Youth Baseball Coaching Clinic Official Blog

Welcome to the official blog of the Youth Baseball Coaching Clinic. Our blog features free youth baseball articles and daily posts on every aspect of coaching youth baseball including youth baseball practice organization, youth baseball practice drills for youth baseball, youth baseball coaching tips and baseball strategy for coaching kids. Make sure to save this site to your favorites. You will want to visit our site regularly because we update daily. Good Luck to You and Your Team!



Thursday, December 23, 2010

Baseball Practice - How to Prepare for a Successful Season


Baseball Practice - How to Prepare for a Successful Season
By Kenny Buford

The key to successful baseball practice -- and a successful season -- is communication. Coaches, players, and parents should all be on the same page regarding the expectations and philosophy of the team.

Communication is Key

Some important issues that should be communicated at the beginning of the season are:


Schedule: players and parents should receive a practice and game calendar as soon as possible so that they can make family and travel plans around it.
Uniform: communicate to players (and parents, depending on age) what you expect them to wear to practice. Games will most likely require uniforms, but if you have any expectations of what players will wear to practice, you need to let them know early.
Practice plan: coaches and players should know what's expected of them during practice and how long each practice is going to last. Each coach should have a clipboard outlining the practice plan for that day, and it would also be beneficial for the plan to be posted so that players can access it as well.
Having all this information available requires a lot of organization and thinking ahead. By knowing your philosophy and approach ahead of time, you can effectively communicate with your team.

Organizing Baseball Practice

When organizing a practice schedule, you should first consider what your goals are for both the short and long term. This will help you determine what to accomplish over the entire season, and you can then break it down into months, weeks, and single practice sessions. Your plan should be flexible to allow change as needed, but having goals will keep your team focused and provide direction for the season.

Any given practice might go something like this:


Begin with stretching while talking about baseball. Players should get their head in the game as soon as practice starts.
Next have the players run to get warmed up.
After running, pair up the players for catch. More advanced players should be paired based on their positions, and beginning players should be paired based on ability level.
Next players should work on drills based on their positions. When teaching drills, coaches should first demonstrate them so that they know players do them correctly, and then have them repeat the drill until it becomes habit.
After drills on the individual, group, and team level, players should have batting practice.
The final part of practice should be running. Running conditioning is most effective if it is somehow related to game play, like exercises to improve base-running technique or even sprinting on or off the field.
For a successful season, practices should be consistent and progressive. Follow the steps above for each practice, knowing ahead of time which skills you would like to focus on. By being organized and communicating your goals to your team, players will come to practice knowing that their hard work is going to pay off!

To learn more coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/vid/
Kenny Buford is a youth baseball coach, and the owner and publisher of Baseball-Tutorials.com, the web's #1 resource for baseball practice drills, tips, and ideas for youth and high school coaches.

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

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Baseball Hitting: Basic Hitting Mechanics



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The Pros and Cons Of Coaching Your Own Child's Baseball Team

The Pros and Cons Of Coaching Your Own Child's Baseball Team
By Mitchell Pierce

As children get older and become involved in sports like little league baseball, some parents make a choice to sign up to coach the teams themselves. At the onset of the idea it may seem like a lot of fun, but there is always a downside to any choice. How will it affect your child? Do you know enough about the particular sport? Will you be responsible for other children if they get hurt? All good questions, so let's take a closer look at the good and the bad of signing up to coach your child's baseball team. I'm going to focus on little league because that is what I signed up to do, so I can speak from experience.

Here is a look at some of the pros:


1. You will be spending more time bonding with your child and showing him that you care enough to take on this responsibility.
2. You can have a positive affect on other children and help them grow an understanding of the game of baseball and love for team sports.
3. Winning is always a bonus, but you might really feel a sense that you are connecting with the community and making new friends.

And now for the cons:


1. Because there are other children on the team, you may not have time to devote to your child which could make the child feel neglected or jealous that you are spending time and attention to other kids.
2. Politics and conflicts with the parents could come to being accused of favoring your own child or going easier on your child while being harsh on other children. This result is disastrous for both you and your child.
3. Less free time for other relationships in your life, and your wife or other children might feel like you are not spending enough time with them and too much coaching.

If you really want to have the experience and are dedicated and responsible enough to stay committed to the team, then I say sign up and get ready for the wild ride. On the other hand, if you are stressed already or just have a demanding job, or whatever the reason that you might drop the ball, then maybe your place is on the bleachers. Either way it is important to remember that creating the best and most fun season should be the goal no matter who signs up to be the coach.

About The Author

Mitchell Pierce hopes that you found this article helpful. Mr. Pierce runs several websites including a site that offers free advice on Internet Home Businesses, please visit the Internet Based Businesses site today. There is also a great hub page resource on coaching kids at this link, Coaching Youth Sports.

(C) Copyright, Mitchell Pierce, Internet Based Home Business Guide, All Rights Reserved World Wide.

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



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Thursday, December 16, 2010

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Hitting Mechanics - Stationary Axis' or 'Weight Shift'

Overlooked Fundamentals by Youth Baseball Coaches

Baseball Playing & Coaching Tips : How to Coach Baseball

Youth Baseball Hitting Instruction

Youth Baseball Hitting Instruction
By Jeffery A Wise

Baseball is a sport that's played year round. There's spring ball, summer ball, fall ball and winter conditioning. For this reason, coaches are always looking for information on youth baseball hitting instruction so they can continue to improve their teams.

In one of our recent blog posts titled "How To Teach Kids To Hit a Baseball" we discussed the basics of teaching youth about hitting. Now we'll go deeper into that topic and give some tips that will give your kids an edge for the upcoming season.

