Coach
I coach a 5th grade team and a 7th grade team. My assistant coach on the 7th grade team has instructed the boys to “see the throw” before yelling “cut or no cut”. This really has confused the boys on what they should do. Should we do this at these age levels?
Jeff
I think that is normal for the throw from the outfield. The words and coaching may be a little different but what I believe is he is asking the control guy to do is wait until he see the throw to tell if it is on line, has a chance to make the put out and at what base. The control player can't not say cut, hold, cut to ? until he sees the throw.
So the works "see the throw" is telling him to wait and look at the throw and make the decision of where to go with the throw.
It strikes me as decent point, with different words.
Coach Arnald Swift.
My son is 13 years old and started playing little league around 10 years old!! We played on a travel ball team for about 8 months, then try outs for the American Legion Ball team were last month and he made the first round picks. However, on the travel ball team and this one they keep telling him he’s raw, yet he can pitch around 75 miles and hour, RBI’s like crazy and fields better and better every time he gets out there…but one small problem, they don’t play him much!! How can they expect a child NOT be raw when he doesn’t get played? The Legion ball team now has had 7 games and he got to bat 4 times in 7 games and struck out all 4 times…..then they tell him he is going to pitch next game!! I don’t understand what is going on….he gets very down on himself because he thinks they don’t like his playing but they just keep telling him he’s raw… my son is very good at this and he has an extremely GOOD arm. He just wants to play like the others do and I feel if given the chance he will definitely prove that to them!! He is always there early, he helps clean up, what else is he lacking. We are afraid to talk to the coach about it because we don’t want to look like we are “crying in baseball”! thanks for the help,
Signed,
Seanda
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Dear Seanda
Your correct you're in a tough spot because what I think is the truth that your son is a between-er, which is a sports term that means he's better than the normal recreational league team buddies not quite good enough for the elite team to be a star. And therefore he's falling into that spot of being a utility player or being on the end of the bench and playing only when the situation occurs.
You really held have a couple of choices, continue to work with him and have him continue doing what he doing because eventually that will pay off but he has to get better. Travel team in the elite teams tend to want to win and they will coach and use players to that end. I would consider talking to the boy and asking him if he would rather play on a recreational or neighborhood type team over this elite team so that he can play have more success. I'm going to almost bet the answer is yes. Don't leave your travel team until you've talked to the coach and don't blame you for not playing him you're right that won't accomplish anything one way or the other but tell him that your boys decided to play next year with another team so that he can get more experience and come back at some point in time could be getting player that the elite team needs. What you're really saying is that I'm trying to create a situation that my boy enjoys baseball again from just playing and at the same time get good enough to get on a travel team. Probably won't be the same team that you left but somebody will be around once he gets good enough and is willing to do it. If you decide to stay with that team and you need your boy to work hard, keep on doing the things he's doing and if talent is really there he will get his chance.
Let me know how it all turns out.
Coach Arnald Swift
I have a 9 year old that has been playing ball for 4 years and has been hitting balls pretty good. In the last two months he has moved to travel ball, and has not been hitting very well. Out of a bucket of balls thrown from 30’ he could not hit but one. He has been going to batting cages and is batting at 45 to 55 mph. ok. His swing is complete and straight with no head turning and not stepping out of box. I don’t know what to tell him any more I know he can see the ball and follow to plate. What do you thinks is the problem? Using a 29 x 19oz bat.
Thanks
Richard
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Richard
Do some of or all of the following things.
1. Throw him balls (plastic or soft) underhand from out in front. Under hand is important and from in front is important. The drills is called front toss.
2. You throw to him after the front toss drill live so he can hit it do not worry about speed.
3. Some where along the line do a drill of taking the bat away and having him just stand there and watch the ball so he can tell if it is a ball or strike and get use to the ball coming at him and judging it.
4. Work off a stationary tee
5. Limit the pitching machine for a couple of weeks while doing the drill above then reintroduce the machine.
6. Then in about 3 weeks you hitting routine should be TEE WORK- FRONT TOSS- WATCH 10 PITCHES-15 LIVE PITCHES- THEN THE MACHINE THE REST OF THE TIME.
When you do this he sill start to hit the ball when it is pitched live/machine but you have to work on hand eye coordination first and foremost.
