Teaching Young Kids Baseball

By

Lisa Florio

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Introduction

• This presentation is designed to teach kids baseball techniques, and also assist parents in helping their kids learn the basics. – This presentation includes:

• A brief history of baseball• Advice to Parents• Baseball fundamentals• Hitting• Catching• Throwing

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America’s Favorite Pastime

• History– First leagues established in the late 1870’s– The first World Series took place in 1903– The first all-star game was played in 1933– The NY Yankees have won the most championships– The baseball hall of fame is located in Cooperstown

NY

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Advice to Parents

• Patience – be patient with your child

• Practice – stress the importance of practice

• Sensitivity – be sensitive to your child’s mood

• Interest – show interest in your child’s game

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Baseball FUNdamentals

• Baseball Diamond– 9 Positions

• Pitcher• Catcher• 1st, 2nd, 3rd Base• Short Stop• Left, Center and

Right Field

• 3 outs per inning• 6 innings per

game (Kids)

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Swinging the Bat

• Hitting off the “T” is a great way to learn

• When pitching use a larger ball for hand-eye coordination

• Use the right length and weight for the bat

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The Batting Stance

• Have the feet spread about six to eight inches wider than the shoulders

• Have slightly more weight on the rear foot and more weight forward on the balls of the feet

• Check that your hips and shoulders are level

• Keep your head steady, eyes level and your

chin tucked in on your front shoulder

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The Batting Stance Continued

• Put your hands comfortably away from your body and on the same plane as the back shoulder

• Have your elbows bent comfortably

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Catching the Ball

• Provide a baseball glove which fits a hand

• Roll the ball first

• Graduate to a few bounces • Toss softly at close range • Remind him/her to squeeze the ball after

it lands in the glove

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Catching the Ball Continued

• Remember– Kids are generally

more afraid to catch a ball than to swing at it

– Catching a ball is the toughest thing for kids to learn because they might feel that they can’t control the ball

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Throwing the Baseball

• Need to get your entire body into the throw

• Good throwing mechanics will enable you to make plays

• The best way to grip the ball is across the seams (as shown)

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Throwing the Ball Continued

• Arm Motion– The motion of your

arm makes when throwing the ball is a circular motion

– The circular motion will aid your throw by providing more natural momentum

– In order to throw the ball, you want to make sure you throw it across all four seems

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As a Parent During the Game

• Be supportive and congratulatory

• Offer tips in a positive way

• Don’t make your kid feel bad about a mistake or bad skills

• Support your child’s interest by attending the games and cheering!

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Conclusion

• Baseball is our nations pastime

• Kids and parents love to play baseball

• Learning the fundamentals is important from an early age

• Parents need to encourage their kids in a positive way

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Resources

• How to Get the Proper Batting Stance http://www.ehow.com/how_10085_proper-batting-stance.html

• Playing Catch – Throwing the Baseball http://www.qcbaseball.com/skills/pc_throwing1.aspx

• Singleton Susan. Helping Kids Play Americas Favorite Pastime. Online,

http://www.recreate.com/Pages/articles/ssingle2.shtml

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