1. Tee it Up
Tee ball is a form of baseball played by younger kids from 4 to 8 years old. Rather than having a player or coach throw a pitch, the ball is set on a tee for each batter to hit. A tee ball field is much smaller than a little league diamond to accommodate the smaller players and make it easier to successfully run and throw in the game. Players fill all the traditional baseball positions on the field and often add an extra infielder and outfielder to cover the entire space.
2. Gearing Up for Tee-Ball
Tee ball equipment is similar to baseball equipment with a few exceptions. Each player uses the traditional glove for fielding and can wear cleats. The ball is not as hard as a baseball and the bats can only be 25- to 26-inches long and weigh 17 to 20 oz. All players must wear batting helmets when batting and running the bases. The tee is made of a flexible plastic and is adjustable to accommodate the different heights of the kids.
3. Know the Differences
Tee ball has a number of unique rules. All players, whether they're playing in the field or not, get to bat each time the team is up. After every batter has had a chance to hit, that half of the inning is over and the other team is up. A tee ball game is usually only 4 innings long. In addition to the elimination of pitching, there are also no steals, walks or strikeouts in tee ball and you are not supposed to keep score.
4. Patience is Definitely a Virtue
While a coach should have a basic understanding of the rules and plays in baseball, patience is the key to success at this level. For most kids, tee ball is their first experience with the sport and they need to learn the basics. Coaches should focus on very elementary tasks like accurate throwing, catching, fielding and batting. If you have an advanced group of kids, you may try teaching a little about base running and field positions, too. You should always be encouraging your kids to do well and not focusing on mistakes.
5. Turn Practice Into a Game
The most important part of running a tee ball practice is keeping the kids' attention. At this age, kids lose focus quickly so when they lose interest, move on to the next activity and have plenty of tee ball drills planned for each practice. Bouncing the ball into a large container, perhaps awarding points for making baskets from different distances will help with throwing accuracy. Fielders can throw the ball from home plate to first, second and third base and back to home trying to beat a player who is running the bases at the same time. This activity works on throwing, catching and base running skills. The T-Ball USA Association lists many effective drills that sharpen skills in all areas of the game.
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