Coaching Little League Baseball - A Guide to Keeping Young Players Focused

Coaching Little League Baseball - A Guide to Keeping Young Players Focused
By Guest Author Jack Perconte

Keeping young players focused is a challenge in any sport but can be especially challenging in baseball because of the amount of time players stand around. There is not constant action or as much physical exertion in baseball as there are in other sports. Because of the amount of time in between pitches and the amount of pitches that are not put in play, it is easy for players' minds to wander. Coaching little league is a constant process of reminding young players to "keep their heads in the game." This is easier said than done, of course. Some young players have great sports instincts and are very focused and others are not mentally in the game at all. Most little league players are somewhere in between, where their focus comes and goes.

This is the reason why coaching little league baseball can be more challenging than coaching any other youth sport. Because of the lack of good little league coaching, many of the good athletes gravitate to other sports after playing little league baseball. It is a shame when good athletes choose another sport because coaches do not know positive coaching practices that will help young players stay focused. Following are good positive coaching practices that will help players remain focused during games.

First though, good coaches run fast moving practices with lots of attention given to each player and to the fundamentals of the game. Good little league coaches do not miss opportunities to teach game strategy during practice, as well as in games.

For keeping hitters focused, coaches should:

1. Never teach mechanics during a game at-bat.
2. Simply remind hitters to "see' the ball.
3. Teach the mentality to expect every pitch to be their pitch unless they see otherwise - with this in mind little league coaches should use a take sign sparingly, if at all.
4. Remind hitters they can only control one thing when hitting - talking good swings at good pitches.
5. Never get upset when players are aggressive and swing at bad pitches, just remind them to learn from that the next time.

For keeping fielders focused, coaches should:

1. Teach little league players how to get into ready position as the ball is being pitched.
2. Teach players to think two things before each pitch: what am I going to do with the ball if it is hit to me and what am I going to do if the ball is hit somewhere else. Of course, practice time is where players are taught the responsibilities at the various positions.
3. Teach pitchers to get in a quick rhythm, this will keep fielders on their toes and not allow minds to wander in between pitches.
4. Get in the habit of asking players, "Who wants the ball hit to them?" This mentality is slightly different than expecting the ball to be hit to them. I want players to want the ball hit to them.
5. Practice communication methods so players can remain aggressive, but safe, when going for batted balls.

For keeping pitchers focused, coaches should:

1. Explain to pitchers the importance of working quickly. After receiving the ball from catcher and taking a deep breath, pitchers should pitch the next ball. (Have pitchers watch Chicago White Sox pitcher, Mark Buerhle, to get the idea.)
2. Teach pitchers to focus on the glove and not the batter.
3. Teach pitchers what poise is about - the ability to stay in the moment and only worry about the things they can control - the next pitch.
4. Remind pitchers that they are a fielder after releasing the ball. Good fielding pitchers can help win games.

For keeping base runners focused, coaches should:

1. Remind players to be attentive to the scoreboard at all times - the score of the game, the count on the hitter and, most important, the number of outs in the inning.
2. Allow base runners to make their own decisions during games. This will force them to focus on the situation more, knowing they cannot rely on the coach to make decisions for them.
3. Work-on game-situation base running, rounding and leadoff technique as often as possible in practice.

Finally, it is always a good idea for coaches, before and after practices, to give players in-game scenarios and ask players what they would do in those situations. Players will begin to draw up the scenarios in their heads and will be more focused and prepared for those situations when they happen in games. This type visualization-challenge process is a good first step for players to focus their mind on baseball even when away from practice.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball
Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Perconte



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BaseballParentGuide.com - This informative sites features articles is many interesting categories realted to helping a baseball player imrove and deal with issues related to today's game.

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Aggressive Hitting Strategies That Will Make Your Team Better

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By Jack D. Elliott

Sometimes it pays to turn things up on the opposing defenses. By playing a more aggressive style of baseball, a high school baseball team can put serious pressure on a defense to perform. Here, are some strategies that can help put the opposing defense in tough situations:

1. Take advantage of the 3 and 0 count. Be sure to give the green light to your power hitters when they have this kind of count. Many pitchers will throw a slower fastball right over the plate in order to get a strike. Let your best hitters swing away as an extra base hit would be better than just a simple walk. However, only allows for the top hitters as the weaker hitters should take the pitch trying to earn the walk.

