Have a 60 min practice before each game. This practice gets kids loose and ready to play.
Kids will feel ready to play if they had a sharp throwing program and a great batting practice.
Make a game notes sheet that all coaches can write on. make notes of everything the team needs to work on before the next game.
Try to not talk about everything during the game. we want players to focus mostly on competing, not on everything they need to work on.
If the situation is likely to come up again in this game, then talk to the player about it during the game.
Practice the proper positioning for catchers. Many youth catchers set up too far away from the plate.
From the catching stance, have him go to one knee toward the batter. From there he should be able to touch the hitters back knee.
Help pitchers get into the habit of staying close to the mound after a pitch. It takes too much time if pitchers take 5 steps toward the catcher on every pitch.
Fielders should talk to the pitcher while in the field. We want them saying encouraging words to the pitcher.
Team Energy During the Game
Coaches
- As the leader of the team, you MUST bring the energy you want to see from your players.
- Have good posture, say encouraging things constantly.
- Teach, teach, teach.
- Tell them “you are my guy or gal here, I know you got this”
Players
Many people think good energy is just screaming nonstop. In the game of baseball, thats fake energy, all eyewash. Good energy in baseball is something different. It’s a little more subtle.
You can cheer and yell when something good happens for your team. That can be a part of having good baseball energy.
But the other times during a game we want something else.
Good ballplayers are focused and calm. Having the goal clearly in your sights, then at the perfect moment, ATTACK!
Here are some examples of good energy on the field.
- taking a deep breath before each pitch and before you step into the box.
- going around the horn after an out with speed and precision.
- having a good warm-up between innings (see below).
- a coach who pays attention to the details – do everything right.
- talk about good baseball ideas in the dugout.
- head in the game and taking about the game.
- fielders who talk to each other.
- diving for balls.
- -ZERO bad body language on the field. Chest up and execute next pitch, swing or play.
- encouraging a player who just failed. There is a lot of failure in baseball. Flush it.
Between inning warm up
A great warm up between innings will mentally set the tone for a sharp inning. A sloppy slow warm up will set the tone for a sloppy inning.
Practice your between inning warmup so everyone knows what to do . Be so prepared that your whole team is a well oiled warmup machine .
Everyone, including coaches has a job when getting ready to play defense.
- Teach bench players how to pick up players who are on base or hitting, never make them come back to the dugout unless they are a catcher
- Have a parent time your warmup and tell you the time when you get back to the dugout.
- The timer starts when the last out is made and stops when the middle infielder gets the throw down from the catcher
- The goal is 60 seconds
- The pitcher calmly jogs out to the mound, walking the last 5 steps to pick up the ball
- at the :05-:10 second mark the available fielders meet outside the dugout and huddle. The say a 2 second rally and SPRINT out to the
- Fielders sprint to their positions from the huddle. There are ZERO exceptions on a dead sprint out to the field.
- backup catcher has the gear on, and is ready to warm up the pitcher between innings
- 2 coaches hit ground balls to infielders
- Never chase past balls to the back stop when warming up the pitcher, get another ball
- one bench player warms up the outfielders, or one of them takes a ball out to warm up with
- Pitcher throws all of his pitches. 4 seam 2 seam changeup curve
- Pitcher takes a deep breath and executes his pitch on all warmups, no sloppy pitches
- Catcher blocks or stops every pitch. NEVER let the ball get by the catcher
- After the catchers throw down to second base, the ball goes around the horn from the middle infielder and the 3rd baseman tosses the ball to the pitcher while giving him a word of encouragement
- If you take the field in a sharp way, you will be more likely to play defense in a sharp way
- practice the whole 60 seconds often. Have hitters and baserunners and your team must successfully execute a warm up
- on one out, the dugout starts to prepare to take the field, on two outs everyone gets ready, on all 2 out pitches, everyone is ready to execute the warm up
Go around the horn on every play made with no runners on base
- some umpires may not let you go around the horn, make umpires tell you to stop.
- make the around the horn quick, sharp and IMPRESSIVE.
- never make an error on going around the horn. If yo do throw the ball immediately to the pitcher.