How to Throw Strikes - Great Drill For Youth Baseball Pitchers

How to Throw Strikes - Great Drill For Youth Baseball Pitchers
By guest author: Jack Perconte

If anyone could discover a guaranteed method of teaching youth baseball pitchers how to throw strikes, they would strike it rich. Obviously, youth baseball games would go a lot smoother if kids threw more strikes. More innings could be played in the allotted time span and umpires would be able to keep some semblance of the strike zone. Often at the under 10 year old kid pitch leagues, umpires have to call any balls caught by the catcher "strikes" just to keep the games moving. Obviously, this umpire practice does not allow hitters to learn the strike zone and coaches have to tell hitters to swing at almost everything so they won't get called out on strikes. This result of calling a huge strike zone doesn't serve the development of pitchers or hitters, and causes much frustration in youth baseball leagues.

One thing I have noticed over the years, which is not earthshaking news, is that kids are accurate and display good throwing mechanics from a close range. Once they reach a certain distance away from their target, their throwing mechanics change and any consistent throwing accuracy is lost. The usual result of throwing a further distance is that kids step away from their target and open up their front side way too soon. Overtime, these incorrect throwing habits become a habit and may lead to arm injury.

Of course, even with the following practice drill, kids still have to be taught the correct throwing mechanics and they should work on perfecting them. With this in mind, following is one of my favorite drills where youth baseball pitchers can learn a consistent release point and have some fun at the same time.

Advance and Retreat Drill for Pitching

Once pitchers have warmed up, I start them at the midway mark between home and pitchers mound, where they begin pitching. For every "strike" they throw, pitchers back up a step towards the pitcher's mound and for every "ball" they move a step closer to home. I then count the number of pitches it takes them to get back to the pitchers mound (less the better, of course). The next time they work on pitching, the pitcher tries to beat their previous number of pitches. This drill is a great way for baseball pitchers to focus, try to keep the same mechanics and release point as they eventually get to the correct distance from home plate.

Of course, this same type drill can be used for kids who are just throwing, as opposed to pitching, and works with throwing off a wall or into a target as well. Additionally, different throwing contests can be designed and competition among players used with this baseball throwing drill.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballcoachingtips.net and at http://jackperconte.com

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

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Are You A Side-Line Coach

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Are You A Side-Line Coach
by: Charles French

With spring in the air, flower’s and baseball are in full bloom. As the father of a nine-year old son, each day is spent perfecting the art of baseball. This includes making that perfect pitch to first base, snagging those ground balls and driving those hits when we’re in the batters box. Oh, did I say we, sorry, I meant, when my son is in the batters box.

My son and I haven’t quit practicing baseball since last year. You see, he loves baseball and as many young players, has dreams of growing up to play Major League Baseball. For this reason, I must make sure he’s doing everything right, avoiding any mistakes humanly possible, or should I?

Before my son started playing baseball, we would often go to the ballpark and watch other kids practice and play. One thing I found amusing and often disturbing was parent involvement and sideline coaching to the point of disrupting the entire game. To my dismay, I vowed to never be this sort of parent.

Oh, how we tend to forget those famous words, "I’ll never be that kind of parent". It usually starts out with a simple shout from the stands "pay attention" or "get your head in the game" and then before you know it, your standing on the side, shouting and pointing out every mistake your child makes. Thankfully, I haven’t reached this point, although it has been brought to my attention that my scorning frowns and sideline presence are quite distracting.

It is so important for parents to remember, these are youth sports. These are our children and they need our support and encouragement. We as parents have to let our children have fun and learn at their own pace. My son brought this to my attention when he said "dad, I know when I mess up but it makes me play worse when you look like your mad at me".

Sports play a very important role in teaching children how to function in society and being able to work as a team. As parents support and encourage your children to play sports. Have fun!

About The Author

Charles & Lisa French are active members of the Sports Developement Community. Feel free to contact us and visit our site on Decorating Country Home.
http://www.decorating-country-home.com
burtf51@bellsouth.net

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When and Why a Player Should Play Travel Baseball

When and Why a Player Should Play Travel Baseball
By Jack Perconte

Whether a child should play travel baseball and at what age they should begin playing travel is often a tough call for parents. Deciding to go the travel baseball route too early in a player's career can be detrimental to their desire to continue playing baseball in subsequent years. When anyone of the key factors listed below are missing, it may lead to unhappy ball players. Whereas, not playing travel soon enough can feel like a year wasted, it is usually not so serious because a player can try out the following year for travel ball. I believe a player's talent will come through in the end whether they play travel baseball or not. But when a child seems to be bored or not challenged at the in-house recreational league, it is time to consider playing travel baseball. Every travel team and community is different, but generally, travel baseball provides a higher level and more interested player. Also, baseball players who are around good players and are challenged correctly have the opportunity to improve their skills at a quicker rate.

