Category: Coaching

Every infielder must strive to achieve the following. He must have: The correct attitude Excellent sensory perception Good rhythm with all ground balls Proper mechanics The ability to make the plays Once he has developed these five areas, he must never settle for anything short of perfection. Every infielder must desire to be involved in… Continue reading The Five Essentials of Infield Play

A team unprepared to deal with rundowns might panic at the sight of a runner caught off base. In reality, few situations favor the defense more. Once your team masters the following strategies, they’ll view rundowns as “slam dunk” outs. The keys to successful rundown defense are as follows: Conduct the entire rundown far away from… Continue reading Rundowns: Slam Dunks of Defensive Baseball

Most good gloves are built from good top grain leather. They become “truly personal” items to many ball players. If you treat it just like you would any high quality leather item, it will give you longer years of service. Do – Store your glove in room temperature conditions! Don’t – Store in garage, attic or… Continue reading Taking Care of Your New Glove: Do’s and Don’ts!

Purpose: Primarily for throwing, but will also impress the opposition if done right. Suggested to use your regulars and one extra with two catchers. The fungo hitter hits from behind the mound area on all outfield throwing. LF- (hit two) Base hit down just inside foul line where it can be fielded well short of the fence.… Continue reading Pregame Infield Practice

If you need a tryout format for your league, All-Stars, or for an individual team, here are some good guidelines that are flexible and give coaches a good idea of the players’ abilities.   Make sure you run them. Whatever distances your bases are, make sure they run a dash from home to first and… Continue reading Tips On Running A Baseball Tryout

It’s clean the slate time. Time to step back from the many of pieces that make up running, staffing, and coaching your teams. So where do you start? Try a clean slate . . . literally grab a blank legal pad (not that old coaching notebook with every old note, schedule and whatever else sticking… Continue reading Enjoy Your New Ball Club by Organizing Yourself

I would like to write an article about the relationship between a coach and an umpire. Having been a coach for 34 years and an umpire for 21 years, I feel like I have some expertise in this area. The first and foremost thing is to realize that both of you are out there to… Continue reading A Coach’s Approach With Umpires

Base coaches are a vital part of an offensive effort in baseball. Even the most knowledgeable base runners depend on the coaches to guide them around the bases, especially in a high-pressure situation. Here is an in-depth look at the base coaches’ duties, and the skills they need to be effective. Basic Responsibilities: The base… Continue reading What You Have To Know As A Base Coach

Baseball coaches who run an aggressive offense– squeeze, hit and run, and double steal– obviously have need of a sign system that will enable them to communicate with the players and adapt to changing situations and personnel quickly and efficiently.A good sign system will include all or most of the following:“Indicators” that alert the players… Continue reading “Signing” On (and Off)

Question: I have a stepson who is 13 and I coach his team. I feel that he is not giving me the respect of a head coach and he is not trying as hard as the other kids on the team. So my question is: How can I get him to try harder in practice and… Continue reading Coaching Your Own Child