Coached my first t-ball practice today

Our local Tee Ball Field

has a playground beside it as well as a decent size creek. Alot of the times you had to pull a kid off the playground or out of the creek when they were up to bat. We had a bench monster.(MOM) She's probably still looking for kids in that creek. We needed a lifeguard as well as a bench coach. Also, one kid wore his glove on his head the whole season. He's in 4th grade now and everytime I see him I still get a big smile on my face.

 

Where did I say that you don't compete? Sure you do. I just believe in teaching the game and developing a passion for the game. They'll learn to compete.

After running a youth league for 6 years I saw when most kids drop out of baseball. You lose a few when they go from coach pitch at 7-8 to 9-10 because they don't want to get hit by a pitch. But the age where more kids drop out of baseball is 9-10. They get bored, don't feel they can compete any longer and they don't make it to the 11-12 age group. I just feel if you develop a love for the game and teach fundamentals so that they experience some success, more kids will play the game for a longer period of time. They may not play in HS but at least they play the game a little longer.

Let me give you an example. In our area there is this one kid who is in the 9th grade at our rival HS. I watched him come up through the youth leagues since he was 5. He never had a good coach. He never learned anything. Nobody ever took an interest in him until last year.

Last year my oldest son took on a PONY age team (13-14). He coached it along with 2 other Ragsdale players. He drafted this kid because he played football and we knew him from that. he was a good kid and we like good kids. My son started teaching him privately every weekend for free. He taught him how to field, how to play the corners and how to hit. The kid couldn't hit well much less hit a curve ball, or hit back side. he didn't understand any of this. he didn't know what was a productive out and what wasn't. By the end of the year he was batting 4th or 5th (and this is on a team with 6 travel players. Some of these parents to this day couldn't understand how some kid from Rec was batting ahead of their kid who played travel). He learned to play unselfish baseball.

He learned to hit back side and be proud of it. he learned to hit it where it was pitched, he learned to hit curve balls, he learned that it was Ok to make an error but not carry it to the next play. he learned to laugh it off and not let it defeat him. He learned how to get the run in from 3rd or move a runner. And he even was selected to the all-star team.

Today I got a email from his Mom. Today this kid went to school and saw his name posted on the wall that he had made his HS JV team. His whole school can see his name on that wall. How proud do you think that kid is today? This after being cut from his middle school team in both 7th and 8th grade. After playing no baseball for a year until last summer. His grades used to be terrible. Now he has only 1 C and the rest A's and B's.This kid used to walk around with a skateboard and hang out with the wrong kids. Now, he plays baseball. He used to frown and sulk, now he smiles all the time and is actually a little cocky. the kid feels good about himself. I can't wait to see him this weekend when he works out with my sons. He'll be on cloud nine.

This is what we need more of. It's highly unlikely this kid will ever be a star on his HS team. The school he attends is very talented with a lot of groomed players. He'll probably never start a varsity game. He is just thrilled to be on the team. Somebody took an interest in this kid. What could have happened if someone took an interest in him when he was younger?

 

extra hints

Just a few ideas to make it special, and memorable.

Have a video and/or camera parent. Take lots of pictures-video. You'll enjoy the pictures and videos when the kids are older. (You can embarrass the high school players with their t-ball pictures.)

Award a "game ball" after every game. During the season, every kid will do something special, catch their first ball, hit for the first time, run the bases the fastest, etc. - you get the idea. Every kid will get the "game ball" sometime during the season.

At the end of the season, every player gets a trophy, and a special award. Best catch, Coolest cleats, something special about their season.

Most of all, keep it fun!!!

 

would it be wrong of me to throw balls at ty so he can feel what it's llike to get hit by a pitch? he'd probably like it.

 

I know some have done that with some success. I believe it depends on the kid and the situation. If a kid has a "real fear" of being hit, I might take that approach to help him overcome those fears. But I'm going to do that very carefully...not just windup and let it fly.

Ty's a 9 yo. Most kids can't throw the ball very hard at that age. Also, he plays football, so he may not have any fear. If you find that to be the case, I wouldn't introduce him to that.

Watch how he handles it the first time he gets plunked...he may find he likes it! But remind him to not rub it until he gets to 1st

 

i think i decided not to. i'm sure he'd turn aroudn and start plunking his friends on purpose.

 

Rule #1 - have fun
Rule #2 - post-game snack is all that is important
Rule #3 - never forget rule #1

I coached T-ball in Australia - try getting the kids over there to drop the bat and run to first base...they carried the bat to the pitchers mound and back to home plate...(crikey!)...

 

The two biggest lies in baseball...

Father takes his son out to teach him to hit. Before he throws the first pitch, he evokes LIE #1... "I won't hit you". Then comes LIE #2... "If I do hit you, it won't hurt".