Baseball is a sport that requires athleticism, talent and the ability to focus on the task at hand to help your team win. These are important aspects of the game especially when a player gets to the high school, college or professional levels. When young players take up the game, however, it's about having fun, staying safe and learning the fundamentals. As a coach, you want to teach the players the right way to hit, field, throw and run the bases, and have fun while they are doing it.
Step 1
Make every drill, practice session and game fun. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to teach them, but playing baseball is not a classroom activity. Players are there because they choose to be there. Learning should be enjoyable. Teach players the proper way to field a ground ball. Have them get in an athletic position with their weight on the balls of their feet and their knees bent. When the ball comes in their direction, teach players to put the bottom of their glove on the ground with the palm facing the sky. When they get their glove on the ball, have them take their free hand and put it on top of the ball so they don't drop it. Call this the "alligator chomp." The action of the free hand coming down on the ball to secure it is like the alligator's upper jaw coming down on its prey.
Step 2
Tell your players to throw the ball by getting the ball to ear height, then stepping and following through. Many young players push the ball instead of throwing it correctly. They may throw sidearm or at three-quarters level. To throw in a fundamentally correct way, the throw should be overhand. Remind them by saying, "thumb to thigh, fingers to the sky." This will remind them to take the ball from a low level to a high level, which is the position you want them to release the ball from.
Step 3
Teach your players to "squish the bug" with their front foot when they are hitting. One of the keys to hitting the ball hard is to get your momentum going forward and moving your weight from your back leg to your front leg. Instead of taking a big step with your front leg, you can do the same with a twisting motion of your front foot. By squishing the bug, your players can trigger their swing in the correct manner.
Step 4
Teach players to put their gloves with their fingers up when catching a ball at waist level or above. If the ball is coming in below that level, the fingers should be pointing downwards. Their throwing hand should come in on top of the ball to keep it from dropping. It is important to catch the ball in this manner. If a player turns his fingers down on a ball above the waist, the ball could skip off the glove and hit the player in the upper body, potentially causing an injury.
Step 5
Play the relay game to teach the process of throwing and catching the ball. Line five players up along the third base line and have them placed every 40 to 50 feet. Place the first player at home plate. He throws the ball to the first player down the line. That player catches the ball and then throws it to the next player. Continue in this manner until the final player catches it near the left field foul pole. When the last player catches the ball, he throws it back in the opposite direction. The relay is complete when the last player catches the ball back at home plate.
Member Comments