Coaching little league baseball sounds simple enough, but keeping all of the players on task is often a challenge. The sport provides an opportunity for young players to learn the basic skills while gaining teamwork experience. Understanding the players' motivation and goals for the baseball season helps shape the experience in a positive way.
Organization
The organization of baseball practices affects how well the players cooperate and learn the skills. A disorganized practice leaves you fumbling and the kids bored or distracted. Plan out every aspect of practice from the warm-up to the cool-down to keep the kids active. Write a list or outline of the practice to keep on hand in case you forget what you have planned. Aim to keep as many of the kids actively practicing as possible throughout the practice. After each session, make some notes on the activities you did and how the kids responded to better help you plan future practices.
Team Environment
The environment you create within the team also influences how the players behave and feel on the field. A highly competitive environment leaves some players feeling left out, frustrated or withdrawn. Pushing the kids to improve their baseball skills helps the team, but too much aggression can have the opposite effect. Keep the practices exciting for the kids without a lot of yelling or punishment for not performing well. Establish open communication between yourself and the families to create a more rewarding experience for everyone.
Skills Games
Baseball drills become redundant and lack appeal to many young players. Instead of repetitive baseball skill drills, let the kids practice the basics during skill-based games. The kids still get the repetitive skill practice, but the game format keeps them actively engaged and makes the practice more enjoyable. One example is the "In the Middle" game. Two players are on two bases. Another player is in the middle as the runner. The runner tries to run between the bases without getting tagged. To practice catches, spread players out in the infield and outfield. Hit balls to the players. The kids score points for catches: 100 points for a catch in the air, 50 points for a bounce catch and 25 points for a grounder. The goal is to reach 500 points first.
Staying Healthy
An injury makes the baseball season go downhill for young players. As the coach, you have the ability to reduce injury risks for the players. Warmups and stretching prepare the kids' muscles for baseball practice for a reduced risk of injury. Take complaints of pains seriously, especially when accompanied by swelling. A first aid kit with ice packs is an essential tool for baseball practices and games.
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