There are four key things that can help determine when and whether a kid should play travel baseball. The key things are listed in my order of prominence but the importance of each factor is a little different for each family, based on their particular situation.

1. Interest level - parents should talk to their child about travel ball and observe their actions when playing baseball to judge weather a child appears to have the added interest that travel ball requires. The decision to play should not be because the parent wants them to play.

2. Skill level - putting a player in a level they are not ready for is the quickest way to have them want to discontinue playing. Parents should check out travel ball player's skill level before tryouts, when possible. Asking for an outside opinion about their child's skill level from their previous season's coach may be helpful. Even having a player try out for a team - when they are obviously not ready for that level of play - can hurt a child's self-esteem and desire.

3. The coach - in my opinion, having a child play for a knowledgeable, well-respected coach is priceless. When parents hear of such a coach they should look into the possibility of their son playing for his team. Good coaches help players even beyond the playing field and serve as positive role models for kids.

4. Time commitment - meeting the demands of much more playing can be tough to balance while having kids stay involved in other activities, including non-sport related ones. It is never a good idea to have every hour of a kid's day and week scheduled, providing no free time for kids to just "hang out" with friends and family. Playing travel ball with more than one sport, when their seasons overlap, can cause this type of over-scheduling.

Of course, there are many other factors that may go into the decision to play travel baseball. Among those, a family's financial situation as well as the effect on other family members must be considered.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball

Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

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

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What to Look For in a Batting Helmet

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Article Title:
What to Look For in a Batting Helmet
By Nancy Kelsey Smith

In the game of baseball, the need for a good batting helmet cannot be overstated. In Little League and pick up games among young people, errant balls are common place. Many injuries occur to young people who play without using the proper equipment. Getting hit on any part of the body is not a pleasant experience, however being struck by an object as hard as a baseball which is traveling at a significant speed can be much more than unpleasant. It can be deadly. For this reason, it is essential to find a helmet that has been designed for optimum protection.

Devastating injuries have occurred in the professional leagues that have precipitated the development of a new design in helmets. This new design features additional padding and other protective features. Not all players are thrilled with the prospect of sacrificing comfort and style in favor of wearing the more advanced designs which they feel are too big and awkward looking and feeling. The exception would be those players who have previously sustained injury. For the most part, these players are more than willing to wear the new helmets in an effort to guard against any further injury which might be career ending or even life threatening. This is smart thinking on their part because experts claim that if someone is hit on the head without protection by a ball that is traveling even 32 miles per hour (which is one third the speed of most professionally thrown balls), it will always result in a fracture.

The warnings are quite clear. If you are going to play baseball, get yourself a helmet that will offer adequate protection. Become educated on the elements of a good helmet.

Nancy Smith is one of the owners of RobbinsSports.com, an online retailer specializing in volleyball nets and basketball backboards.

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

How to Prevent Strike Outs - Baseball Hitting Advice From a Former Major Leaguer

Article Title: How to Prevent Strike Outs - Baseball Hitting Advice From a Former Major Leaguer
By Jack Perconte

Nothing is more frustrating for young baseball players and their parents than strike outs, especially if it is a recurring event. Strike outs may lead to very depressed ballplayers and to upset coaches and parents. Obviously, continual strike outs lead to athletes losing confidence, self-esteem and usually their desire to play the game altogether. What to do?

First, explain to ballplayers that hitting a baseball is one of the toughest things to do in sports and good fundamentals, practice and patience are necessary. Further explain that there are very few kids that have natural swings and the necessary hand-eye coordination to automatically be able to hit a ball. This explanation is important so players do not get too frustrated and depressed and to give them the message that they have control over the situation if they are willing to put in the work.

Next, the results of the hitter's at-bats must be analyzed. Sometimes, it is just a matter of the hitter becoming a little more aggressive when batting so they are not always behind in the count. Unaggressive hitters find themselves hitting with two strikes too often. If that is not the problem, check the results of the player's swings and misses. Are they under the ball (most common), over the ball, early or late? This will lead to what needs to be done.

Following are possible solutions for each of these situations:

1. When hitters are continually swinging late at the pitch - challenge them with higher velocity that approximate game speeds. Many hitters will make the necessary adjustments on their own when they begin to see faster speeds and get their eyes used to seeing the faster pitching.

