Baseball Coaching Tips:
Quality Coaching
This baseball article on baseball coaching tips will make your sports coaching much easier. Work smarter—not harder so they say. Keeping your extra players, bench players, subs, non-starters, and any player sitting the bench busy is the key. When teaching kids how to play baseball it is important the players have a concept of being a good team player and teammate. Part of being a good team player is to plug in and contribute even when not in the line-up at the time. Sitting in the corner of the dugout pouting is not being a good teammate. Good team players may not be happy on the bench but they still put their personal feelings aside and pitch in and help during the ballgames.
Stop the Madness:
How to Be a Smart Baseball Coach
Coaching can be frustrating when players on the bench become distracted, lose concentration, become disengaged and cannot ‘stay in the game.’ A youth coach can easily become nag #1 complaining and yelling at players for not taking care of the little things that keep the ball club functioning properly. When you find yourself constantly telling your kids to, “get on that foul ball.” Who is on that foul ball?” “Hey! I’m not going to say it again…someone better get on the foul ball!” Sounds like a nag, nag, nag. That gets old quickly.
Teach Kids Baseball Basics:
Stop Nagging Coaches
Players that are not in the line-up at the time will all have assignments. So even though they are not in the game at that time…they are still in the game. Setting up a duty list on or next to your line-up card only takes a minute or two. Or you might even have the ball players fill in their duty jobs. Or, have one of your assistant coaches fill in the extra players duties list every game.
Every Kid is In the Game
Sometimes a ball team may only have a couple players on the bench. There may be middle school and high school baseball teams with several extra players in the dugout. We will list some ideas for making a duty list. You may want to add additional duty jobs as your needs apply.
1. Bullpen Catcher or Backup Catcher: Best Baseball Coaching Tips
There is nothing more revealing as a youth coach that you do not know what you are doing then to have the pitcher waiting on the mound for the catcher to get their catching gear on. One of the top baseball coaching tips is to have an extra catcher ready to go at all times. You have to have an extra bullpen catcher waiting and ready for the pitcher to catch the pitchers’ warm-up pitches between innings. The catcher has to know where the game catcher is at all times. If the game catcher ends the inning with their catching gear off then the extra catcher immediately fills in for catching the different pitches until the game catcher returns to the field. The bullpen catcher will have a mask and glove at minimum. Shin guards are preferred and the full set of catching gear is ideal. This bullpen catcher should be ready to warm-up the pitcher in the bullpen, too.
2. Between Inning Outfield Throws
One player will play catch with the leftfield or rightfielder depending on which dugout your youth team has. Play long-toss with them getting several practice throws in during each inning. Retrieve the ball from the centerfielder and the firstbaseman. When the firstbaseman and the centerfielder come off the field after the inning toss them their warm-up ball and keep one in your glove. Often the designated hitter takes this job to keep them warmed up and loose in between at-bats.
3. Foul Ball Order
Have each player on the bench sign up for an inning. For example, if you have three extra players then each little league player will take one of the first three innings. When the fourth inning starts the list starts over. If a player enters the game the player who came out of the game immediately takes their players place on the duties list. One of the best methods on how to coach baseball comes from simply organizing a system for shagging foul balls.
4. Bat Boy
Keep the bats and helmets in an orderly fashion stowed out of harms way. This person can also run extra baseballs out to the umpire when needed. Keep safety in mind as on deck hitters can be dangerous taking warm-up swings.
5. First Base Coach
Players can certainly help out if your youth league, rec league, travel ball league allows.
6. Pitch Count Taker
Have an extra player keep the pitch count. Either keep track on an index card or with a pitch counter. Youth league coaches and pitching coaches should keep a close eye on pitch counts so pitchers do not cause injuries to the throwing arm. These baseball coaching tips will help keep the bench players in the game. Everyone has a sense of contributing to the ballclub and pitching in. Take some time to teach kids baseball the right way and make life enjoyable for all.
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