Coach Arnald Swift
What would you do to motivate a player that has all the opportunity to be a good player. He has a manual for pitching and doesn't even look at the workouts, has a batting cage and doesn't spend much time grooving his swing. He is going to be 15yrs. Please advise.
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Dear Anthony
If what you describe is true that you have a real problem it you that wants to have the boy be the player. But if he's 15 years old he's got his mind made up of what you would really like to get out of the game so my advice is to sit down with him and have him tell you what he wants and then you do it. It is always been my philosophy of my own boys and players and I've coached for them to tell me what they're willing to do and then hold them to that standard. If they tell me they don't want to play then I say okay what do you want to do, because if it isn't baseball and we need to do something else is my patent answer because we're not going to do nothing. What we do do were going to do to the best of your ability and do it right. It sounds to me like your boy only plays when you wanting to and not because he wants to.
The truth is your raising the boy not to baseball player so be willing to work with him in what he wants to do, is just my advice don't let him do nothing.
Coach Arnald Swift
Good morning Coach,
I was selected to manage a tournament/travel team of 12 year old players who are now training for our Big week long tourney and experience at Cooperstown in July. Starting this Sat nite for the next 10 weeks I landed an indoor facility for which we can have indoor workouts for 90 minutes each week....I was hoping that you could provide me with some guidance in regards to how to best utilize the 90 minutes each week or provide a possible "game plan" as to what drills, how many kids in a group and how many stations I should setup.
Your expert knowledge is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Coach Steve
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Dear Steve
I understand your question very much. The answer is really too long to go through here but you already have the concept of what we need to do is set up stations for hitting (soft toss, front toss, tee work, live plastic ball, live or machine pitch hitting. Hopefully you can created of hitting drills have the first half hour to 45 minutes be the hitting. Then we need to move on to fielding drills (take away the gloves and do soft grounders, put a net at first base put everybody at shortstop take grounders to have them throw into the net like it was the first baseman, spread out all over the field have them take grounders from each other and/or their coaches, learn to throw through the target and not to it- this throwing to a target in set up short hopping everybody you have to learn to throw through it). Then about 15 minutes spent some time on middle work how to approach the batter's box (think about your last bat think about the battered front of you think about the situation all those kinds of things before you reenter the batter's box, if your picture how you going to take to this guy that you faced take a look at how he stands, take a look at his first couple swings, make sure you know the situation with your batter and people on base. Did physically work on situations with runners on base when you do this you can accomplish two things in a time coaching the defense against runners and then coaching the runners to be aware of the situation. This is a big deal to have runners understand- runner on third what I do, runners at first and second what do I do runners at second only what do I do, -- they have to make a decision when the balls hit in the air, when the balls it on the ground, the line drives, past balls, anything else you can think of.
This will get them ready to go to Cooperstown, which by the way is a good experience I had the privilege of umpiring their and found it quite satisfying.
Best of luck and let me know how that all works out.
Coach Arnald Swift
Good morning Coach,
I was selected to manage a tournament/travel team of 12 year old players who are now training for our Big week long tourney and experience at Cooperstown in July 2015. Starting this Sat nite for the next 10 weeks I landed an indoor facility for which we can have indoor workouts for 90 minutes each week....I was hoping that you could provide me with some guidance in regards to how to best utilize the 90 minutes each week or provide a possible "game plan" as to what drills, how many kids in a group and how many stations I should setup.
You expert knowledge is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Coach Steve
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Dear Steve
I understand your question very much. The answer is really too long to go through here but you already have the concept of what we need to do is set up stations for hitting (soft toss, front toss, tee work, live plastic ball, live or machine pitch hitting. Hopefully you can created of hitting drills have the first half hour to 45 minutes be the hitting. Then we need to move on to fielding drills (take away the gloves and do soft grounders, put a net at first base put everybody at shortstop take grounders to have them throw into the net like it was the first baseman, spread out all over the field have them take grounders from each other and/or their coaches, learn to throw through the target and not to it- this throwing to a target in set up short hopping everybody you have to learn to throw through it). Then about 15 minutes spent some time on middle work how to approach the batter's box (think about your last bat think about the battered front of you think about the situation all those kinds of things before you reenter the batter's box, if your picture how you going to take to this guy that you faced take a look at how he stands, take a look at his first couple swings, make sure you know the situation with your batter and people on base. Did physically work on situations with runners on base when you do this you can accomplish two things in a time coaching the defense against runners and then coaching the runners to be aware of the situation. This is a big deal to have runners understand- runner on third what I do, runners at first and second what do I do runners at second only what do I do, -- they have to make a decision when the balls hit in the air, when the balls it on the ground, the line drives, past balls, anything else you can think of.