2. Similar advice - when hitters are continually early they need to face much slower pitching so they learn to wait on the ball.

3. When hitters are under the ball they need to shorten the swing. This means keeping their swing path more direct by keeping the barrel of the bat above the ball on the approach to the ball. This can be done in a number of ways including the following drills.

Hitting Drill - With the use of two batting tees set the tees a bout a foot apart and in line with each other. Place a ball on both tees with the ball closer to the catcher about a balls width lower than the ball out front. Hitters should work on hitting the ball closest to the pitcher while missing the back ball.

Hitting Drill - Along the same lines as the previous drill, set the height of the batting tee a little above the back hip and place the tee under the hitter's hands in their stance. Pitch balls to the hitter and have them swing over the tee on the way to contact. This will help hitters develop a more direct swing path and should lead to more consistent contact.

4. When hitters are over the ball they should work on knee high pitches until they can begin to hit line drives on this pitch location. This will help them get use to driving their hands to the back of the ball while using their hips and legs in the correct way.

It is important to note that habits are tough to change and that there are times when I use "opposite drills" to change a players habits. These drills are extremely different then what the player is doing and often are not the fundamentally sound swing either, but they are the only way the hitter can break their initial bad habit. The hitting drills under point number 3 above could be considered opposite drills compared to what happens in reality with a great swing. The goal is to eventually meet in the middle with the correct swing and this is a way of doing that.

Finally, a great way to prevent strikeouts and promote more consistent contact is with front arm work. The hitters lead arm (hand) is the one that takes the bat to the ball so swinging the bat with just the lead arm will help contact. This drill will force the hitter to use the lead arm and get stronger with the front side, which is often the hitter's weaker arm.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball. Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com.

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

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How to Get Faster For Baseball With a Single Exercise!

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Article Title: How to Get Faster For Baseball With a Single Exercise!
By Brandon Richey

If you are looking to run faster for baseball then you have got to have a smart strength and conditioning program. As a professional I can tell you that one great strength and conditioning tool that will help you with your baseball running speed is the ancient kettlebell. By now you may have heard of this evil training device and know that it has quite the reputation for building Elite athletic bodies. Read on if I have your attention.

Overhead Kettlebell Swings

If you are going to work on improving your running speed for the game of baseball then you have to engage in strength exercises that focus in on helping you develop explosive hips and a strong core to match. One exercise that is great for doing just that is the overhead kettlebell swing. There are many variations of kettlebell swings, but the overhead version promotes the explosive development of your sprinting powerhouse which consists of the muscles of your hips, abs, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and shoulders. When you integrate all of these muscles into the dynamic of the overhead swing you have a recipe for speed.

In order to execute the overhead kettlebell swing you will need the availability of a single bell of moderate resistance. Start by squatting to pick the bell up from between your legs with your feet at about shoulder width distance apart in length. Allow the bell to hang at your groin. From here begin to forcefully flex and extend at both your hips and knees allowing the bell to "hike pass" between your legs at the bottom of the swing in order to build momentum and elevate all the way above your head at the top of the swing. As you forcefully swing the bell back and forth throughout the arc of motion make sure to keep your abs tight and your shoulders secure in their sockets. You will quickly see just how exerting and challenging this lift can be for the development of your running speed for the game of baseball. If you want to be the fastest running man in baseball and improve your athleticism then this is a great way to start.

If you haven't already started to implement the use of overhead kettlebell swings into your baseball speed training workouts then you are missing out. If you are interested in learning more on issue feel free to access the rest of my articles on the subject for free. Remember that most any athlete can train hard, but only the champions train smart my friend.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com
To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at: http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html

I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

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Baseball Tips on Hitting - How You Can Get to Know the Opposing Pitcher Very Quickly!

By Larry Cicchiello

If you don't know anything about an opposing pitcher, watch him closely and you may possibly get to know a lot about him very quickly. Beating the pitcher is plain and simply, a battle. Pay attention to what he does well and what he does not do well. You may know this before he takes the mound that day and if not, you can certainly learn a lot about him by watching him for an inning or so. Sometimes you can learn a lot after only one batter.

Good pitchers will stay awake at night trying to figure out how to get good hitters out. Just like the pitcher is looking for your strengths and weaknesses as a hitter, you too better be looking for his strengths and weaknesses! Pitchers at higher levels of play use pitching charts to get to know tendencies that hitters have. Why can't you, as a hitter, at least keep a mental chart of the pitcher's tendencies?