2. Use the Hit and Run when the hitter is a weaker batter. This works especially well in situations where you have either a weak batter or a slow base runner. When the hit and run is executed properly, it is one of the most beautiful plays in baseball. More to the point: it can help you move runners in scoring position and reduces the risk of double plays.

3. Be sure to use sacrifice bunts and suicide squeezes. Bunting may not be the most impressive part of baseball, but it is one of the most effective for advancing runners and scoring runs. Plus, it puts tons of stress on the opposing defense to field the ball properly. In high school, it is not uncommon to see errors made by an errant throw. Keep the pressure on the defense by using bunting throughout the game.

4. Use a lack of awareness against the opposing defense. If there is a man on third and the batter draws a walk, have the runner jog to first then take his turn and run full tilt to the second base. If the catcher throws to second, the third baseman should head for home. This can work well because you can catch a number of defenses' off guard.

5. Use the catcher's arm strength against him. If you are a base runner on first or third and know the catcher has a good arm. Don't be afraid to entice him to throw the ball over to try to pick you off. Often times, a cocky catcher will end up throwing into the outfield on accident.

6. Occasionally use the double steal. If you have runner on 1st and 2nd and the runner on second is fast, consider doing a double steal. This works well because even if the lead base runner is thrown out at third you have kept a runner in scoring position by his stealing of second.

7. Give certain players the green light to steal third base. Contrary to popular opinion, you do not have to be the fastest player to steal third base. Instead, you only need reasonable speed and a good awareness of player tendencies. This can be done by lulling the pitcher into thinking you will not even attempt to steal by beginning to take a small lead off. Once the pitcher does not view you as a threat, he will go into his motion and this is where you start to creap off. If you do it right you will have a great jump and the catcher won't have a chance to throw you out.

8. Runners on 1st and 3rd: have the runner on 1st go run for second on the first movement of the pitcher. This is a classic tactic of little league baseball that can work well in high school especially when the runner on third is fast. Do not be afraid to use it as it also requires the defense to be perfect with their throws.

9. If hitters know that the steal is on, they should swing the bat in an effort to get in the way of the catcher's throwing lane. This cannot be too deliberate, but they need to protect the base runner when they can. This is similar to the responsibility of a base runner taking out the second baseman on a double play.

All of these tips and tactics are designed to put stress and pressure on a defense. The more pressure you put on an opposing defense the better because once one mistake occurs it can be very easy to create a snowball effect. All of these things work great for your team as you continue to play a team that now has a confidence problem.

One caveat: these tips require you to be comfortable with a certain amount of risk. Occasionally, these tactics will not work out as well as you would hope. However, you need to look at it the results cumulatively and not based on any one individual attempt. Your focus is on a building an aggressive mentality that we are going to do everything in our power to score runs and are willing to do anything to make that happen. This is a powerful mindset that can transform your offense into a powerful, proactive bunch. We think you will find this approach will give you more runs and wins over the long haul.

Jack Elliott, is a former player and fan of the game. To read more tips and techniques like the ones in this article, please click here: http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com/Baseball-Strategy/ or Baseball Strategy

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_D._Elliott

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Footwork Tips for Coaching Young Catchers

Footwork Tips for Coaching Young Catchers
By Chip Lemin

Hey Coaches,

The season is here. Let's get some last minute catching tips for you to check out.

Catchers can use two different types of stances. When there are no runners on base, you assume a position where you have the weight on the instep of your foot. The other stance is with two strikes on the hitter, or runners on base. Both stances are quite similar, the major difference is preparing to block pitches at certain times.

With the bases empty, and less than two strikes on a batter, the catcher should have their weight on the instep of the foot. To prevent the catcher from falling forward, and get caught lunging at pitches, they should have a strong center of gravity. The left foot should be slightly ahead of the right foot for a right-handed catcher. Weight should be evenly distributed over both feet to maintain balance. This positioning will allow you to shift in any direction without trouble.

The catcher's elbow should be resting slightly outside the knee. The fingers should be pointed up and relaxed along with the glove arm. The fingers in their glove should never be horizontal. The most important aspect of their throwing arm is to keep it protected. When there are no runners on base, keep the throwing hand behind the back or the leg. Even without runners on base, they must keep their intensity for a whole game. Catchers must be ready for all situations, without a lapse in concentration.

