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Batavia Youth Baseball
Coaching Overview
Instructional & Rookie
April 5, 2016
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Table of Contents
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Overview Objective
Throwing Instruction
Throwing Drills
Fielding Instruction
Fielding Drills
Hitting Instruction
Hitting Drills
Position Instruction
Practices
Managing vs. Coaching
Summary
Appendix
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Objectives of Overview
• Support coaches development by increasing their
confidence, direction/focus, and instructional know-how
• Support continuity of coaching, no matter the child,
situation, or sport
• Support coaches to build players who “play to succeed”;
not players who “play not to fail” never fear failure.
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Objective: Playing to Succeed vs.
Playing Not to Fail
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Playing to succeed means
wanting the ball when bases are
loaded and the team needs one
more out
Playing to succeed means taking
your swings at the plate
Playing to succeed means having
the courage to take the mound
after giving up 6 runs in the
previous inning.
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Playing to not fail means wanting
to sit this inning out
Playing to not fail means that you
don’t want the ball hit to you
Playing to not fail means waiting
for a walk
Playing to not fail means not
wanting to pitch anymore
 Coaches who encourage these events, build players who never
take the attitude of playing not to fail
 Coaches who encourage these events build character, selfesteem, and a love of the game
 Turn all negatives into a positive
 Success of this objective is measured by the number of players
that return the next season
Objective: Continuity of Coaching
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Create “Baseball IQ” that builds through all levels of Batavia Youth
Baseball
– Skills that are taught at this level transition to next level.
– Players can begin to understand the “language of the game”.
– A lot of drills done at this age, are repeated at the next levels.
– Skill continuity ensures that no matter who the coach is the next year,
the basics have been covered and players will have a common
understanding of the game
Develop coaches that feel comfortable and confident in coaching at all
levels of Batavia Youth Baseball
Practice is critical; ½ hour before a game and once more during the week if
space allows
Adhere to the league rules
– Pitches per player
– Use of T: the league is instructional
– Rotation of players in each position
– Batting order line up should vary
Objective: Support Coaches
Development of Players
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A player’s success is usually related to the amount of meaningful practice
the player has
Coaches need to prepare programs that are beneficial and enjoyable
– Practice should be interesting and varied; never ordinary and
monotonous
– Players should have fun
– Players that stand idle or are not engaged in drills will become bored
and will not get much out of practice
Coaches must maintain a lot of enthusiasm by properly reinforcing and
encouraging their players
Objective: Support Coaches
Development of Players (Continued)
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All Batavia Youth Baseball Coaches
have the following to offer:
– When players are coached by “paid
professionals” you take away
“father knows best” and other
automatic child development
concepts
– Parental perspective allows coaches
to know the days when the player
“doesn’t show up”, and allows
latitude for that player
– Parental perspective encourages
Value-added comments from
players, other coaches, and parents
– Parental perspective helps coaches
remember their strike-outs, dropped
fly balls, and game ending at bats
from their youth
Objective: Support Coaches
Development of Players (Continued)
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Know your audience, 6,7 and 8 yr. olds need
– Short time spans
– Multiple activities
– Upbeat environment
– Huge amounts of positive motivation
– They have limited attention spans
• They do not behave the way that they do to annoy; they are 6,7 and 8
– This level requires coaching to the lowest common denominator
• Focus on the basics (i.e. teach positions by playing follow the leader)
– If the environment is setup to benefit the players, the coach will reap the
benefits as well
• Be kid focused
– Scrimmages do not work at this level
• Too much waiting
• Activities are fun, activities = drills
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Objective: Support
Instruction Throwing
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Grip of ball
– Across the “Horseshoe”
– Three Fingers
– Thumb underneath
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Arms spread apart
– Relaxed but at shoulder height
– Elbows bent
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Feet position
– Same as Hitting
– Weight forward but balanced
– Step slightly past center
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Hand on top of ball
– Don’t “Put” the ball
– Hand/wrist/elbow/shoulder
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Shoulder to target
– Shoulder points to target
– Don’t open up to early
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Look glove to target
– Glove becomes a camera
– Glove comes back to the
chest
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Throwing Skills/Drills
• “SET-BREAK-GO” –
– Purpose – Focus is on all aspects of proper throwing technique
• On “SET” players stand with front shoulder pointing to target
with ball in glove, hand on ball at their waist. On “BREAK”
arms separate to shoulder height, elbows bent, look through
glove to target. On “GO” hand on top of ball, stride forward,
pulling glove back to chest, extend arm. (wrist above elbow,
elbow above shoulder)
• “THROWING MARATHON”
– Purpose – Throwing to a target
• Mark on area on the fence surrounding the field, players
rotate throwing, with proper technique, to the target. When
someone misses the target the are out of the game.