This will get them ready to go to Cooperstown, which by the way is a good experience I had the privilege of umpiring there and found it quite satisfying.
Best of luck and let me know how that all works out.
Coach Arnald Swift
Coach
At what age is a good time to start investing in a personal trainer for ur son in baseball? I'm asking because I have a dad that's so into I "have to have" training for my 11year old son so he can get better... So am I not helping my son get better by being out there throwing the ball around, working on T work and ground work my self? My son has a passion for baseball that he gave up all other sports just to have that ball and mitt in his hand everyday.. Take note also that these two boys average about 80-90 games a year with there travel team... Please help!!!
Dear dad
First and foremost I'm not a big fan of personal trainers, I would rather see you get some good objective advice from somebody that knows what's going on. Then at that point you and your boy and start to make a plan how to continue on with his passion of baseball as you state. 11 year old's just want to play first and foremost. I can tell you right now that it's more important to get in a lot of swings, a lot of drill work, and learn to throw and hit than to get all wrapped up into personal trainers. Granted they might know the correction technique but the reality of it is that they're going to do the same thing that your coaches or you would do. The truth of the matter is I would rather see an 11-year-old play the game enjoy himself and work on drill work with dad or brother on the side than get involved with a personal trainer costing a lot of money and doing the same things that you could do.
Now don't get me wrong I understand the concept of an expert, but most of the time an expert is somebody that just lives 50 miles away.
I know this may sound a little different than your question was asking me but my advice is get a pattern and work on it between yourself and your boy so both of you will enjoy it and it will come out as a good ending.
Coach Arnald Swift
Coach
My 10-year-old son has been playing baseball for two years, which in our area equals out to four seasons of play (fall and spring). We play in a "Pony" league and in the Spring the teams are divided into two levels of ability. My son is about to enter his third Spring season and has once again been selected for one of the "lower level" teams. He loves the game, works hard, has heart, listens to the coaches, but is consistently just a mid-level player. All of his friends have moved on to the higher levels of the game. We are considering moving him to a different league in town; we understand the politics will be the same, but I wonder if a new season in a different league will help him learn differently? It feels like at this point he has an unshakeable "rep" and the coaches don't really work with him, they just dump him in the outfield and say "catch the ball" (which he usually does). It's so frustrating to watch your kid get down on himself. I'm really at my wit's end.
Thanks so much.
Stacey J
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Stacey
I can understand the thoughts and even the frustration you have as a parent. But there are certainly a lot of factors that go into a boys success at anything and in this case we are talking about his baseball team and playing baseball.
What we need to do is create a situation that the boy is the dictator of what he wants to do, we as parents sometimes get in the deal and want something different than the boy wants. I will tell you it is hard to get him to tell you what he really wants over what he thinks that you want to hear.
The first question I am going to ask, and please take this as a question not a criticism. How good a player is your boy, I had a son that worked hard and tried but when it really came down to it he could not keep up athletically with the other players and moved over to another sport, and was successful.
If we want to make the boy a better player, then you and he have to do the little extra things outside of games and practice. The throwing drills, fielding drills, hitting drills, all of which you can find on the web. The main thing is that he enjoy it and is asking you to do these things not you tell him to do them. He has to want to get better and spend the time.
As far as moving him, that is a personal decision it can be a chance to start anew with different people and different coaches, but there is a down side to that and it just that new teammates, new coaches, new situation --- he has to socially learn to fit in and earn his place with them.
I can not really tell you yes or no on moving as I don't know the personal interaction he is currently in or what it will be like with a new team. But normally geographic change does not create success, what creates success is work, learning the right way, and wanting to do it right.
Remember it is a game and the boy will be successful with or without the game. You need to support him and help him do what he wants to do. The real trick is to find out what that is and then do it right.
Coach Arnald Swift
Coach
I am a 12 year old player who is always told that I am amazing, my dream is to make it all the way to the pros. I am on a high nationally ranked travel ball team and can play any position. The only bad thing is I don’t have confidence and I don’t have a good arm. Are there any tips you can give me to help not only my arm but also my fielding and confidence.