When there are two strikes on a batter, or runners on base, the throwing hand must be moved to behind the glove. There will be no change in weight, foot placement or throwing arm placement. Put the throwing hand into a fist behind the glove. Their hand is safe behind the glove as all foul balls will change directions and miss the hand. Keep the hand closed behind the glove as you catch the baseball, this will also protect the hand. The biggest benefit of keeping the hand behind your glove is being able to begin a quicker exchange to the ball when they need to throw out a runner. Keeping the throwing hand behind the back hinders a quick throw, and could affect a balanced position.

A common mistake young catcher's make is to move up into a more athletic position when runners are on base. Moving up into this position also raises the glove into a higher position. This higher more athletic position actually creates more openings for the baseball to get by the catcher. This higher target also encourages the pitcher to throw the ball up in the strike zone, which may produce unwanted results. To keep balls from getting past the catcher, the rule should be stay as low as you can.

Stay focused and intense, stay low, be ready to block all pitches, and be ready for any situation. Young catchers also like to take too many steps when they throw to bases. They feel they do not have the arms strength to get the ball to second base. A quick accurate throw by using proper footwork, is often more beneficial and productive than a late strong inaccurate throw. It takes practice for a catcher to believe that a simple drop step, and foot shift, will provide everything they need a strong accurate throw.

The catcher is the cornerstone of an exceptional defense. Your team must have an above average catcher to be considered a special team. Make sure to work in a solid backup catcher also. Resist the urge to not to teach your catcher another position. It is your job to keep them from becoming one dimensional. It will also give them a needed break late in the season.

Good Luck, Coach Chip.

Chip Lemin has been a promoter of youth baseball since they started using aluminum bats. That's a long time. I have witnessed many good people get into coaching without solid coaching skills and it is not fun for them or the kids.Today's newer coaches are also being shortchanged on sportsmanship, like there is none. Visit my site to sign up for a insightful, informational, free coaching e-course at http://www.baseballecourse.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Lemin

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Simple and Straight Forward Little League Baseball Drills

Simple and Straight Forward Little League Baseball Drills
By Joseph Harrison Jr

Batting a baseball is a difficult skill to master. This is often an especially frustrating task for a child. Successful batting requires body control and sound mechanics. In this article I will discuss some basics of hitting and introduce a few simple little league baseball drills aimed at improving technique.

The most important thing your kid can do is to watch the ball all the way to the bat. They should practice watching the ball hit the bat.

One of the many simple little league baseball drills your child can do to improve "picking up the ball" is to stand, chin on front shoulder (for a right handed batter). As they swing the chin should come to rest on the back shoulder. A simple batting tee is helpful in enhancing this skill. Soft toss is an effective alternative little league baseball drill used to teach this technique. Furthermore, this is a good drill for developing bat speed.

The second basic rule of hitting is balance. Your child, or anyone else for that matter, must have balance to be a successful hitter. As a general guideline have your child stand with their feet about shoulder width apart. This is flexible many people feel more comfortable with a slightly exaggerated open stance (feet wide apart) and others a closed stance (feet close together) Whatever their stance make sure they can swing the bat and stay balanced, they will benefit and be more consistent in the long term.

The upper body muscles play a pivotal role in a fluid swing. In fact, bat speed has as much, if not more, to do with hitting for power than lower body strength. Remember to swing quick and compact, hot hard. A simple adjustment of the swing to avoid over extending the arms can help achieve a shorter swing. A shorter swing speeds your bat up through the strike zone, creating more power. Many coaches refer to this technique as throwing the bat at the ball because in effect the batter is throwing the head of the bat at the ball.

The last prime component of the upper body in batting is the hands. Most batters hold their hands around chest level with the bat out in front. Again, this is a general guideline and not a rule, the most important thing is that your child is comfortable holding the bat.

When batting, it is also important to remember to never drop the hands prior to swinging. A lot of players drop their hands before they swing, meaning they dip the hands from the chest to the stomach. This drastically cuts down on reaction time to a pitch. Often batters that swing late do so because they drop their hands. They cannot make up the time they lost by dropping the hands resulting in a late swing. The soft toss drill is one of several little league baseball drills used for developing quick wrists and strong hands. Additionally, a tennis ball can serve as strength and conditioning tool simply by repeatedly squeezing it. Stronger hands equal more bat speed.

