Little League baseball is one of the most popular youth activities in the United States and throughout the world, giving millions of youngsters the chance to play organized baseball. In addition to teaching youngsters the rules of the game and the skills needed to play it, Little League is designed to be fun for the young participants. When well-trained coaches teach with patience, ability and skill, the experience can be a memorable one for the baseball players.
Step 1
Teach the players on your team the rules of Little League baseball. Let them know that each game is six innings long and that every player, regardless of his or her ability, will get a chance to play every game. The rules of Little League baseball require that each player get at least one at-bat and play two innings in the field every game. Many individual leagues require coaches to play their players much more than that. Pitchers are allowed to throw no more than 65 pitches in a game, and if they throw that many pitches they will not be allowed to pitch for three days.
Step 2
Conduct practice at least twice a week. Youngsters may feel pressure in games, but they will be more relaxed and open to teaching during practice. Divide your team into three or four groups so they can each do different things at practice. Assistant coaches or parents will help the head coach handle the groups, enabling the adults to give each youngster quite a bit of individual attention. Don't just tell them what to do, show them. Bring your glove and demonstrate the proper way to catch a grounder, a pop fly or a line drive.
Step 3
Encourage players to keep working and improving. Baseball can be a difficult game for many young players. Hitting a round baseball squarely with a round bat is a tough task. Be patient when teaching youngsters how to play. You don't have to give false compliments, but if they show any improvement or do one thing better than they did the previous time, make sure they know they are getting better.
Step 4
Encourage sportsmanship. Little League is not about winning baseball games --- it is about doing your best and competing. If that's enough for your team to win the game, that's a good outcome. If the team lost, that's still fine. Have your players shake hands with their opponents no matter what the outcome. Have them thank the umpire for giving his time to work their game.
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