Some Very Important Things You Should Be Looking For

1. Look for where his release point is. Quite often pitchers have different release points for different pitches and you may know what pitch he's throwing just before he actually releases the ball.

2. Time his pitches with your swing when waiting to hit. You should have a very good idea as to how fast the pitcher is before you face him.

3. Is the pitcher always throwing a first pitch fast ball all the time?

4. Does he lean back more toward second base to get some extra speed on his fast ball?

5. Does he slow down his windup at the last second when he's throwing a change up?

6. On the other hand, does he speed up his windup too much when throwing a change up because he is trying too hard to disguise it?

7. Does he always throw the curve ball with 2 strikes?

8. Is the first pitch to each batter too "fat" and an easy pitch to hit?

9. Is the pitcher always throwing a breaking ball after he shakes off his catcher's signal? (This tells you the catcher is not ever putting down the breaking ball as his first signal and then when the pitcher shakes off the catcher, you know the pitch will be his breaking ball)

10. Does the pitcher raise his front shoulder higher when throwing the fastball to try to throw it faster?

11. Is he always pitching low and away and not using both sides of the plate by occasionally coming inside?

12. Does he drop his arm slot down a little to get more lateral movement on his breaking ball?

If you're serious about being a successful baseball hitter, you have to be thinking all the time. While on the bench, sit next to a very good hitter and talk about the opposing pitcher throughout the game. Baseball hitting is tough so try to get every possible advantage. Remember, the pitcher is thinking of anything he can do to get you out. As a baseball hitter, you should be thinking of anything and everything you can do to have a successful at bat. You will be very pleased with yourself if you have observed that the pitcher has started five straight hitters off with a first pitch fast ball. Then you get up, see a first pitch fast ball, and hit a seed into one of the gaps!

Even if you don't know anything at all about a pitcher, you can learn his strengths, weaknesses and overall tendencies very quickly! Beating the pitcher requires clever use of your mind as well as your body. The pitcher is using both his brain and his arm to beat you and you must do the same if you truly want to be a successful baseball hitter.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His very user friendly eBooks cover 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY players, coaches or parents who want to help their child improve will be fully equipped! Some FREE tips are available at http://www.LarryBaseball.com/product/all

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

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Baseball Coaching Digest - What is the Most Important Thing in Coaching Little League Baseball?

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By Nick Dixon

If you ask 100 baseball coaches the question, "What is the Most Important Thing in Baseball?", you will get a wide variety of answers. Some will say winning is the most important thing. Some will say that "expecting to win" is the most important thing. Others will say that helping kids grow, mature, and develop a sincere love for the game is the most important reason for playing baseball. When I ask myself this question, I have one simple answer. This articles explains what I feel that the most important thing in baseball to me is that I see some level of improvement every day.

This "level of improvement" can be in any aspect of the game. I may leave practice knowing that our team improved their knowledge and skill in defending the bunt. I may leave a game knowing that our team, although we lost, learned how to "come back" and compete when we were down by 4 and made it a one run loss at the end.

You may see an improvement in team unity, team chemistry, or team leadership. You may see a certain player show improvement in pitching control, hitting the off-speed pitch, or reading the pitcher to get a better jump when stealing a base. See these improvements are what coaching and playing baseball is all about.

Is it better for a team to show absolutely no improvement in a season and go undefeated because they dominate their league or for a team to play.500 baseball on the season, but show incredible levels of improvement from the top of the lineup to the bottom? You see what I mean? Improvement is the "name of the game". Improvement is what coaching baseball is all about.

Coaches must keep in mind that only half of the teams that play every day, win. The other half lose. Should 50% of the coaches feel their day was a total loss ever day they play? When it comes to playoffs it is a fact that less than 1/100 of 1 percent of all baseball teams will end their season with a win each year. The other 99.999 % of the teams will find themselves ending their season with a loss or not being in the playoffs.

Now, I want you to know that I value winning as much as any coach on this planet. But what I am saying is that coaches must make winning a goal and getting better a priority. You should feel satisfaction when you see improvement on a daily basis. If you do not see improvement, chances are that you will find it difficult to win anyway. So the message here is to make it known to you team that you want to see them improve as players and as a team every day in some way. It is their job to make it happen. It is your job to give them the opportunity to do so in practices and games.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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

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Youth Baseball Life Skills and the Iron Man Award

By Robert Bulka

Do you want to teach your kids about life? Do you want to teach them how to interact socially? How about learning sportsmanship, leadership skills, respect, discipline and other skills essential in life? Youth baseball leagues are the perfect venue. Youth baseball has everyone you need to teach your kids important lessons about life in general. And at the end of the baseball season, it makes sense to reinforce the lessons by acknowledging the achievements each player has made in this respect.