The last component to successful hitting is in the lower body. As previously mentioned good balance is mandatory for a proper swing. The biggest mistake hitters make is over striding, resulting in an off balance swing. Instead of taking a giant, clumsy step, have your child lift the front (left foot for a right handed batter) off the ground and simply place it back on the ground. This helps to keep their weight back, a crucial element to hitting well and for power.

The other key role of the lower body is the hip twist. A drill called "squashing the bug" is one of several effective little league baseball drills to teach hip twisting. In this drill, the batter will hold out their left arm (for a right handed batter) in front of their body and hit the left hand with the right mimicking a one armed swing. The drill should be used to emphasize correct usage of the feet and maintaining proper balance. The batter should look to sharply turn the right, or back, ankle as if to squash a bug with the toes.

Remember the core components of hitting, balance; see the ball and careful timing between the upper and lower muscle groups of the body. Hitting and hitting well is a difficult task. Improvement will only come with the development sound habits, practice and work ethic.

I am Joseph Harrison, a baseball coach since 20 years ago. I love baseball since I am young, especially the feeling when you know you will absolutely crush the ball. Training your kid to gain interest in baseball will benefit him from both mentally and physically. In with he will gain team spirit, learn how to cope with teammates, and at the same time train up his physical, and concentration (to have good eye and hand coordination and the ability to use both at once). Go through my article and you will know all the benefits of baseball.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Harrison_Jr

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Offensive Pressure Creates Opportunities

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Baseball Drills - Offensive Pressure Creates Opportunities
By Nate Barnett

One of the best ways to force long innings (when you are on offense of course) and to win more games is to put added pressure on the defense. There are multiple ways of doing this, a couple of which are outlined here. Understanding the concerns of a defense and exploiting those concerns are valuable techniques any good coach will insert into his baseball drills.

Pressure Cooker #1 - Run Like the Wind:

Don't skip this part because you, your son, or the team you coach has little speed. You don't need any to understand this concept. The more offensive movement is created on the base paths, the more potential there is for defensive mistakes. Create movement the following ways:

A. Bigger lead offs. Most youth baseball players don't get a proper lead off at any base. Because of this, the defense doesn't feel the perceived threat of the runner. How long is a good lead? A runner should be able to rotate and dive (body fully extended) back to the bag in time if he is watching the right movements from the pitcher. Getting aggressive leads will do two things. First, it will force the pitcher to split concentration between the runner and the hitter. This will help out the hitter as pitch location may improve with the lack of focus from the pitcher. Secondly, the more throws drawn by the runner at first base (primarily) can results in potential overthrows as well as an increased opportunity to utilize a stolen base or a hit and run play.

B. Take aggressive turns on the bases. I frequently see many younger players after hitting a baseball, jog down to first base and take a small turn around first. This puts zero pressure on the defense. The first goal on any hit to the outfield is to reach second base. The mentality that every hit is a double will help runners become more aggressive. Obviously I'm not advocating running bases wildly, I'm simply promoting adding some extra heat on the defense to provoke some mistakes.

Pressure Cooker #2 - Have a Pitch Plan

It's quite common to watch hitters all the way through high school swing at pitches quite out of the zone. Most of the time this is caused from a lack of a game plan, or improper teaching during baseball drills. Each hitter should have a specific pitch plan based upon his hitting strengths. Every hitter has a special pitch, or one that is more favorable to hit than others. This needs to be the focus early in the count. No other pitches should be offered at early in the count other than the favorite pitch. The only thing that would change this scenario would be if a coach called some sort of offensive play.

A more selective approach to hitting will put pressure on defensive two different ways:

A. More pitches will be thrown by pitchers which will (hopefully) force a pitching change earlier in the game. Since more relievers in youth baseball are not as good as starters, this is a plus for the offense.

B. Getting better pitches to hit will create more baseballs in play. The more balls hit hard there are, the greater chance there is for a mistake by the defense.

Finally, there is no secret that perceived pressure causes more mistakes. If an offense can manufacture pressure and remain confident in doing so, they will enjoy watching an error filled defense play more timid and give games away.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Learn how to help your game by improving the skill of mental baseball

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nate_Barnett


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Four Steps to Organize Your Little League Practice

Four Steps to Organize Your Little League Practice
By John R Di Nicola

The only chance you have as a Little League Coach is try and get yourself organized. I have listed out the very basic steps to organize your practice. You have so so many constraints on you it very difficult to get all the practice completely covered. The amount of practice time is limited maybe to 3 days per week. Getting practice fields is a major problem in most instances. The length of practice is another. You cannot hold marathon practices three to four hour practices. Using a planned schedule will enable you to have practice that are fun for the players therefore they will learn what what you trying to teach them.