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Throwing Skills/Drills (Continued)
• “CROSS-LEGGED SITTING DRILL”
– Purpose – to reinforce the ball rotation needed for accuracy
• Partners sit cross-legged on the ground 10 feet apart, facing
each other. Player holds his non-throwing hand underneath
his throwing elbow. Throwing elbow should be at shoulder
height. Player should move throwing arm forward and throw
to the partner. (Wiffle Balls)
• “ONE-KNEE THROWING DRILL”
– Purpose – reinforce upper body mechanics
• Partners face each other about 20 feet apart, Players kneel
on the throwing hand side knee with the lead leg forward. As
player throws he concentrates on upper body movement
– Elbows at chest level
– Eyes on the target
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Objective: Support
Instruction Fielding
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Catching Position
– Feet apart
– Knees bent
– Hands in front, catch with two
– Teach to “play” defense and
to “defend” oneself
– Elbows out, fingers up
– Above waist, catch with
fingers up
– Below waist, catch with fingers
down
– No basket catches
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Ground Ball Positioning
– Hands in front of body
– Fingers pointing down
– “Creeping” in
– Butt down, shoulders back
– Always use two hands
– Glove starts on the ground
– “Look like infielders”
Develop Catchers and Pitchers
– Pitchers
• Balance
• Posture
• Consistency
– Catchers
• Blocking
• Position
Fielding Skills/Drills
• “FIELDING POSITION”
– Purpose – reinforce proper mechanics
• Use multiple coaches, have players line up and come
forward one at a time, feet shoulder width, weight shifting
forward, hands in front of their body, knees bent, butt down,
both hands drop to the ground to pick up the ground ball.
• “CROW HOPS”
– Purpose – Transfer from fielding position to throwing position
• Have players spread out in front of the coach in the fielding
position. On the coaches command the players should jump
from fielding position to throwing position. Check for proper
starting and ending position
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Fielding Skills/Drills (Continued)
• “SHORT/2ND”
– Purpose – Fielding Technique, force plays
• Have all players line up at short or second. Roll ground balls
to each line, have player receiving ground ball use proper
fielding technique and throw a “dart” or “flip to the other
person covering second.
