Coaching Little League: Setting Expectations for Players and Parents

By Guest Author: Rob Merlino

Obviously, as a coach, I can't play the game. My job is to put each kid in a position to succeed so the team will have success. The following is a handout I give to each kid and parent at the beginning of each season:

Little league is a competitive league. We have umpires, we keep stats, we keep score, publish scores and standings on the web and hand out trophies to the winner of the World Series. The goal of the Team is to win. The goal of each boy is to do his very best to help the Team win. Remember these three things:

Safety: Nobody swings a bat or throws a ball without checking to be sure that everyone around them will be safe;

Fun: We are here to have FUN. If anyone is not having fun, let the Coach know and he will work to remedy that;

Winning: "Winning" is an Attitude. If you are Safe, having Fun, and have a Winning Attitude, the Score will take care of itself!"

We will be putting an emphasis on pitching and would like to get as many kids on the mound as possible. You must demonstrate the ability to throw from the mound to the plate with consistency to get into a game. For the first few games kids will pitch one inning. Then they'll pitch one and "earn" the next inning. Over the course of the season, pitching ability will become evident and the kids who can really shut the other team down will get 3 or possibly more innings in an outing- it will depend on the game situation. We will throw in a few "pitching potpourri" nights where we'll revert to the one inning philosophy for all or part of the game. This becomes necessary when we have games that are bunched close together. We will use the walk rule: walk 3 in a row and you come out, walk 4 in an inning and you come out. This doesn't mean you won't get another chance-it just means you can't help the team that particular day with your pitching. Getting the boys to understand the importance of the team will be an underlying theme in everything we try to do.

We'd like to do as much scrimmaging at practice as possible and I am working on a pre- season scrimmage or two. We'll also devote time to all the skills through a variety of drills and exercises. Infield and outfield defense can only be improved upon by getting a lot of reps and we will get as many as humanly possible. The boys will have baseball homework: they must play catch for 10 to 15 minutes every day until the start of the season. Good arms come from thousands of hours of throwing, SO GET STARTED. On game days, at least one of us will be at the field an hour prior to game time. I do infield before every game. Come early for extra practice.

Base-running and Batting:

Base-running: Little League allows you to steal a base once the pitched ball crosses the plate. You can continue to steal bases as long as the ball is live. The ball remains live until the pitcher has the ball in his glove AND his feet are on the mound. Team base-runners will EXPLODE off the base as EACH pitch crosses the plate and will decide to continue to the next base or return to the starting base from about two strides out. The runner will SLIDE into any base where there is the possibility of a play. AAA rules state that if you do not slide into a base where there is a play, the umpire will call you OUT for creating an unsafe condition - (possibly colliding with the defensive baseman). The Team will become expert at sliding and stealing bases! Therefore, you must always wear long pants. Sliding pants (worn under your long pants) are a very good idea. Your outer long pants will get dirty and torn. Expect to get dirty at every practice and game.

Batting: We will emphasize Pitch Selection, Batting Discipline, Bunting, and drawing Walks. The purpose of an At-Bat is to get On-Base. You cannot score from the Dugout!

Pitch Selection and Batting Discipline: We will learn the difference between a Pitcher's Pitch and Batter's Pitch. A Pitcher's Pitch is outside of or along the edges of the Strike-Zone. A pitcher is trying to strike you out. A pitcher will try to get you to swing at a (lousy) pitch that is either too high (pop-up into an out), too low (ground out into an out), or too far inside or outside (foul off for a Strike). We will not swing at Pitcher's Pitches unless you already have two strikes. If you have two strikes, you will learn to Foul-off Pitcher's Pitches until a Batter's Pitch comes along. A Batter's Pitch is a pitch pretty much down the middle that you can readily put into play to get on base and/or advance a runner.