Scheduling Practice -

You have a such a short time to prepare your team usually about 3 to 4 weeks. It is important you are organized your practices so that you may over come the constraints that come with being a Little League Coach.

Getting Practice Fields


number of times you practices: weather, all players can make to all practices.
practicing to much parents complain
not practicing enough

Fielding, Defense, Pitching and Hitting

Fielding


Outfield
Infield

Pitchers


Pick off - 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, and covering home
Run downs
Out field: Cut off men, short stop, 3rd base, 2nd base, 1st base, Pitcher
Throwing to bases -2nd,3rd, home
Situations - Simulate a game situation with coach hitting and player running

Hitting Stations


Hitting off of a "T"
Soft Toss
Live Hitting - 10 swings
Bunting

Pitchers


Throwing a bull pen with catcher

You look at this say wow! You just have organize yourself. Make sure self a template (using Microsoft word) for your practice days. Plug in your dates. You can do A, B C, D and rotate them through your practice schedule. It is a must that you get parents to help. You will need at least two to help to run a practice. You will have to do two of these segments each day and possibly a third.

You will find defense is one of the most important segments you must cover everyday. You can never hit enough ground balls to your infield. So fielding must be done just about every day. You may want to have just your infield come and work on ground balls and going over where they positions themselves for cut off from outfield. You can do the same for pitchers. Bring the pitchers and catchers to practice their defense and working on their wind up and delivery.

Best thing a you can do is make sure you are organized! Stick to your schedule and make adjustments as you go. Please do not get frustrated and not follow an organized plan.

You will soon realize the areas that you need to work on a little longer as you play games. During game you are still coaching as if it were practice. when situations happen taken player aside and talk to them.

You Never Stop Coaching!

Practice Makes Prefect

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. If you would like further information on this topic or information you can E-Mail me at: jdinicola@easypitching.com

You can follow us on Twitter - http://twitter.com/easypitching

Web site: http://www.easypitching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_R_Di_Nicola

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Youth Baseball Digest - The Power of Praise in Coaching Little League Baseball

Youth Baseball Digest - The Power of Praise in Coaching Little League Baseball

By Nick Dixon

Praise is the easiest and most effective way to motivate young baseball players. Understanding and believing in the "Power of Praise" can make a Little League Baseball coach a better and more effective coach. Knowing how and when to praise is the key. This article discusses the value of praise in coaching youth baseball.

Good coaches have a variety of skills. They know how to teach the game of baseball. They know how to communicate their thoughts and observations almost immediately. They know how to correct without humiliation. They know how to motivate without intimidation. They love the game of baseball and that love is displayed through their actions and behaviors. But, one of the universal traits of successful youth baseball coaches is that they know the "Power of Praise".

Good youth baseball coaches know that kids respond differently when they are coached and taught the game of baseball. Many kids do not take constructive criticism. All kids do not respond the same to harsh words or loud instructions. But, one thing that 99.9% of all kids respond favorably to is praise. They love to hear words of encouragement and words that tell them that they did a task well.

What youth coaches must always remember is that many kids we coach never hear many positive words. It is sad and true that many kids never hear words or praise or encouragement at home. Words of praise are "words of respect" for a youngster. They want to love, appreciated, and respected just like most people do. Many kids we coach are hungry for attention, discipline and most of all praise. The more they are praised, the more they want to earn more praise.

So when you see a player struggling or having a bad day, find something that he is doing correctly and praise him for his action. Make his day a better day. I do not mean to give out unmerited or false praise. Make sure that the praise is deserved and merited. Kids can sense if a coach is sincere or genuine when the coach praises a player. False praise is useless and counterproductive.

One good rule to live by as a youth baseball coach is that you should find a way to praise every player on your team at least once a day. A pat on the head or back takes little time and energy on your part, but can do wonders for a kids self esteem and attitude.

I hope that you enjoyed this article. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Good luck to you and your team. Your friend in baseball, Nick.

