How to Avoid Unfortunate Incidents Unfortunately, coaching mentoring at the youth baseball level is often non-existent. Without this coaching mentoring, knowledge of the many unwritten baseball rules is not handed down to inexperienced coaches. The lack of coaching mentoring leads to the risk of negative confrontations and un-sportsmanship behavior in youth baseball. Many youth baseball [...]
Safety Begins with the Coach Recently, there was a tragic youth baseball accident in my neighborhood. As mentioned, it was an accident. Unfortunately, they happen and are unavoidable. It certainly caused youth baseball coaches and baseball parents to take pause. Baseball, like all sports, has its inherent safety issues. The ball and bat are hard [...]
Coaching the Major League Way is not always the Best Way There is a fine line at the youth baseball level between playing to win and teaching the game. For example, at the higher levels of baseball it is important to keep runners out of scoring position, to cut down scoring runners and turn double [...]
It’s All about the Little Things “Baseball is a game of inches,” is an often-used phrase, so true, and nowhere is that more evident than with base running. Saving an inch or two when running the bases makes all the difference, whether players are out or safe. A couple inches saved here and there may [...]
When former athletes are asked about positive or negative coaches from their past, all seem to remember them for a long time, if not forever. Unfortunately, many youth baseball coaches do not look at the big picture when coaching youth. Failure to realize that they have a tremendous opportunity to shape kids’ lives is naïve, [...]
As with teaching most things there is “no one way fits all,” when it comes to coaching youth baseball. There are alternate coaching styles that get results. Baseball is a game of repetition, where skills must be continually practiced for gradual improvement and team success. Many coaches rightly break players into groups to work on [...]
Years ago, when I grew up playing youth sports, it was acceptable for coaches to verbally berate players, threaten players, and become somewhat physical with them. Times have changed for the better in that regard. For the most part, it is no longer acceptable behavior for coaches to “bully” youth athletes. These negative coaching techniques [...]
I have heard this statement many times over the years, “He (the coach) is an idiot.” This sentiment usually comes from a disgruntled player or parent when the coach does not meet their expectations. Having been involved with youth sports for the last twenty-three years, I realize that they often have a point. Of course, [...]
First in a weekly coaching course – what better than starting with first base. Besides catcher, no defensive position is more important than first base, especially at the youth level. A first baseman will handle the batted ball more than any position on the field, which attests to its importance. People often think of first [...]
I have heard baseball coaches say, “I never use baseball drills, they create robots of players and get players thinking too much.” My first thought is how can coaches not use baseball drills and my second thought follows, coaching must be very boring without them. However, I cannot disagree completely with their statement, because they [...]
follow: RSS