Coaching youth Tball

Lathum · 03-17-2015, 05:57 AM

Anyone have any experience doing this with 4-5 year olds?

My sons league was looking for parents to coach, I send an inquiry about it, and the director took that as me volunteering, so now me and my buddy are the coaches of our boys team.

Looks like the first 2-3 weeks are drills and then they start games. I'm sure I will get some direction from the director of the league, but was wondering if anyone has suggestions for drills for kids that age, advice, websites, etc...

The most important thing for me is they have fun and learn to love baseball.

Breeze · 03-17-2015, 08:23 AM

I coached for years, even before I actually had my own kids. The biggest key I can give you for little ones, is to get as much help as you can, split them into small groups, 1 works on hitting, 1 on throwing, 1 on fielding, etc. That way there is very little standing around. The kids will learn more this way too...

Logan · 03-17-2015, 08:26 AM

Tell saldana that it's t-ball, so no, he doesn't own the inside of the plate.

JonInMiddleGA · 03-17-2015, 08:39 AM

My experience with kids about twice that age says you should plan to drink a lot.

revrew · 03-17-2015, 09:01 AM

Did years ago. Be prepared to have kids who have NO concept of baseball. You'll have to patiently explain and reexplain (and have them physically do it, so the kinesthetic learners pick up on it too) which way to run around the bases, no you can't throw the ball at a runner, yes, when the ball is hit toward you, you're supposed to go get it, no, you're not all outfielders, etc.

Easy Mac · 03-17-2015, 09:20 AM

I had my first practice coaching my daughter's 4-5 y/o soccer team last night. I'm not going to say it was torture, but it was pretty close. The kids acted great, but every parent is watching you like a hawk, and I'm very introverted, so I was amazingly uncomfortable. Plus, most of the "drills" in the league handbook involve carrying a soccer ball around? I understand I'm trying to help teach them coordination, but having 4-5 year olds carrying around soccer balls doesn't really instill "don't use your hands."

I also got a huge gash in my side after retrieving a soccer ball out of the tiny, rusty metal goal, so I also have tetanus to look forward to.

Dr. Sak · 03-17-2015, 09:50 AM

saldana · 03-17-2015, 09:53 AM

make all of them appointments at BALCO

Balldog · 03-17-2015, 11:02 AM

I haven't coached that young (coached HS) but my kids are going through the ranks now. Our best experiences have been with coaches who had a plan, every practice they had an agenda of what they wanted to get done.

It makes a big difference, we have had a couple coaches who didn't have a plan...ever and it really made for some less effective time for our kids.

The most memorable was during batting practice the other 15 kids batted for about 90 minutes rotating one by one why the remaining kids stayed in the field. The kids were bored and the coach missed the fact that my son never even got to hit.

It's a hard job, I don't envy the volunteers at all. I keep thinking about doing it but the prep behind the scenes is just as important as what you do at practice.

My 2 cents...

miami_fan · 03-17-2015, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Breeze

I coached for years, even before I actually had my own kids. The biggest key I can give you for little ones, is to get as much help as you can, split them into small groups, 1 works on hitting, 1 on throwing, 1 on fielding, etc. That way there is very little standing around. The kids will learn more this way too...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balldog

Our best experiences have been with coaches who had a plan, every practice they had an agenda of what they wanted to get done.

It makes a big difference, we have had a couple coaches who didn't have a plan...ever and it really made for some less effective time for our kids.

The most memorable was during batting practice the other 15 kids batted for about 90 minutes rotating one by one why the remaining kids stayed in the field. The kids were bored and the coach missed the fact that my son never even got to hit.

This

I coached my son's team at that age. Your plan should definitely limit the amount of time the kids are standing around waiting to do something. As far as drills go, this will defintely depend on how familiar your players are with the game. Getting the players to get the ball and throw it to a teammate was a great accomplishment. That probably say something about my coaching skills though

Most important, make sure someone gets the entire team chasing a batted ball into the outfield!

Umbrella · 03-17-2015, 11:49 AM

I've coached all age groups. The little ones are challenging, but they are a lot of fun. Most of the times, the parents aren't insane at that age group.

I'll second and third having a plan for practice. At that age group, the attention spans are pretty short. Try to break the team up in small groups of maybe 3-4 kids. Establish some stations (fielding, hitting, throwing, baserunning etc.) and rotate the kids every 10-15 minutes. They will stay busy, and they each get attention. Usually you can find some parents to help with the stations.

I don't want to get real technical, but at that age group, focus on teaching the fundamentals. It's a lot of work, but it pays great dividends down the road for the kids that stick with it. There are tons of books and websites with a lot of information about how to do this if you've never done it before.

Also, one of the things I do is I print out a parents code of conduct, and have every parent sign it at the first practice. It stops a lot of the problems before they even start if they know what is expected of their behavior from the start.