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Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

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Getting Kids to Youth Baseball Practice on Time

Getting Kids to Youth Baseball Practice on Time
By Marty Schupak

As the season starts, we want to get off to a good start with our team and what is expected of them. Of course, youth baseball is unlike a school team sport and you cannot force a player to practice or even force them to be on time. However, there are certain things you can do as a coach to ensure your team develops good habits.

My own personal pet peeve was having the players arrive late for practices. My practices usually run no longer than one hour and if a player is fifteen minutes late, he misses a full quarter of a practice. I have tried a number different tactics. The first one is, I give each player a number as they arrive at practice and they keep that number throughout the practice. Whoever arrives first is number one and when it comes to batting practice he or she goes first. The players remember this and after a couple of practices, you will notice the difference with players arriving early to get a good number.

Another technique I use is to start practice with a mini batting practice even before warm ups. After you do this a few times, you'll notice the players arriving early and telling you that they go first. Do not do this technique every practice but every once in a while. Practices, especially early in the season, will set the tone for a successful and fun season. The kids take notice when the coach arrives early and organized. Use these two techniques to get your players to arrive on time.

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com

Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 18 years and is the creator of "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice", "Backyard Baseball Drills" and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is also President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marty_Schupak

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Baseball Coaching Digest - What is the Most Important Thing in Coaching Little League Baseball?

Baseball Coaching Digest - What is the Most Important Thing in Coaching Little League Baseball?

By Nick Dixon

If you ask 100 baseball coaches the question, "What is the Most Important Thing in Baseball?", you will get a wide variety of answers. Some will say winning is the most important thing. Some will say that "expecting to win" is the most important thing. Others will say that helping kids grow, mature, and develop a sincere love for the game is the most important reason for playing baseball. When I ask myself this question, I have one simple answer. This articles explains what I feel that the most important thing in baseball to me is that I see some level of improvement every day.

This "level of improvement" can be in any aspect of the game. I may leave practice knowing that our team improved their knowledge and skill in defending the bunt. I may leave a game knowing that our team, although we lost, learned how to "come back" and compete when we were down by 4 and made it a one run loss at the end.

You may see an improvement in team unity, team chemistry, or team leadership. You may see a certain player show improvement in pitching control, hitting the off-speed pitch, or reading the pitcher to get a better jump when stealing a base. See these improvements are what coaching and playing baseball is all about.

Is it better for a team to show absolutely no improvement in a season and go undefeated because they dominate their league or for a team to play.500 baseball on the season, but show incredible levels of improvement from the top of the lineup to the bottom? You see what I mean? Improvement is the "name of the game". Improvement is what coaching baseball is all about.

Coaches must keep in mind that only half of the teams that play every day, win. The other half lose. Should 50% of the coaches feel their day was a total loss ever day they play? When it comes to playoffs it is a fact that less than 1/100 of 1 percent of all baseball teams will end their season with a win each year. The other 99.999 % of the teams will find themselves ending their season with a loss or not being in the playoffs.

Now, I want you to know that I value winning as much as any coach on this planet. But what I am saying is that coaches must make winning a goal and getting better a priority. You should feel satisfaction when you see improvement on a daily basis. If you do not see improvement, chances are that you will find it difficult to win anyway. So the message here is to make it known to you team that you want to see them improve as players and as a team every day in some way. It is their job to make it happen. It is your job to give them the opportunity to do so in practices and games.

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Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

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Drills For Little League Pitchers in the Bull Pen

Drills For Little League Pitchers in the Bull Pen
By John R Di Nicola

The Bull Pen is where you can get the most done working with your young pitchers. Here they are working on their wind up and delivery. The pitchers will go through this station while the team is working on infield outfield practices. Once you have had a practice or two you can determine how much time you will allot for this station. You most likely will not get all the pitchers completed. Also your pitchers will be playing a position so you will have to schedule stations with that in mind.

You will most likely have to schedule several practices with pitchers and catchers only before the season starts. You can get so much more accomplished by working solely with the pitchers. Listed below are drills you can do in the bull pen and the actual field.

1. Wind up and from the Stretch - Mechanics

* This is the most important part for the young pitcher. Unless you get real lucky and have a pitcher who has pitched before you basically will be starting from scratch. To help the young pitcher feel comfortable you might want them to pitch from the stretch. History has shown they tend have better control when pitching out the stretch. A big factor that at the 7,8, and 9 year old level there seem to be a lot of base runners so they spend most of the time in the stretch position.

