Youth Baseball Practice & Coaching-Making The Best Use Of Your Practice Time

Making The Most Of Your Youth Baseball Practice

If you ever have the opportunity to watch a professional sports team practice, the one aspect that jumps out at you, other than the abundance of talent, is the degree to which every single minute is utilized in an efficient manner. Different groups rotate around drills for set amounts of time governed by a clock and timed buzzer. You can do somewhat the same thing with your youth baseball practice. Here is a good basic formula for an hour and 45 minute practice:

In the first 10 minutes have players each find a teammate to warm up with by throwing and catching with each other. If a player does not have a partner, an assistant coach should throw and catch with the player.

In the next 5 minutes you should have your team meeting and discuss what you will be doing in the practice and cover details for an upcoming game.

In then next 1 hour divide the team up as follows: Have your 3 starting pitchers and starting catcher in the pitching & catching group, have half of the remaining players in an infield practice group, and have the remaining players in an outfield practice group.

Have one of the pitchers throwing to the catcher (in full catcher's gear) while the other two pitchers throw to each other. Have all the pitchers switch off after ten pitches to the catcher so all pitchers have a chance to throw to the catcher. Have a coach watch the pitching form of each pitcher.

Have the infield group cover all the infield positions with extra players going to the outfield. A coach should bat balls to all areas of the field. Have extra players assume the roles of base runners. Rotate the infield positions after every few hits.

Have your outfield group spread out in a wide semi-circle in pairs of two with each two players about 8 feet from each other. A coach or assistant bats or throws balls to each pair. The player closest to the ball calls it and the other plays backup. Stress the need for good backup! Only 2 outfielders should be involved with each throw but you can keep the hits/throws going as quick as possible. It is nice to have an extra helper to the coach to gather balls as they are returned.

After 30 minutes, have the infield and outfield groups switch. On every other practice have the pitchers & catcher mix in with the infield/outfield groups.

Devote the last 30 minutes to batting practice. Use a variety of batting drills and make sure every player gets a lot of practice.

Michael Sakowski works full time and volunteers as an assistant coach for his son's youth league baseball team. He also has researched effective youth baseball methods and has published a website,Youth Baseball Basics that provides helpful information to first time baseball players and first time baseball parents.

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When the Fantasy Sports first came out, it was more of a humorous and intriguing concept, some even considered it a joke. Of course, it's no joke now, as many workplaces have running bets and pools to see who can win, a form of gambling yes, but people really enjoy the process and in many offices it goes over better than Super Bowl Betting Pools, as everyone can get involved and have fun with it. Many cannot believe how far Fantasy Sports have come, at first they saw it as a silly fad, but apparently the Fantasy Sports Fad has stood the test of time and today it is a definitive trend.

Does this mean that it is Trendy to enjoy betting, playing or predicting the outcome of Fantasy Sports? It appears so. One Harvard Study suggests that it taps into the human psyche and the innate human characteristic to enjoy the impossible. Yet, Fantasy Sports are somewhat potentially plausible and speak to the youthful parts of our brains, where anything and everything is somehow possible. One thing is for sure, and that is there are sure a lot of folks hooked on Fantasy Sports.

In the age of cartoons, Harry Potter and full length movies with fictitious characters in them, it appears that Fantasy Sports has found a place in both our hearts and our minds. Will this trend continue? Some predict that Fantasy Sports may command huge market potential in the future to the tune of 10s of billions of dollars, not to mention the huge advertising venue for Corporate America. Indeed, Fantasy Sports may well be the greatest story never told coming to a TV set near you?

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

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Coaching our youth is a delicate practice that needs to be taken with the kids self confidence at the heart of the teaching. These days, parents and coaches alike want to win so bad, they put undue stress on the kids that can have a negative effect.

We over criticize when we are talking to them instead of building up their self confidence. I once heard a parent yelling at his kid from the stands, "If you don't get a hit, you will not be eating dinner tonight!" Needless to say, I went up and spoke with the parent about this approach. Some people may think this is harmless, and it may have been said in a joking fashion. But think of the kid on the field who is playing in front of all the parents and friends who hears this as he is strolling up to the plate. Talk about stress and the feeling of rejection and humiliation if this kid doesn't come through.

