Having a solid first baseman is critical to a good infield. Historically, first basemen are the bigger, stronger and slower players on the team. You should keep that in mind when making your decision but here are other skills to consider:
SKILLS OF A FIRST BASEMAN
Good hands
This is probably the most important skill. Having a player to catch the ball gives your team a better chance of making the routine out.
Coordination
You need someone who is coordinated to play the position; someone who can keep their balance while stretching to catch throws. The first baseman also has to run,from the fielding position, to first base, on goundballs to the infield.
Baseball instincts
It helps to know how to react on the following
slow ground balls to the right side of the infield
when to field bunts
when to go after a ball in the hole between first and second base.
FIRST BASEMAN BASICS
In almost all cases the first baseman should play off the base to give them a chance of fielding balls hit in the hole between first and second.
With a runner on first, instruct the first baseman to play in front of or behind the base to avoid interference. Playing in front of, or behind the runner depends on what side of the plate the batter is hitting from and the strength of the hitter.
On a ground ball to the infield the First baseman must run back to the base to catch the throw form the infielder. Here are some basic approaches
For Righties, the right foot should touch the side of first base bag. The left should be stretched out directly toward the player throwing the ball. For lefties, the opposite applies.
I cannot stress enough that the first baseman never stand directly on the base when waiting for a throw. Touching the side of the base provides enough space for the runner to avoid a collision.
Most kids stay on the base and let the ball sail over their head. Teach the first baseman to go off the base to catch ball. This will minimize those extra bases on overthrows.
The first baseman has to be ready to continue the play with runners on base. Consider this situation: Runner on second base with less than two outs. There's a groundball to the third baseman, he catches it and throws to first base. Meanwhile the runner on second base has rounded third and is heading home. The first baseman has to be alert and ready to throw the ball to homeplate to stop the run.
Finally, try to get all the kids on the field to ask these questions after EVERY pitch:
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