Leadership

Good leaders are made, not born. Young baseball players can learn the qualities that make someone a leader, including: education, training, and experience. Inspiring youth baseball players requires them to be able to get the whole team working together.

A good youth baseball coach should be able to provide every player the ability to act in a leadership by using some very simple techniques. They can empower each of them in a team captain role during practices, or they can assign tasks that require them to delegate responsibilities to their teammates.

Sportsmanship

Youth baseball leagues are a great vehicle for teaching our youth about sportsmanship. When we talk about sportsmanship, we are talking about playing fair, following the rules of the game, respecting the judgement of the umpires and treating players, parents and coaches with respect. Sportsmanship also includes courtesy and grace in losing. Youth baseball is a great proving ground for applying real life experiences to teaching this skill. As a youth baseball coach or parent, if you find yourself in the position where a sportsmanship issue needs to be addressed; do it alone and away from the rest of the players. There is no need to embarrass anyone.

Teamwork

Teamwork is an life skill to teach our kids. It is particularly important for a baseball team to function like a well-oiled machine. If just one member of the infield is unwilling to act as a member of the team, an entire game could be lost. Therefore, all members of a baseball team need to work together in order to encourage, applaud and truly give each play their all. As a parent, it is important to be part of the team by attending practices and games, cheering for every child on the field and celebrating the successes of each and every child involved in the games.

Competition

Youth baseball is a way to teach our kids about competition. Children who get involved with sports at an early age are more likely to maintain a good level of fitness and activity throughout their life. Youth baseball league competition helps kids boost self-confidence, improve coordination, and build discipline, focus and respect. Team sports teach social skills and cooperation, and give kids a solid foundation and sense of belonging and partnership.

Developing a child's competitiveness while teaching them to both win and lose gracefully can help them tackle the obstacles and accept the setbacks that life will naturally encompass. Many adults who are leaders and volunteers in the community are giving their time and experience to help make the sport(s) they enjoyed as youngsters enjoyable for another generation of children.

Overcoming Adversity

How critical is it to be able to overcome adversity. The game of baseball is full of adversity. Consider that a good batting average is considered anything over .300. A pitcher is considered good if his winning percentage is over .500. players make errors and strikeout. Youth baseball teaches kids how to come back after adversity. Each time a youth baseball player comes up to bat or goes into the field, they have a chance to redeem themselves from a previous failure. Overcoming adversity gives the kids confidence in themselves and gives them the feeling they can accomplish anything. Overcoming adversity is all about gaining confidence.

Hustle

Why is hustle a life skill? Hustle is an important indicator of work ethic. What employer wants a worker how is doesn't give their all? The same is true in youth baseball - lack of hustle is viewed negatively and is frowned upon. It is important for youth baseball coaches to emphasize hustle. This means running on and off the field, running out hits, fly outs and ground ball outs. Hustle is a true quality of a champion and shows passion.

Discipline

Discipline can be defined as a system of rules of conduct or method of practice, being well behaved, self control and training to improve strength. When we talk about discipline in youth baseball, we are talking about players being able to take constructive criticism, and then applying the advice given by the coach. It also is about having good behavior and controlling emotions, both on and off the field. In this day and age discipline seems to be the one life skill that many of our children need most.

Today's family structure is much different than the past. Kids parents are divorced or they come from a single parent home, which means the parents may not be able to put in the time. The may cut them slack because they feel guilty about not being there for them. Discipline is a life skill that our children will need to be successfully in life.

Acknowledge Success and Accomplishments

It's important to acknowledge the accomplishments of each and every player on your youth baseball team. You obviously need to reward those who have excelled in the physical accomplishments, such as the progress make in hitting, catching and pitching. But also reward them for the accomplishments made in the skills described.

But there is one more life skill that is very important for the development of our children. It is perfect attendance and being punctual to all youth baseball practices and games. This is so important, that our youth baseball league has created an Iron Man award.

IronMan - Perfect Attendance

The Iron Man award was conceived by a few coaches who wanted to reward the kids who were committed to their team. It was based on Cal Ripken's record of playing in a record 2,632 straight games spanning sixteen seasons, from May 30, 1982 to September 20, 1998. The award is given to every player who has attended every day of school and every baseball game in the season. Each recipient is awarded a cash prize (usually a U.S Savings Bond between $100 and $250 provided by local businesses) and featured in the local paper.

