Coaching and Youth Sports

Discussion in 'The Thunderdome' started by cotton, Mar 25, 2013.

  1. ramblin

    ramblin New Member

    I agree with having other parents or friends help you. No way to keep 10-15 kids that age occupied by yourself. I was helping with a coach pitch team when my son was 7. He had lost most of his interest in baseball as the season wound down. He was the first batter of the game, I was coaching first. He gets a hit and as he stands at first I give him the usual coach speak, "nice hit, be ready to run, etc", He motions for me to come closer. I expect him to ask how far the ball went or something. He asks, "How much longer is this game going to last?' That was our last year of baseball.
     
  2. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    Enrico Polazzo!
     
  3. NYY

    NYY Super Moderator

    Easiest way to separate the wheat from the chaff is to stand 20 feet away and throw balls as hard as you can towards their midsection. You'd be surprised how well kids can perform when catch it or eat it are the only two options.
     
  4. cotton

    cotton Stand-up Philosopher

    It actually went better than expected. On the eight player team, one kid is an absolute stud for his age, and the other 5 boys will all be fine with a little work. They all can get in front and stop a rolling grounder, they can all contact it off the tee, and they can all run the bases. Both of the girls are sweet. We split them into two groups, and all of them did a pretty good job paying attention for pretty much the whole 45 minute practice.

    I'm going to have to figure out some way to get the kids stepping towards the target to throw. That's the challenge for Thursdays practice.
     
  5. Low Country Vol

    Low Country Vol Contributor

    My 4 year old played flag football last fall. Highly recommend.
     
  6. hallowed_hill

    hallowed_hill Active Member

    While reminding them that there's no crying in baseball.
     
  7. NYY

    NYY Super Moderator

    Exactly.
     
  8. limpleg

    limpleg He gone. No, really.

    I was going to suggest practicing throwing darts. Here, even at the youngest age, they only use the tee after 5 pitches. Best thing is to get the kids to swing hard and hit their bat with the ball while throwing from your knee. If you try to teach weight shift, elbow, etc, they will get robotic. Get their grip and the bat back and have them eye the ball and swing hard. I just finished my last year of beginner coach pitch after having coached my 3 sons over the past 9 years. I will miss it. Nothing better than seeing a kids face when he connects for the first time in a game. Almost every one forgets to run. Just awesome.
     
  9. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    This is the same guy who went inside for his first practice because of "snow". Do you really think he's going to be that tough on them? My guess is he spends more time planning post-game snack that coaching baseball.
     
  10. NYY

    NYY Super Moderator

    "Who's brining the tea and crumpet?"

    -mother effin' Cotton.
     
  11. NYY

    NYY Super Moderator

    No matter the level of baseball, hitting off a tee is the best thing hitters can do.
     
  12. limpleg

    limpleg He gone. No, really.


    We had a tee rotation at every practice. Games were coach pitch though. Its changed a lot. I have pics of me hitting off a tee with a wooden bat and missing front teeth. They are in machine pitch at age 6 and 7 now. Then they go back to coach pitch from standing and farther away.
     
  13. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    Especially for those that think you have to pull all pitches, even ones 2 inches outside. The result of which will be an 87 hopper to the SS.
     
  14. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    I loved low and outside pitches. Still do in softball.
     
  15. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    Hit them "late" in the swing, and you can hit them as hard as turning on an inside fastball.
     
  16. NYY

    NYY Super Moderator

    Key is letting the ball get deep and barrel awareness on the low and outside pitch. That and take the nipples to where you want to hit the baseball.
     
  17. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    This sounds kinky, but is a much better way of saying this than my words of hitting it late.
     
  18. InVolNerable

    InVolNerable Fark Master Flex

    Vlad Guerrero, is that you?
     
  19. CardinalVol

    CardinalVol Uncultured, non-diverse mod

    No, I would have had 89 back surgeries already if I swung like he did.
     
  20. JayVols

    JayVols Walleye Catchin' Moderator

    I don't think Card could be mistaken for a 6'3" guy.
     

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