Remember, we are building more than just ballplayers here. We are building people who are going to go out in the world someday. We are building character, pride, self confidence. We do this through encouragement and a nourishing attitude. Not through pointing out failures and humiliation. To learn more about this, visit http://www.pro-baseball-drills-and-equipment.com.

But how do we get them to play better if they can't stand a little criticism? By encouraging them. When your kid takes a swing and misses, the first words out of your mouth should be, "Nice swing! You just missed it, keep trying and you'll get a hit!" That encourages your kid to keep trying. Not only that, your kid will be excited about trying more. This promotes self confidence.

If your kid strikes out 4 times in the game. Put an arm around him after the game and tell him he really swung the bat well and that he will get them next time. And tell him how proud you are of him for trying.

Remember these simple tips:

1- Encourage them through positive reinforcement.

2- Nurture them when times are tough.

3- Be there for them when they need your help.

4- And love them unconditionally.

Remember,help your kids out by encouragement. I can't say this enough. They will believe what they hear and if you are encouraging them all the time, they will feel good about themselves. Not only in baseball but in other things.

And also remember, be patient. They are still learning,so you need to give them time to succeed. Just keep loving them and nurturing them and the rest will fall in place.

Bill Bathe- former major league baseball player who played in 1989 world series. Former instructors include Eddie Matthews, Harmon Killebrew, Billy Williams, and Dusty Baker to name a few.Visit his website at http://www.pro-baseball-drills-and-equipment.com which provides drills, information, and tips. Also, digital online video analysis, equipment, posters, and more. In addition, stories and pictures on the journey to the big leagues.

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John Smoltz has been an Atlanta Brave for around 20 years now and is in my eyes along with Chipper Jones of course the face of the Atlanta Braves. John Smoltz was aquired from the Detroit Tigers for Doyle Alexander in 1989. The Tigers got a few good years out of Alexander while the Braves are still getting good seasons out of John Smoltz. Smoltz had many good years to come when he started pitching for the Braves back in 1989, although there were a few rough seasons.

The 89' and 90' seasons where building blocks for Smoltz and the Braves. In 1991 they won the 1st of 14 straight division titles all with Smoltz pitching in some form or fashion for the Atlanta Braves. Smoltz has not always been a starting pitcher though. He had some arm problems a few years back and he and the management of the Braves decided it would be less stress on his elbow if he tried being a Closer. So now one of the Best starting pitchers of the 1990's was being turned into a dominant closer that only had to pitch 1 to 2 innings a night and just master a few pitches instead of worry about setting up a whole game with many different pitches and speeds.

Smoltz was very successful as a closer and was probable the most dominant closer the Braves had had in years and probably the best in the majors during that era. Smoltz decided that he wanted to go back to what he new best as a starting pitcher about 3 seasons ago and is still going strong into the 2008 season.

Atlanta Braves Fan Blog

Atlanta Braves Info: http://www.bravesinfo.blogspot.com

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The Natural

Nothing was going to stop Roy Hobbs from fulfilling his boyhood dream of baseball superstardom. Robert Redford stars in this inspiring fable that begins when 14-year-old Hobbs (Redford) fashions a powerful bat from a fallen oak tree. He soon impresses major league scouts with his ability, fixing his extraordinary talent in the mind of sportswriter Max Mercy (Duvall), who eventually becomes instrumental in Hobbs' career. But a meeting with a mysterious woman shatters his dream. Years pass and an older Hobbs reappears as a rookie for the New York Knights. Overcoming physical pain and defying those who have a stake in seeing the Knights lose, Hobbs, with his boyhood bat, has his chance to lead the Knights to the pennant and to finally fulfill his dream.
Customer Review: Inferior version of classic baseball movie / Good documentaries
Some movies are better left untinkered with. The original film version of "The Natural" is a beloved sports masterpiece, no matter how muddled the opening scenes may appear. For some reason, Director Barry Levinson re-worked the entire opening sequence and created a completely different feel for the movie closer to his "original vision". For those who have never seen the original version, this version might be adequate. But being familiar with the original, this version comes across to me as a lame attempt to cash in on a 25th Anniversary Edition. Several classic, important shots and lines are scrubbed from the original and replaced with new footage, giving the movie a chopped-up feeling that never goes away. And the opening sequence is still not easy to follow. I would have been OK with this new version if it included the original as well, but instead you're forced to hang onto both versions for the time being. Watch them both and compare, but in the end you'll reach for the original version every time you're in the mood to watch this great baseball film about life's redemptions. One positive, the bonus disc provides excellent insight and footage into the making of this film, and is worth the price alone.
Customer Review: Great Movie!
This is definitely a movie you can enjoy as a couple, great story not only for baseball fans but also for the love story fans. I love this movie!