2. Locations

* This is the only time when you can really work on their control. You give them five places to look at while they are in their wind up and delivery.

1) The catcher right shoulder 2) Right Knee 3) Left shoulder 4) Left Knee 5) catcher's mask.

They first throw 10 pitches to catcher's mask. You instruct them to reach out and pull the catcher's mask off. Show them the index finger and middle finger out in front with arm extended and snap them down as to pull down when releasing the ball.

* Have them throw 5 pitches to each of the other locations. Once they are in the ready position they should pick up one of the locations and keep their eye's focused on the location till after the release of the ball.

* In time you should see improvement, However if a player is not improving with his control you to redirect him back to a position and try and find another pitcher.

Organizing your Practice

Set up your schedule and rotate your days you do the drills. You will find that some of the drills they will pick up quicker than others. The biggest thing is you cannot have marathon practices. By keeping the practices short and crisp you will keep players motivated. I found if you have a practice schedule and post it, will show the players approximately how long each drill will be and what to expect.

Practice makes perfect.

Thank you for taking the time to read my article. If you would like further information on this topic or other information you can EMail me at:
jdinicola@easypitching.com

You can follow us on Twitter
http://twitter.com/easypitching

Web site:
http://www.easypitching.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_R_Di_Nicola

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Coaching Baseball - 4 Things the On-Deck Batter Should Always Do and 4 Things He Should Never Do

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Coaching Baseball - 4 Things the On-Deck Batter Should Always Do and 4 Things He Should Never Do
By Nick Dixon

Baseball coaching is teaching the big and little details of the game. Every position or location on the field requires a player to observe and to be aware of what is happening. Many young batters on deck often do no pay attention to what is happening. They are often guilty of looking into the crowd or even talking to someone through the fence. On-deck batters that do not closely observe the pitcher and the catcher are missing a greatly opportunity to "scout" the opponent. The on-deck circle is a crucial location from which the observation process should be done. Here are 4 things that the on-deck batter must do and 4 things they not do.

On-deck batters should always:

1) Identify the ARM SLOT of the opposing pitcher? Is the opposing pitchers arm motion, over the top, side-arm, at 1 O'Clock, or 2 O'clock, 3 O'clock or submarine? The on-deck batter must know this before getting into the batting box. Knowing the "arm slot" or pitchers arm angle during the delivery will accelerate the batters ability to "pick the ball up" or see the ball in the pitchers hand before it is released. Picking the ball up early allows the batter to see the ball out of the pitchers hand at the release point.

2) Take practice swings every time the pitcher throws a pitch to the batter ahead of you. Try to pick up the pitchers speed, timing, rhythm, and release point. Time the fastball by taking a stance, loading, and swing in rhythm with the pitching delivery. This timing warm-up exercise should be taken facing the pitcher.

3) Does the pitcher have a tendency to work slow or fast? If the pitcher works too slow or fast, you may want to call time and step out to change the pitchers rhythm.

4) Does the pitcher throw a lot of off-speed or junk pitches? Does the pitcher have below average, average, or above average pop on the fastball? You will move up in the box if the pitcher is a slow ball junk pitcher and move deeper in the box if the pitcher has high velocity on the fastball.

Coaching Point: There are other duties of the on-deck hitter at the high school, college and even travel ball level. If the batter ahead of you gets a RBI hit, you may have to move the bat out of the sliding zone if the umpire does not move it. Only do this if time allows. The on-deck batter will may also coach the scoring runner at the plate by using signs or verbal call to signal "get down", "you are up", or a "needed slide location to avoid a possible tag".

1. Never talk to the crowd, fans or family through the fence. The on-deck batter should be seeing and concentrating on what is happening on the field. This is for performance, concentration, and safety reasons.

2. Never Swing Before looking. For safety reasons, never swing the bat in the on-deck circle without looking to make sure that he is clear of the fence and that other players have not approached him. Making sure that everyone is clear of you before you swing a bat is a rule for all batters, of all ages, to live by.

3. Never talk to the batter unless it is positive praise or encouraging words. "Warning" the batter that he better look out for that curve-ball is not encouraging words. Simply telling the batter that he can do it and to keep his eyes on the ball is far more appropriate and productive.

4. Never take a knee or kneel in the on-deck circle. If a ball is hit toward you, you must be able to move quickly.

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