Bunting and drawing Walks: Hitting a Home-Run is glamorous and exciting. You may think that bunting or drawing a Walk is not so glamorous and exciting. However, the 2005 AAA Giants got into the playoffs because the smallest kid on the team drew a walk to get on base, and then ended up stealing home to win the final regular season game with two outs at the bottom of the 6th inning. The AAA Giants then went on to win the 2005 AAA World Series.You will often hear Coach say: "If you bunt or draw a Walk to First, you can Steal Home on the NEXT Pitch, and you better be Home on the Third Pitch!"

Team Rules and Expectations

1. All league rules will be followed, NO EXCEPTIONS. We will go over the League rules in person.

2. All kids will play each game, sometimes they'll play 3 innings, sometimes more. Kids who are at games and practices consistently, do their homework and work on their skills will have the best opportunity to play more.

3. If your kid can't be at a game or practice, please let the coaches know ahead of time. Please review the practice and game schedules and alert us of conflicts as far in advance as possible. If something comes up last minute, please call

4. Uniforms are for games only. Wear comfortable baseball clothes to practice. NO SHORTS! You will not be allowed to practice in your uniform, you will not be allowed to play in a game without one. Uniforms will require a $25 deposit this year. You can keep the hat and socks.

5. Players are expected to remain in the dugout during games unless enlisted to shag fly balls or coach a base. If a player must leave the dugout, they must ask the coach first.

6. Parents and siblings are not to be in the dugout. NO EXCEPTIONS.

7. All trash must be cleared from the dugout. You bring it in, you carry it out. Spectators please keep the field clean.

8. No batting or bats in hand unless you are at bat or on deck. Safety is important!
a. We will not swing a bat near any other people;
b. We will not throw the ball if there are any people behind either player in case of a missed catch.

9. ¾ walk rule in effect at all times-3 walks in a row or 4 walks in an inning and the pitcher will be replaced.

10. ALWAYS be respectful of teammates, opposing players, coaches and officials. Disrespectful behavior by players or parents will not be tolerated. Umpires are Human. If there is ever a disputed call:

-Players will talk to the Coach;

-Coach will talk to the Umpire.

11. Wear a cup!

12. Show up at the field ready to play ball!

13. PARENTS PLEASE keep the on field commentary to the "attaboy" variety. Conflicting instructions from a coach and parent in a game situation undermines the team. Say it with me "ATTABOY_______"

14. WE ARE A TEAM, I EXPECT EACH KID TO BE PERFECT. ("Perfect" means you always try your hardest-if you can look your teammates in the eye and know in your heart you did the best you could, then you're PERFECT)

That handout has evolved over the years and will most likely be revised for this year's team. I believe setting the expectations from day 1 of practice so everyone knows exactly how the season will progress. In the past, I have handed this out at the parent's meeting before the first practice. This year I am posting it on a team Blog before the parent's meeting and telling everyone that nobody plays or practices until I get a reply comment stating they read it with their kid!

When we practice, we have 6-8 stations that cover different skill areas. We have 2 kids at each station for about 5 minutes and we rotate until each pair of kids has run through each station. I always keep my kids moving so they don't have time to get bored. I like to have as many pitchers as possible so each kid feels he's contributing to the success of the team. Bunting is also huge on my teams and the kids who aren't the best hitters will bunt a lot. This gives them the opportunity to get on base and be involved in the games.

Another Hot Dog Truck [http://thehotdogtruck.blogspot.com/] special article. Stop by sometime....

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/463615

-------------------------

Thanks to our sponsors:

Basebal2u.com - Hit2win.com - AdvancedSkillsTee.com

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


================
Check out these great products from our sponsors: Baseball2u.com

Hurricane Hitting Machine
NEW! Batting Cage Door
BatAction Hitting Machine
Advanced Skills Tee
Quick Swing Trainer

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 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

Baseball Dealz Ebay Store
Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog. Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty. Check out Baseball2u.com/Coachesbest.com for all of your coaching and training equipment needs. Visit the Baseball Dealz Ebay Super Store to purchase top quality baseball training equipment at discount prices.