Most importantly, keep it fun. If you are doing your job right, the kids should look forward to coming to practice. At that age, focus on drills that are more on the fun side as opposed to strictly mechanical. For example, for the younger kids, I do a "drill" where one practice I bring a big cooler full of water balloons. The purpose is to catch with soft hands, so the ball doesn't clank off their gloves. I toss them balloons (not with their gloves). If they catch it without it breaking, they get to try and hit me with it. If not, they get wet. Later on, I reinforce the idea that they should try and catch the ball like they are catching balloons. It's one of their favorite practices of the year, and with that mindset of catching a water balloon, they do a better job of catching the ball.

tarcone · 03-17-2015, 11:53 AM

Longest one hour of the day. Man it is a chore. Keep them busy and make it fun.

cartman · 03-17-2015, 11:55 AM

See if any are up for Tommy John surgery

03-17-2015, 08:39 AM	#4
JonInMiddleGA Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Behind Enemy Lines in Athens, GA	My experience with kids about twice that age says you should plan to drink a lot. __________________ "I lit another cigarette. Unless I specifically inform you to the contrary, I am always lighting another cigarette." - from a novel by Martin Amis

03-17-2015, 09:01 AM	#5
revrew Team Chaplain Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Just outside Des Moines, IA	Did years ago. Be prepared to have kids who have NO concept of baseball. You'll have to patiently explain and reexplain (and have them physically do it, so the kinesthetic learners pick up on it too) which way to run around the bases, no you can't throw the ball at a runner, yes, when the ball is hit toward you, you're supposed to go get it, no, you're not all outfielders, etc. __________________ Winner of 6 FOFC Scribe Awards, including 3 Gold Scribes Founder of the ZFL, 2004 Golden Scribe Dynasty of the Year Now bringing The Des Moines Dragons back to life, and the joke's on YOU, NFL! I came to the Crossroad. I took it. And that has made all the difference.

03-17-2015, 11:49 AM	#11
Umbrella High School Varsity Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Back in the desert	I've coached all age groups. The little ones are challenging, but they are a lot of fun. Most of the times, the parents aren't insane at that age group. I'll second and third having a plan for practice. At that age group, the attention spans are pretty short. Try to break the team up in small groups of maybe 3-4 kids. Establish some stations (fielding, hitting, throwing, baserunning etc.) and rotate the kids every 10-15 minutes. They will stay busy, and they each get attention. Usually you can find some parents to help with the stations. I don't want to get real technical, but at that age group, focus on teaching the fundamentals. It's a lot of work, but it pays great dividends down the road for the kids that stick with it. There are tons of books and websites with a lot of information about how to do this if you've never done it before. Also, one of the things I do is I print out a parents code of conduct, and have every parent sign it at the first practice. It stops a lot of the problems before they even start if they know what is expected of their behavior from the start. Most importantly, keep it fun. If you are doing your job right, the kids should look forward to coming to practice. At that age, focus on drills that are more on the fun side as opposed to strictly mechanical. For example, for the younger kids, I do a "drill" where one practice I bring a big cooler full of water balloons. The purpose is to catch with soft hands, so the ball doesn't clank off their gloves. I toss them balloons (not with their gloves). If they catch it without it breaking, they get to try and hit me with it. If not, they get wet. Later on, I reinforce the idea that they should try and catch the ball like they are catching balloons. It's one of their favorite practices of the year, and with that mindset of catching a water balloon, they do a better job of catching the ball. Last edited by Umbrella : 03-17-2015 at 11:52 AM.

03-17-2015, 11:53 AM	#12
tarcone Coordinator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pacific	Longest one hour of the day. Man it is a chore. Keep them busy and make it fun. __________________ Excuses are for wusses- Spencer Lee Punting is Winning- Tory Taylor The word is Fight! Fight! Fight! For Iowa FOFC 30 Dollar Challenge Champion-OOTP '15

03-17-2015, 11:55 AM	#13
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	See if any are up for Tommy John surgery __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

03-17-2015, 08:23 AM	#2
Breeze Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Northern Suburbs of ATL	I coached for years, even before I actually had my own kids. The biggest key I can give you for little ones, is to get as much help as you can, split them into small groups, 1 works on hitting, 1 on throwing, 1 on fielding, etc. That way there is very little standing around. The kids will learn more this way too...

03-17-2015, 08:26 AM	#3
Logan Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: NYC	Tell saldana that it's t-ball, so no, he doesn't own the inside of the plate.

03-17-2015, 09:20 AM	#6
Easy Mac Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Here	I had my first practice coaching my daughter's 4-5 y/o soccer team last night. I'm not going to say it was torture, but it was pretty close. The kids acted great, but every parent is watching you like a hawk, and I'm very introverted, so I was amazingly uncomfortable. Plus, most of the "drills" in the league handbook involve carrying a soccer ball around? I understand I'm trying to help teach them coordination, but having 4-5 year olds carrying around soccer balls doesn't really instill "don't use your hands." I also got a huge gash in my side after retrieving a soccer ball out of the tiny, rusty metal goal, so I also have tetanus to look forward to.

03-17-2015, 09:50 AM	#7
Dr. Sak Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Stuck in Yinzerville, PA

03-17-2015, 09:53 AM	#8
saldana Pro Starter Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bethlehem, Pa	make all of them appointments at BALCO

03-17-2015, 11:02 AM	#9
Balldog Pro Rookie Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Macomb, MI	I haven't coached that young (coached HS) but my kids are going through the ranks now. Our best experiences have been with coaches who had a plan, every practice they had an agenda of what they wanted to get done. It makes a big difference, we have had a couple coaches who didn't have a plan...ever and it really made for some less effective time for our kids. The most memorable was during batting practice the other 15 kids batted for about 90 minutes rotating one by one why the remaining kids stayed in the field. The kids were bored and the coach missed the fact that my son never even got to hit. It's a hard job, I don't envy the volunteers at all. I keep thinking about doing it but the prep behind the scenes is just as important as what you do at practice. My 2 cents...

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