First, an important aspect of hitting is confidence. You can immediately tell when a young player has lost his confidence. His first pitch may be a strike and he gets upset, almost to tears. Then his confidence will waiver the rest of his at-bat.

I like to teach kids to remain confident no matter what happens. Don't worry about the first strike. You get at least three chances to hit the ball. There are lots of game winning hits made with two strikes already on the player. As a kid, it's hard not to get upset because they want to please their parents. If we teach kids to stay confident, they are more likely to get a hit. It will also help their confidence later in life.

Second, a child must have fun. Growing up, I learned that the most important part of baseball is to have fun. As soon as baseball becomes a chore, your hitting will fall apart. This is especially true for young players. Teach your youth baseball players to have fun while hitting. Make practice fun. See how many balls they can hit to a certain part of the field. Or, split the team into two groups and have them compete to see which group hits the most line drives into the outfield.

Finally, teach young players to never give up. Youth baseball hitting instruction should include talks about never giving up. Teach them to always work hard at hitting and that it may be their last at-bat of the game when they get the hit needed to win. Show them that baseball is a great game because you have dozens upon dozens of opportunities to do something great.

Jeffery A Wise invites you to learn more about baseball hitting so that you can help your team win. Start learning today at our site through articles, blog posts and videos and start hitting a baseball with confidence.

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


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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

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Coaching Youth Baseball - Tips to Be Successful Without Alienating Parents

Coaching Youth Baseball - Tips to Be Successful Without Alienating Parents
By J Michael Wright

Every parent wants their child to be successful in sports. Youth baseball is normally the first sport in which a child participates. After all, baseball is "America's Game". Youth baseball presents a unique challenge to those that choose to coach. In addition to the task of teaching young children the sport and its many facets, the coach of a youth baseball team must also interact with the parents of the children on the team.

Children are introduced to this team sport as early as five years of age. Parents often become coaches at this time because they feel their child will get a better opportunity to play. Every parent, whether a coach or not, wants their child to be the team's star player. This will undoubtedly cause conflicts between coaches and parents.

Tips to be Successful Without Alienating Parents

1. The purpose of the coach in youth baseball is to teach children how to play the game of baseball and to work together in a team setting.

2. You should have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the rules of youth baseball and the league in which you are coaching.

3. Treat every child on your team fairly and give each an equal chance to play every position.

4. Do not show favoritism to any of the players on your team, especially your own child.

5. Understand that winning is not everything. It is more important that the children participate and have fun instead of worrying about the final outcome of a game.

6. Always maintain your focus on teaching the fundamentals of the game.

7. Plan your practices and the fundamentals you intend to teach at each in advance and stick to your itinerary.

8. Make your practices educational and fun. You will keep your players attention and help them learn and retain the lessons being taught.

9. Instill a sense of discipline and pride in your players. Teach them to listen, follow instructions and take pride in their accomplishments both on and off the field.

10. Offer encouragement and support to your players when mistakes are made. Keep criticism to a minimum.

Following these tips will help you be successful as a youth baseball coach and will prevent alienating the parents of your team members. Your success as a coach should be measured by the knowledge and appreciation of the game you instill in your players, not by the number of games won. Remember that your role as coach is to educate, promote enthusiasm for the sport and, above all, to have fun. In doing so you will find that conflicts with your players' parents will be kept to a minimum and create a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

(C) J Michael Wright

J Michael Wright is the proud parent of two children, has 12 years experience in coaching youth sports teams and has served on the boards of multiple youth sports organizations.

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

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Monday, December 6, 2010

Seven Tips on How to Hit a Baseball

Seven Tips on How to Hit a Baseball
By Daniel J Cogan

Trying to hit a baseball is one of the toughest things to do in sports. Not many people can go out with a bat and hit a baseball that is moving all different directions while coming in at a high speed. It takes a lot of determination and focus to hit a baseball and most do not succeed because they are not willing to put the time and practice in. I am going to tell you seven steps that will teach you how to hit a baseball if you are willing to put the time in.

1. Find the bat you would like to use. It should not be too heavy or too light, you want a bat that you can get around to strike the ball with the most power.

2. Find a comfortable grip around the base of the bat. Most people grip the bat as tight as they can, but that is incorrect. You want to hold the bat loosely right around the base of your fingertips, but not the palm of your hand.

3. Get into a comfortable stance. Spread your feet about shoulder length apart, bend your knees and crouch over a little bit. Then bring the bat up to a comfortable spot to where you can bring it down to hit the ball at a direct angle. Most people have their own individual stance. As long as it feels comfortable to the hitter, it can be worked with.

4. Being in the batter's box can be very stressful. It is important for the hitter to stay focused. As long at the hitter can stay relaxed and go through the proper motions the hits will start to come. But if the hitter gets up to the plate very tense it is going to be tough to get a hit.

5. The hitter should know his strike zone. The ideal pitch is right down the middle of the plate, but that isn't going to happen very often. So the hitter should find a zone usually from his chest to the knees, where he has the ability to hit the ball.

6. While in the box there is a process to go though, when the pitcher is in his wind up, the hitter should get in his stance and bring the bat back. Then he should load his weight onto his back foot. This allows the batter to use his whole body to hit the ball instead of just hit arms. Once the hitter has loaded up, and the pitch is on its way, the hitter should step then swing. The hitter should keep his eyes on the ball so he should watch the ball connect off the bat.

7. The last step is to practice. When trying to hit a baseball you can never have enough practice it is all about muscle memory. The more you practice the more you will become comfortable with seeing the baseball come in and you will be able to hit the pitch in your strike zone.

Just remember hitting a baseball can be very frustrating most of the time the pitcher has the upper hand and the batter will fail, but as long as you follow these seven steps and continue to practice, hitting a baseball will become a lot easier than it once was.

Dan Cogan

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

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