• “SOFT-HANDS DRILL”
– Purpose – Fielding technique
• Have players stand 10 feet apart and roll ground balls to
each other, focus on fielding fundamentals
– Hands in front (catch the ball in front)
– Butt down, knees bent
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Objective: Support
Instruction Hitting
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Feet position
– Weight forward but balanced
– “Neutral Stance”
– Shoulder width
– Rotation of back foot “Squish the
bug”
Head position
– On the front shoulder
– Head stays still for shoulder
replacement “Ike to Mike”
Bat position
– “Slot” – knob at catchers feet, bat
through the back of head
No comment rule
– Once a player steps in the box,
coaching is over, only encourage
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Hand position
– “Power position” start at shoulder
height, straight to the ball
– Relaxed hands – front hand palm
down, back hand palm up
– Cocked wrist
– Move back before forward
Relaxed at plate
– Tight muscles are slow muscles
– Stride separation
– Swing starts with their feet
Finish
– Two hands all the way around
– Hands above shoulder
– Balance
Hitting Skills/Drills
• “IKE TO MIKE”
– Purpose – teach proper head placement and movement
• Have players stand in their hitting position, when the swing
and “shoulder replacement” occurs, their chin should move
from one shoulder to the next
• “HITTING OFF OF THE TEE”
– Purpose – able to focus on one hitting variable at a time
• Have players hit off of the tee, focus on one/two things at a
time
• “THROWING HANDS AT THE BALL”
– Purpose – teach players to move their hands directly from
shoulder position to the ball. (“Throwing your hands at the ball”)
• Have players try to hit wiffle balls pitched to them with the
knob of the bat
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Hitting Skills/Drills (Continued)
• “SWING AGAINST A FENCE”
– Purpose – reinforce a compact swing
• Have players set the knob of their bat at their belly button,
the other end of the bat should touch the fence. They then
get in their hitting position without moving their feet. Practice
swinging, bat shouldn’t touch the fence.
• “BATTING PRACTICE WITH WIFFLE BALLS”
– Purpose – able to see significantly more pitches very quickly
• “BATTING PRACTICE WITH ONE STRIKE”
– Purpose – teaches players to be very aggressive at the plate
• If the let a strike go by, the next batter is up
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Objective: Support
Instruction Position
• Teach where each position is,
its purpose, and its
job/objective
• Begin to focus on individual
position skills
• Teach the “force”: who, when,
where, why, and how
• Begin to focus on position
skills
– 2nd/Short
– 1st Base
– Catcher/Pitcher
– Outfield
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• Teach “cut off man”:
Outfielders to look for him and
Infielders are to be looking for
the throw
• Let players tell you the
situation and the next play
• Encourage communication
with their teammates
– Talk in the field “Where is
the play?”
• Develop Catchers and Pitchers
Objective: Support
Instruction Practices
• Get as many adults involved
as possible
• Break players into small
groups with one adult at each
station so all players are busy
and not bored
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• One hour- one hour fifteen is
good timing
• ½ hour before game time
allows for field time practice
• Use handout for skill
development games/ideas
Practice Plans
• Prepare for practice –
– You wouldn’t show up for a meeting that you have to speak at
without preparing
– Your audience will quickly determine if you have a plan and are
in control
– When you have a plan, you will be more confident and be able to
accomplish more
– Move the players quickly through drills – work only on a limited
number of keys
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Managing vs. Coaching
• Coaching is the teaching of sportsmanship, developing baseball IQ
and helping the players develop a higher skill level
• Managing is the coordination of the team and team events, it is
being prepared for all aspects of the team thereby allowing you to
be able to coach
• Proper team management allows for more coaching time
– The kids want coaching
• Management of your team includes getting others involved
– Assistant coaches
– Team mom/dad
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Managing vs. Coaching (Cont)
• Managing the team means defining and assigning responsibilities
– Assistant coaches
• Prepare the field
• Specific skill development (hitting, pitching, fielding, etc)
• Management of game day lineup (see Appendix)
• Help keep focus on the team priority….Sportsmanship
– Team mom/dad
• Treat schedule (see Appendix)
• Phone tree (see Appendix)
• Get feedback from your audience, both kids and parents
– Is the program meeting their expectations?
– Are they developing sportsmanship skills?
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Final Thoughts
• Unlike basketball or soccer, baseball is not fluid; it is an individual
sport disguised as a team sport.
• Baseball requires skill development to keep players in the game,
confident, and self-assured
• Baseball needs to be developed so players stay interested forever
• Learning about baseball is fun; Fun is learning about baseball
• Elevate your players’ Baseball IQ
• As a coach you have two objectives: build intelligence and
confidence
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Appendix
• Example line ups for players
• Example Practice Plan
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