Teach Kids Baseball

The recent explosion in the popularity of ebooks has made it’s way into the sports markets, including baseball. No longer do you have to go to the bookstore or wait for a video or book through the mail. By simply using the internet, baseball parents and coaches can get immediate access to some outstanding baseball instruction videos and ebooks.

Below are just a few of the videos and ebooks that provide tips on pitching, hitting and scoring baseball:

Pitching Instruction
The 3X Pitching instruction program is for high school, college, and professional pitchers looking to add 5-10mph to their fastball. It’s a 16 week program specifically targeted to increase pitching velocity.

Batting Instruction
Become a power hitter using this baseball instruction guide. Baseball players who utilize the knowledge in this baseball instruction guide will dramatically improve their bat speed, hitting power, reaction time and patience at the plate. It contains all the tools needed to become an elite hitter.

Become a better hitter with the Quality At-Bat audio Book and DVD product. It teaches a hitting philosophy based on preparing a hitter mentally for each at-bat. It stresses the need to avoid distractions and failure by focusing the mind using visualization techniques and positive thinking to exude confidence.

Baseball Scoring Instruction
How To Score Baseball ebook is an outstanding source for learning how to score Baseball in one afternoon – and instantly increase your enjoyment and knowledge of our national pastime.

This illustrated baseball scoring tutorial is a joy to use, both as a learning tool and reference guide. It’s great for fans, coaches, parents, and players of all ages and experience levels. It also includes an exclusive Pitch Replay Chart, which provides the ability to easily record the important details of every pitch thrown by every pitcher.

There’s also a Kindle version

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Don’t have a Kindle?

The products described above are the best instruction sources for Pitching, Hitting and Baseball Scoring.

Showing kids how to back up bases is an essential part of teaching them how to play baseball. It takes time and patience but it’s very important.

How many times have you seen it! A batter hits a slow grounder towards the third baseman. He fields the ball then throws it to the first baseman. The ball goes over the first baseman’s head all the way to the fence. The batter is safe and advances to second base on the error. The first baseman retrieves the ball and throws it to the shortstop covering second base.  The throw goes wide and the batter continues on to third base.

This scenario is prevalent in youth baseball. But believe me, teaching young kids how to back up the bases is very, very difficult.

The best way to teach them about backing up the bases is through repetition, practice and constant reminding.

You must take the time out and dedicate 30 to 60 minutes on the backup drill. But not just one practice – you have to do it over and over. You must be consistent and repetitious.

The problem with practicing back up drills is that the kids get bored and you lose their attention easily. Here’s an idea that can help.

Get an assistant or some parents to help. Have them interact with the players and quiz them on what they should be doing on the play. It’s not to reprimand them but to keep them involved and attentive. The last thing you want is to have the kids standing alone without being involved for any extended period of time.

Another good idea is to split up the players. Make two teams and while one is in the field have the other run the bases while you practice the backup drills. You can even make a contest to make it fun – the team who scores more runs is the winner.

During game situations, it is imperative that you constantly remind the right fielder to back up first base and the third baseman to back up third base, when appropriate. Sure, there are other players on the field that you want to advise, but you really want to backup the corners and keep the ball from rolling to the fence – you can save a lot of runs that way.

Oh by the way, another good tip is to teach the kids not to throw the ball all over the place. Instead, have them run the ball back into the infield. I know; this is easier said than done.

But whatever happens, if a player doesn’t backup, don’t make a big deal about it. In fact, make light of it and give the kid some reassurance with a pat on the bat with some encouraging words like “Get em next time Champ!!

My experiences playing Little League and in youth baseball organizations are some of my fondest childhood memories. I remember playing baseball with the neighborhood kids in the sand lot behind Saint Henry’s church. I would imagine I was Rusty Staub hitting a homerun. I would round the bases, head held high, with a big smile on my face. Those were the days when the world seemed a gentler, easier and simplier place.

Just the other day my 10 year old son, who plays youth baseball, came into the living room, sat down beside me, and asked me who my favorite baseball player was. “Was he on steroids, Da”? I almost fell out of my seat.

It’s so sad that a 10 year old boy even knows what steroids are – but we’re in the digital era and maybe the age of innocence doesn’t exist anymore. So many thoughts went through my mind in an instant – My little boy is growing up! He’s losing his innocence! My son is starting to questions things!

So I sat him down and told him the truth about the history of baseball, about steroids, about steroids in sports and the negative effects that steroids have on everyone, not just Major League Baseball players.

I explained to him that there are people who will try to get ahead regardless of the consequences. It could be in sports, at home or even in school. “Have you ever seen somebody cheat in school?” “Yup!” he said, “and the teacher called his parents and he got in a lot of trouble”. So he understood the first thing – that taking steroids is cheating – plain and simple.

I then said, have you ever seen an adult smoking cigarettes? Again he said “Yeah, daddy, I think it’s disgusting”. Well, that person is harming themselves and they know it! And the baseball players who took steroids are a lot like that – but much worse.

Then I talked about the fact that steroids help millions of people all over the world as a treatment against pain and disease. And when doctors use it, it can save peoples lives, but in the wrong hands it is very, very dangerous.

And the last thing I said to him was, that the baseball players who take steroids might be good in baseball but they are not the type of people you look up to as a role model.

My son said, “I don’t need to – I got you to look up to!”

In an instant he ran back to his room to play video games -as if nothing every happened.

So what do you tell your kids about the steroid era? Keep it simple and truthful.

People often wonder why baseball pitchers often suffer rotator cuff injuries and pains in the shoulder. The simple answer is that pitching a baseball is an unnatural motion that puts strain on the shoulder muscles, wear and tear on the rotator cuff and stress on the tendons.

What many pitchers and baseball coaches don’t realize is that rotator cuff and shoulder injuries can begin at an early age. If preventive measures are taken seriously, pitchers can develop shoulder injuries, rotator cuff tears that can lead up to surgery of the shoulder.

Youth baseball coaches can help prevent cuff and shoulder injuries with a shoulder training exercise program. This training program should include exercises that build up the rotator cuff and shoulder muscles to handle the intense stress on a player’s arm.

In conjunction with shoulder training exercises, players must be taught to warm up the entire body and stretch the shoulder muscles before they ever pick of a baseball. Stretching the muscles before every baseball practice and ballgame will minimize pains in the shoulder that can lead to cuff and/or shoulder surgery.

Here are some great shoulder exercises and tips for all baseball players, not just pitchers:

• Warm up correctly
  Players should warm up every time they’re on the diamond. That includes before every practice and every game. Warm up exercises should include stretching the legs, arms, back and shoulders.
• Go for a good run
  The entire team should for a good run. Start at jogging speed then at half speed and finally in a sprint. The idea is to break a sweat to loosen all the muscles. Believe it or not, breaking a sweat is an effective shoulder exercise.
• Do shoulder strengthening exercises
  Shoulder training exercises build strength and increase range-of-motion. Some of the best athletic trainers recommend using resistance bands to do this.
• The long-toss
  The “long-toss” is another great way to help prevent serious shoulder pain and rotator cuff injury. The long-toss helps loosen up the shoulder and increase arm strength.
• Avoid throwing hard early in the season
  Finally, the beginning of the baseball season is when pitchers are most vulnerable to shoulder pain and rotator cuff injury. During spring training, pitchers should start out throwing 12- 15 pitches a day, then gradually increasing that number. They should also avoid throwing curve balls for first 3 or 4 weeks of spring training.

Applying these simple baseball instruction tips is how pitchers can prevent shoulder pain and rotator cuff injury to avoid surgery of the shoulder.