What an outstanding way to influence our kids futures. Not only does it make the kids and their parents proud, but it makes the whole community proud and gives kid good publicity instead of the never ending pounding of isolated negative incidents of America's youth. What a great way to support and encourage the future of our communities.

Robert is a youth baseball coach who is concerned with teaching our children life skills through the experiences in baseball.

Teach Kids Baseball is devoted to providing tips and techniques for coaches, parents and players involved in youth baseball.

He also recommends instructional baseball ebooks

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

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Rediscovering the Magic of Youth Baseball

By Dave Rosene

I have seen significant changes how youth baseball has been 'taught' in the U.S. since the 1960's, and the changes haven't been positive. I didn't say coached because coaching refers to strategy and competition, and the concentration of youth baseball must be on skill development, rules understanding, and team play. We need teaching coaches for that, because today's players show deficiencies in these areas more than previous generations. When people of my era started playing baseball, it was the most popular sport in America and engrained in our culture. There were many different forms that helped improve individual skills: fast pitch, whiffle ball, ledge, penner, or just throwing popups to yourself, and we didn't need parents to organize these activities. We called our friends who would call their friends, we threw off walls or our house steps, and we had games with whoever was around and made up our own rules. We became better players by thinking or playing baseball every day. Plus we learned the game by watching baseball on television or going to major league games if we were lucky enough to get tickets.

Most youth American players today lack the knowledge and experience that we had because they have more options to take up their free time and they therefore have varied interests. By not spending more time practicing, playing, or watching baseball, they are lagging behind kids from other countries in skill development and general baseball knowledge. Why do Latin American players dominate professional baseball? In most cases playing baseball is the only sport available to kids there to participate in, and by playing constantly they progress quickly.

Can we and should we go back in time to help our youth rediscover the magic of baseball? How can we, as teachers and coaches, make the game relevant and necessary for players who get distracted and sidetracked easily. We have to show kids what made us love baseball, and pass along that love. That's the challenge we want to take on. In future articles we will discuss how to effectively teach and coach our youth athletes to maximize their talents while identifying the negative methods to avoid that I've seen too much of in the past 30 years.

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com

Dave Rosene - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Rosene
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If you are looking for great coaching articles, please consider one of our sites: The BaseballCoachingDigest.com, the YouthBaseballDigest.com or the BaseballParentGuide.com. Have a safe and happy season! Nick Dixon

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6 Essentials of a Great Baseball Team

By Arthur Raise

The US lives and breaths baseball, the game runs in the blood and young and old are hooked up to the sport. There are baseball leagues major and little, baseball journalists and reporters, fans who own teams others who collect memorabilia and record histories. With the advent of the World Wide Web baseball has embraced cyber space and now there are websites that cover every aspect of the game and keep a pulse on current as well as past seasons and teams.

Baseball is a team sport and every player and team needs to be committed and passionate about the game. To succeed every team whether major league, minor league, or local needs the following:

1. A team spirit and commitment to the game. The team must work as a single unit and be devoted to the game. They must live and breathe baseball.

2. The team must have a good support system. It is not enough for a team to be devoted to the game, families, team owner, sponsors, the coach, school and college authorities and more need to understand the psyche of the team and create a strong impermeable support system.

3. The team must have a good coach who will lead the team in every way. The coach is the backbone of the team and needs to be tough and yet loving. He or she must care for the team and its every player. The coach must understand the team and its members better than he understands himself or herself.

4. The team must be devoted to the sport and yet understand that there is a world beyond baseball. So, every member must simultaneously prepare for life beyond baseball. Be trained in skills and have qualifications that will allow the player to live a fulfilled life after baseball.

5. Great focus must be placed on balanced nutrition and mental strength training. A strong mind and body makes a great baseball player. Team training must include aspects of health, nutrition, and mental strength. The team must have a balanced diet, a balanced exercise routine that includes breathing exercises and meditation techniques.

6. While winning can be the goal every team must play for sheer joy and each player must focus on his strengths and work out his weaknesses. The team must become an impregnable fort so that the opponents can never use kinks in the armor.

Baseball is a team sport that is often used to teach students and children life values and more. Baseball has gone beyond being a sport it is a way of life.
Arthur Raise is a writer for Discount Baseball Equipment , the premier website to find Baseball, baseball America, baseball history, baseball equipment, baseball field, baseball players, baseball trivia, baseball teams, baseball records, American league baseball teams and many more.


