's t-ball team. For those who may be unfamiliar with the term t-ball, it refers to a form of baseball for beginners. The main principles of baseball apply. There is a first base, second base, third base, and home plate. There is an infield and an outfield with all of the same positions. There is a pitcher's mound that is occupied by a player, but the pitcher does not pitch. The baseball is placed on a short pole that is referred to as a "tee". The tee is very similar to an enlarged golf tee, with the notable exception that it rests on a rubber mat as opposed to being pushed into the ground. The baseball is placed on the tee and the young batter gets three swings to hit the ball and, if successful, attempts to run to first base before being tagged out.

The game of t-ball provides an excellent opportunity to teach children the fundamentals of baseball and to participate in a team environment. Watching a successful baseball team is like watching the harmony emerging from a well rehearsed symphony orchestra. The players are aware of respective roles, placement, responsibilities, and the importance of well choreographed coordination with other players. Individual players may be exceptionally talented, but success can only be achieved if that talent is properly integrated with the abilities of the other players. A perfect throw can only be achieved if there is someone to catch. It is as simple as that. For youthful beginners, achieving such harmonious rhapsody of coordination requires a little patience.

An early challenge for first year t-ball players is to learn the rules of the game and position on the field. There is very little or no scientific method to assigning positions in the first year. There are no scouting reports. There are no tryouts. There are no t-baseball cards with statistics and profiles.

Watching the children take their positions on the field, I could not help but imagine how personalities and character are well defined at such an early age. The actions, decisions, and responses of the youth on the baseball field could easily be compared with characteristics displayed by adults. I wondered how much of the personalities of my colleagues had been displayed at such an early age, and how similar mannerisms in the office would be similarly evident if those individuals donned baseball caps and took their corresponding places on the field.

The pitcher stared intently at the batter. Leaning forward at the waist, one hand tucked firmly behind his back as if hiding a knuckleball, the boy clenched his teeth and glowered at the batter. Evidently the pitcher had watched some baseball games and accurately mimicked the facial expressions of a professional. Lacking chewing tobacco or a large wad of gum, the pitcher pushed his bottom lip forward with his tongue. His protruding left cheek and lower added to the intensity of his concentration. He had come prepared to play ball.

The boy on first base stood upright. His arms dangled loosely at his sides. His gloved hand bounced up and down alternately in front and behind him. His other hand adjusted his cap, scratched a runaway itch, and adjusted his cap once more. Each time that the batter prepared a swing, the boy on first base would immediately jump into action. As the bat swung forward, the boy at first base squatted at the knees as if to prepare for something. He was prepared for anything, even though he had no idea what to expect. Ready to protect his base, or chase the ball, or chase the batter. You could tell from the look in his eyes that he was ready to respond, even if he did not yet know what to expect or what was expected of him. Read more.

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Fun T-Ball Drills

Fun T-Ball Drills
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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