Jermiah
The first and foremost thing that you have going for you is that you have a goal that says that you're wanting to get the is to play in the majors. And there are certainly thousands of young men that would like to do the same thing and it all comes down to talent with the most important ingredient the ability to work, train, and do the things that are necessary.
Now here's my thought I raise two boys and each year they had a different desire and they worked very hard at it but they went from sport to sport with what they wanted to do with each one of them contains the same element you have to want to do it and you have to want to do it right. As a 12-year-old I can't emphasize enough that you need to enjoy the sports, and the games including baseball because there are so many steps between now and competing at those high levels of play. You need to continue to play on your traveling team, then will come your high school team, and then will come summer ball at the high levels, then college baseball or if you are truly talented minor-league. But and it's a BUT but please enjoy the experience of playing the game whether it be with your friends in the backyard or on your travel team because if you don't enjoy it and you're just making it work it's never going to work you're going to be just there and an average player.
I don't want to anyway sound pessimistic but without knowing you I don't know how much you're willing to put into the game, and I wouldn't worry about it until I got into high school I would just do the normal stuff. It will help your confidence just to play the game and not worry about what's going to happen 10 years from now. As far as some of the mechanical things that you can do to improve your fielding and your arm strength let me give you some suggestions. If you're able to do these on your own then your confidence will automatically improve as you get better.
1. Get onto a long toss program for your arm strength there are several of them out there would even have one on the website called "Thrive On Throwing" that is exceptional and is used by high school, college, and pro teams for this exact purpose. Along with when you get into high school don't be afraid of lifting weights to increase your arm strength but you're not ready for now as a 12-year-old but you are ready for the long toss program.
2. Then as simple as it sounds get a tennis ball and put your glove away and find a wall and bounce the tennis ball against the wall and fielded when it comes off. You will start to develop a lot of hand eye coordination and good and skills. You will find if you're bouncing the ball off the wall you can make it come off at a lot of angles and even create your own games to field and throw.
I offer these two things is great improvements that you can do by yourself, that you can do almost anywhere, and most important two things that you can do every day for 10 or 15 minutes that will show real results after three or four months. There's no magic bullet, working at what you want and most important enjoying what you want. I can tell you right now if you don't want to go do this you think it's a job or chore like your folks making you go and clean your room or carry out the trash then it will not work you have to want to go do it. You have to get up out of the chair and go do it every day because YOU want to.
Best of luck from Coach Arnald Swift, I raise two boys just like yourself and coached hundreds of young athletes and advice is the same always no matter what the sport is, best of luck Jeremy.
Hello Coach
My son is starting little league (after a few years of T-ball) and I am racking my brain during his first year struggles -- which have been hard on him. He's always held a hockey stick left-handed (as I played lefty too), so I had him in T-ball hold the bat/hit left-handed too and did pretty well hitting this way (a good, contact hitter). But unfortunately, he looks woefully over matched hitting lefty in little league. Admittedly, he's a smallish boy, but it seems he has very little bat control. Obviously he's not hitting the pitching machine at all. Since I played ice hockey as a lefty, but played baseball batting righty, I'm wondering if I have him hitting from his wrong side? I've toyed with him trying righty, but since he's never hit that way, he worse off. I just fell like I may have made a mistake and could be doing him a disservice but now I'm not sure what to do? Any thoughts you have on this I'd love to know and would appreciated it greatly. He's incredibly discouraged and I fear he may give up due to all his failures. Thanks...
Dear Dad
I don't think you've done a disservice to your son, is just a matter of maturity and if he's used to playing hockey left-handed then leaving as a left-handed batter and he will learn. I would look first and foremost at equipment I'm not normally a big fan of blaming the equipment but as I've coached my own grandsons T-ball team and coach pitch I found that they have to have a bat that they can control so make sure you have the right length but more importantly the lightweight so that he can control it during the swing. Then you will help him a great deal if you will work with him on soft toss drills, tee work, and easy underhand pitching so that he can swing and make contact and developed a good swing. It's my advice for you to use plastic balls during this time that way you don't chase them and he will not get you hurt by hitting them back up the middle.
Coach Arnald Swift