I'm sure most of you have worked with batters who constantly bail out of the batters box no matter what. It seems that this player will begin his bail out before he even really knows where the pitch is going. Here is a drill to try that may have some impact; I'm not saying it is a cure for this problem. It will get the hitter to look first at least before they start their getaway.

Start out using tennis balls for this drill. Have the batter get into the box, and throw some pitches behind them. This should get the batter to realize that they can't just blindly back out of the box, because in youth baseball, they will see pitches behind them, only not on purpose! This will give the timid batter some level of comfort by making them feel safer at the plate. This will get the hitter to really focus on the ball, which is what we want them to do anyway. Throw lots pitches to them, this is not a quick fix method but it should begin to help. After some time, the hitter will begin to notice that they don't have to duck away from good pitches. They will stay put and try to hit the ball instead. You can also have the hitter take a bunch of short strides toward whichever side of the field you need them to. Have them over compensate to begin with, because you know when a pitch comes they will most likely start to move back out in to middle which is closer to our goal anyway.

You can also have the batter just stand in the box when you have a pitcher and catcher warming up. Tell them just to follow the ball into the catcher's glove. This will let them relax some with out the stress of having to hit the ball. Learning how to hit a baseball is a difficult skill to master anyway. When your player is afraid of the ball is makes it much harder to learn to hit. Youth baseball players will respond to good teaching techniques when properly applied. Make sure not to embarrass the player, and do not tolerate any other players doing so.

Coaching youth baseball at any level is great privileged, so get all the info you can. Make sure you are kind and patient even if you don't feel like it at the time. I commend anyone would will take the time and responsibility to coach youth baseball, we need more like you.

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Hello My name is Chip Lemin. I'm a long time youth baseball coach who loves to promote this great game of youth baseball. Promoting sportsmanship in this game of youth baseball is something that really needs I feel. I have a free course that will give you some solid coaching information along with great help on the inter-personal relationships we must have to be good youth baseball coaches.

Things such as parents, travel baseball, getting parents to help out, how to communicate better to parents and players, just to touch on a few. This course will help to organize practices like an elite coach. How to motivate players and other coaches with your positive attitude. It really is not very hard to be a great coach when you know what to do.Best of all you will learn how to have fun with these great kids that you have the privilege of coaching. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it's free,you will get 1 part every couple of days in your e-mail. Coaching can be fun and rewarding if you have a plan in place first, and you have an idea what you are doing. I would like to help you.

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Customer Review: Great glasses
Exactly what I was looking for and exactly what the picture showed. Have now bought classes for my whole summer league baseball team.

Before there were any batting cages or tees to teach hitting techniques through baseball training, there was simply a ball and a baseball bat. Just picture someone cutting down a big tree and cutting it in a long enough length to shave it down so a person could swing it. At 2.75 inches in diameter and no heavier than 36 ounces, someone finally did many years ago.

However, it wasn't constructed with curves and smooth areas for the simple look. There was aerodynamics involved so you could swing the baseball bat with speed and precision to get hits and eventually try to round the bases and score. Could you imagine if this never turned out that way and you went up to bat with a 10lb log? Baseball drills during practice would definitely take their toll.

There are several kinds of bats constructed by several companies, but wooden bats are the only kind available to use in Major League Baseball. There are criteria or should we say rules that everyone has to abide by including cork-less bats. This means adding a substance within the bat to make it lighter and create faster bat speeds. Many professional players use them for batting drills but are not allowed to use them during league play. More for entertainment purposes then actual baseball training.

