Little League baseball is dependent on its coaches and volunteers to help teach the game to youngsters and prepare the field for games. Many leagues have a field day the week before the start of the season to make sure the field is in game shape for opening day. The building of the pitcher's mound is one of the most important jobs in field preparation.
Step 1
Combine red clay, dirt and sand, and mix it together in your wheelbarrow. Because red clay comes in brick form you will have to break it up before you mix it together. You should also keep excess red clay bricks because that's the key to finishing the pitching mound after the structure is in place. Push your wheelbarrow to the center of the baseball diamond.
Step 2
Take your tape measure and determine the correct spot for the pitching mound. Place the edge of the tape measure on the rear point of home plate and measure 46 feet. That is where the center of the mound will go and the pitching rubber will eventually be placed.
Step 3
Shovel and rake the dirt mixture over a 10-foot circle from the middle of the mound. Adult mounds have an 18-foot radius. With each layer you put down on the ground, take your tamping tool to pound down the dirt in an upward slope toward the center of the mound. This will allow you to build the hill-like surface that will eventually become the mound.
Step 4
Place the pitching rubber in the center of the pitcher's mound. The pitcher's rubber must be flush to the center of the mound. There are two spikes at the bottom of the rubber, so remember to pound the pitching rubber into place with a mallet or sledgehammer capable of driving the spikes deep in the dirt.
Step 5
Take three red clay bricks to finish the mound. As you have built the mound up, there will be open spots that need to be filled in. This is best done with the red clay. This is especially true in the area around the pitching rubber and the front of the mound where the pitcher will land when he strides to home plate.
Tips and Warnings
- Rake the area smoothly after each game so the pitchers in the next game have a safe pitching mound to throw from.
Things You'll Need
- Red clay
- Dirt
- Sand
- Wheelbarrow
- Rake
- Tamper
- Shovel
- Sledgehammer
- Mallet
- Tape measure
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