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Travel Teams - Separating Fact and Fiction

By Andy Pohl

The following is an example of what I have heard many student athletes say: "My All Star Travel Team is going to be playing in the Holiday Wood Bat Classic in Peoria during the 4th of July Weekend. This is a great opportunity for exposure."

FACT: There are only a select few tournaments for both baseball and softball where a vast number of college coaches will be in attendance. In terms of the example above, you can be sure that college coaches will not be spending their 4th of July weekend away from their families on the recruiting trail.

FACT: Getting exposure through tournament play is only possible if college coaches know who you are prior to attending a particular tournament. Just like showcases, most college coaches come to tournaments to evaluate players they already know. Thus, the chances of being discovered at an exposure tournament are slim, unless you play for a well known elite program, in which case many college coaches are already familiar with the caliber of players that compete for your particular team.

FACT: Travel baseball and softball is extremely watered down. Playing for a Travel All Star Team does not necessarily mean that you are on a truly elite team, despite what the coaches of these programs may say.

FACT: Travel baseball was at one time only about player development. Then it later evolved into a contest between coaches to see who could win the most games and tournaments. More recently, several coaches and organizations realized that money could be made if they somehow tied college recruiting to travel baseball and softball, or at least made it appear that a connection between the two existed. When choosing a travel team, find a coach and program that puts the needs of student athletes first. Travel baseball and softball is first and foremost about development, not about winning tournaments or getting exposure. If you choose a program that is sincerely about athletic development, then the recruiting aspects will take care of themselves.

Andy Pohl - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com

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

Too Much Emphasis on Winning! Not Playing Great Baseball!

By Stephen K Reynolds

In Today's Climate of over bearing parents & coaches driving youth sports towards a win at all costs mentality it is difficult to sort out what is right for the players! There is too much emphasis on just winning and no focus on the players playing at there peak every play. I hear it every day, we need to win the game! Hey I like to win as much as the next guy and enjoy seeing the players win but a lot of coaches mistake that for Success!

The Great John Wooden said success is measured whether a player Has given a maximum effort during each and every game. You are only a failure if you give any thing less. Too often coaches think that just because the team won every thing is peaches and cream. Many games are won because 1 player had an exceptional game while the others played lousy! Coaches focus on the better players and don't develop the other players to there full potential.

Here is my point: You need to get the players to focus on each and every play and tell them that they have to bring an maximum effort mentally and physically in order to be successful. If you have an above average team the wins will take care of themselves. By getting players to be in the moment that takes the pressure off of them about having to win! When you do that the players can play to their full potential and enjoy the game at the same time!

If your team plays it best baseball and gets beat hey it happens! No shame in that! Oh sure you will be disappointed in the outcome but not your players effort! Remember why you are coaching Youth Sports!

Stephen K Reynolds is publisher of the LSR Unlimted "Free" newsletter which focuses on helping newcomers & seasoned pros learn the secrets to marketing in the ever changing world of the internet! He is also a youth baseball coach in Western Montana Working on the Internet allows him the freedom to coach little league baseball. For more information on this e-mail lsrwealth@gmail.com

(800)758-1282

http://www.mindsetiswealth.com

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The Baseball Swing - A Couple Fallacies

By Nate Barnett

Do you know why you teach what you teach to your hitters? If I stopped you right now and asked you to tell me a couple advantages of any part of what you're teaching, could you do it? If not, it's time to kick into gear your learning habit and pick up some instructional strategies.

I've picked a couple parts of the baseball swing mechanics I hear taught repeatedly that are incorrect. Don't worry, I'll follow my own advise and explain why. Don't just take my word for it, however, ask around. Get other perspectives. But most of all, build your baseball swing knowledge base. Baseball instruction is a funny thing. You can find information and hitting "experts" everywhere. However, please for your own sake make sure that you are qualifying your sources of information first before you accept it. If you don't, you'll end up spending a lot of money, and changing your philosophy often.

Two Mechanical Fallacies:

1. Keeping your back elbow up is NECESSARY for a proper baseball swing.

I hear this advice mostly in Little League or in some of the younger age leagues. There is no physical advantage or benefit for a hitter to keep his back elbow up (often sometime much above the back shoulder). I'm not quite sure where the idea originated, but I do know it spreads like wildfire. It's like the cure all for a poor baseball swing. When it doubt, it must be the back elbow! And you can be sure you'll sometimes hear from the dugout or the stands, "Keep your back elbow up, Johnny!"