While the wooden bat is for the grand central stage, it's the metal alloy ones that youngsters use all over the country, starting as small as tee-ballers all the way up to the collegiate men in the College World Series. As children growing into adults, a metal bat helps with hitting and is a lot more forgiving then your traditional baseball bat. There are areas where normally, you wouldn't be able to strike the ball far with a wooden style, but metal will allow it.

If you are fortunate enough to try the next time you are practicing, take out both types of baseball bats. Try a few different things to get a proper feel as to what might be comfortable and what might not. Hitting off a tee one day and possibly hitting the batting cages later that day will show you the difference.

In baseball drills, it's not just about swinging, running, and scoring when hitting comes to mind. It's also about learning how to stand in the box, testing different kinds while using open stances, closed stances, shorter strides and more. Then you have to find the bat that gives you a sense of security. That feeling that it's your lucky bat or maybe your best friend you're taking up there to the plate. It may sound funny, but sports brings superstitions to many and routine is one of them. Most like to use the same bat every time during their baseball training. Do you?

More about baseball training on baseballtrainingsecrets.com

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Baseball and life have a lot of similarities. I know what you are thinking, yea right, it's simply a game involving a bat and a ball. What can that possibly teach us? I am here to tell you what it can teach you. Not only baseball, but other sports as well.

Growing up I couldn't see the similarities with baseball and life. I simply knew that a game was on and lets go play! But as time has evolved and I have gone on to other things, only now can I reflect and look at what the game of baseball has taught me.

Baseball and life are similar. I think the first thing it taught me was personal interaction. How to deal with teammates and how to work together towards a common goal. We all wanted to win together, but we also experienced defeat together. We learned how to deal with defeat and how to rise above it. How to keep on trying every out, every game. We didn't know it at the time, but we were learning valuable skills that would carry over to other facets of our lives.

It also taught me how to deal with one-on-one situations. You against the pitcher in the batter's box with the game on the line. You strike out and the game is over. How did you handle this on a personal level? It taught you that you will overcome even in the eyes of defeat. It teaches you how to handle defeat amongst your peers and what you will do to be better next time. Baseball and life are similar, they are just on different stages.

How about your hitting? You fail seven out of ten times and you are a three hundred hitter and a hero. You fail eight out of ten times and you are only hitting two hundred. One extra hit per ten at bats can propel you from hero status to the goat status. How do you deal with defeat when you are only hitting two hundred? Do you throw in the towel or do you put your best effort forward, hold your head high, and carry on with great determination?

Baseball and life teaches us that everyone fails at some point. What matters is not giving up. What matters is getting up and you keep pounding the rock. And while you are pounding the rock, without even knowing it, you are gaining character, desire, determination, and that great spirit that will carry over into life skills.

When I reflect back and try to understand what I learned from this game, I can now see what it has taught me. I know I can handle any situation, because I know how to get back up and move forward. I can deal with personal one-on-one situations, because baseball taught me that.

I know if it doesn't go just right, there is always tomorrow and the prospect of better things. I can handle defeat because I know it is only an opportunity for success later. And an opportunity for me to learn along this road called life.

Yes, baseball has taught me how to be in life, how to handle the ups and the downs, how to be a better person, and how to go out and get what I want in life. It is a grand game in so many ways!

Baseball for me was a stepping stone to my career now. Yes, I accomplished a lot in baseball, but it is where I am now that matters to me and baseball helped me get here.

I am now a captain with the Tucson Fire Department and a paramedic. I have the opportunity to save lives and affect them in a positive way. I deal with tragedy, as well as the overwhelming emotion when saving a life. How do I handle these pressure situations when faced with real emergencies?

I can look back and know that baseball taught me life skills and the ability to handle success as well as defeat. I know that I put my best foot forward each day. Somedays will be enriched with reward, and some with tragedy, but I will keep the course and give it my all. Baseball taught me that. And I hope it can help you as well. Please email me with any thoughts or questions.

Bill Bathe- former major league baseball player who played in 1989 world series. Former instructors include Eddie Matthews, Harmon Killebrew, Billy Williams, and Dusty Baker to name a few. Just click on Baseball drills and baseball equipment to go to his website which provides drills, equipment, information and tips. Also, digital online video analysis, equipment, posters, and more. In addition, stories and pictures on the journey to the big leagues. Or email him at http://www.pro-baseball-drills-and-equipment.com/contact-us.html

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