Keeping the back elbow up for younger hitters is often a source of a slow and long swing. When the bat head travels into the zone, the elbow of the top arm on the bat is down and relaxed close to the hitters body (if done correctly). Because of that, it makes little sense for a younger hitter to move his back elbow from a stiff position in the stance to a relax and collapsed position in mid-swing. Extra parts moving during a baseball swing mean less consistency. As a hitter gets older, his preference may be of a back elbow that is raised some. At this point (assuming he understands swing mechanics) he can make the adjustments as necessary.

2. Rolling your wrists as your bat comes through the zone is a must to create bat speed.

I have to bite my tongue (quite hard actually) when I ever hear this advice being offered for baseball instruction. While the back elbow up philosophy can be dismissed somewhat as a youth baseball strategy that does relatively minimal damage, this wrists rolling business can not be ignored in order to create a fundamentally sound baseball swing.

What "Wrist Rollers" can't do:

A. Hit an inside fastball to the pull side (right field as a lefty and left field as a righty).

B. Hit an outside fastball with any consistency to the opposite field (left field as a lefty and right field as a righty).

C. Hit line drives with back spin consistently (you know the kind that get over an outfielders head in a hurry for a double).

Here is why I can make those statements so confidently. In order to roll the wrists through a baseball swing, your arms must be straight at the elbows on contact with the baseball to do so. Youth hitters can get away with this because the velocity of the pitch is not overpowering yet. Add another 10-15 mph to the pitch and those inside pitches cannot be hit (or if they do, it stings) because the bat will be slow to sweep into the hitting zone. Outside pitches will also be difficult because the barrel of the bat will only cover the outer portion of the plate a fraction of the time necessary.

So what to do?

Teach your athletes when hitting a baseball to have their palm facing up on their top hand as they come in contact with the baseball. As the hands stay close to the body through the swing, the hitter will extend his arms after contact is made with the pitch. This proper extension is extremely important for good bat speed and plate coverage.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Learn how to help your game by improving the skill of mental baseball

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

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Hitting Ground Balls? - Turn Them Into Line Drives

By Jack Perconte

Putting the ball in play on the ground is not always a bad thing, but turning ground balls into line drives will definitely help the hitter's batting average and chances of playing baseball at the higher levels. Hitters with good speed can prosper by hitting the ball on the ground, especially in youth baseball, but at some point the ability to drive the ball into the outfield is necessary. Of course, hitting ground balls is better than hitting pop-ups but hitting the ball consistently on the ground is a sign of a faulty fundamental swing.

People generally think that hitting the top of the ball, which results in ground balls, is caused by hitting down on the ball or chopping at it. In my 21 years of coaching baseball, rarely would I come across hitters who actually chopped at the ball. I observed that most ground balls hit were caused by the hitters hands were on an upward path on the initial portion of the swing, usually caused by the lead elbow coming up at the beginning of the swing. This incorrect action is generally known as a chicken-wing, which does not allow hitters to bring their hands to the correct palm-up, palm-down hitting position at contact.

With this in mind, here are the drills which will generally turn ground balls into line drives.

Drill # 1 - To rid the player of the chicken wing problem, have them place their fielder's glove under their lead armpit and take numerous swings this way, allowing the glove to fall out on the follow through.

Drill # 2 - Have the hitter stand belly button away from a net and take swings with the end of the bat just scraping the net as it comes through the hitting zone. This will prevent the hitter from casting the bat out and over the ball which can cause ground ball hitting. This drill and the next on will help players develop the correct hands to the ball and hand position necessary to hit the ball in the air.

Drill # 3 - Place a tee at knee high level and have hitters work on hitting balls at this height until they begin to hit line drives or solid fly balls. Hitters with incorrect swings will continually hit ground balls at this pitch level. Hitters will have to develop the correct hip turn and swing in order to hit solid line drives on the knee high pitch, as stated.

* Hitters can combine these drills and perform all three at the same time. This becomes more difficult but can accelerate the process of developing the correct baseball swing.

For hitters who consistently hit solid ground balls, as opposed to weak or chopped ground balls, a slight adjustment in their stance or hand position may lower the bat position on the ball just enough to hit the lower back portion of the ball instead of the top of the ball. Hitters who widen their stance and bend their knees slightly may see the necessary line drives. Also worth a try is lowering the height of the hitter's hands a couple of inches in their initial set-up position. This may allow the hitter to get to the back of the ball more consistently. Following these few guidelines should turn those ground balls into solid line drives. For photo illustrations of these drills please refer to my book, The Making of a Hitter: A Proven & Practical Step-by-Step Baseball Guide.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His books and baseball hitting lessons advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball
Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his parenting blog and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

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

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