Coaching youth baseball

192 Pages·2007·10.054 MB·English

by  American Sport Education Program., USA Baseball (Organization)

Coaching Youth
Baseball
Fourth Edition
American Sport Education Program
Official Handbook of USA Baseball
Human Kinetics
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Coaching youth baseball / American Sport Education Program. -- 4th ed.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-6526-9 (soft cover)
ISBN-10: 0-7360-6526-1 (soft cover)
1. Baseball for children--Coaching. 2. Youth league baseball--Coaching. I. American Sport Education
Program.
GV880.4.R66 2007
796.35707'7--dc22
2006037049
ISBN-10: 0-7360-6526-1 (print) ISBN-10: 0-7360-8539-4 (Adobe PDF)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-6526-9 (print) ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-8539-7 (Adobe PDF)
Copyright © 2007, 2001, 1996, 1993 by Human Kinetics, Inc.
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of the publisher.
Notice: Permission to reproduce the following material is granted to instructors and agencies who have purchased
Coaching Youth Baseball, Fourth Edition: pages 154-158. The reproduction of other parts of this book is expressly
forbidden by the above copyright notice. Persons or agencies who have not purchased Coaching Youth Baseball,
Fourth Edition may not reproduce any material.
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Contents
Welcome to Coaching v
Welcome From uSA Baseball vi
drill Finder vii
Key to diagrams ix
1
Stepping Into Coaching 1
2
Communicating As a Coach 9
3
Understanding Rules and Equipment 19
4
Providing for Players’ Safety 35
5
Making Practices Fun and Practical 51
6
Teaching and Shaping Skills 57
7
Coaching Offense 69
8
Coaching Defense 87
9
Coaching on Game Day 129
10
Developing Season and Practice Plans 141
Appendix A: related Checklists and Forms 153
Appendix B: Baseball terms 159
Appendix C: 15 Gamelike drills 163
About ASEP 179
iii
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Welcome to Coaching
Coaching young people is an exciting way to be involved in sport. But it isn’t
easy. Some coaches are overwhelmed by the responsibilities involved in help-
ing athletes through their early sport experiences. And that’s not surprising
because coaching youngsters requires more than simply bringing the balls to
the field and letting the players play. It also involves preparing those players
physically and mentally to compete effectively, fairly, and safely in their sport,
as well as providing them with a positive role model.
This book will help you meet the challenges and experience the many
rewards of coaching young players. You’ll learn how to meet your responsi-
bilities as a coach, how to communicate well and provide for safety, and how
to teach technical and tactical skills while keeping them fun. You’ll also learn
strategies for coaching on game day. To help you with your practices, over 25
drills are included throughout the text and in one of the book’s appendixes.
We also provide sample practice plans and season plans to help guide you
throughout your season.
This book serves as a text for ASEP’s Coaching Youth Baseball course. If
you would like more information about this course or other American Sport
Education Program courses and resources, please contact us at the following
address:
ASEP
P.O. Box 5076
Champaign, IL 61825-5076
800-747-5698
www.ASEP.com
v
Welcome From uSA Baseball
On September 27, 2000, an improbable conclusion became reality when Team
USA, led by head coach and Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda, earned a gold
medal in America’s pastime at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
This tremendous accomplishment testifies to the value we Americans place
on the game of baseball and amateur athletics as a whole.
USA Baseball is a member of the United States Olympic Committee and
the International Baseball Association. It is also the national governing body
for amateur baseball in America and as such governs more than 19 million
amateur players in ballparks and playgrounds across the country. Because of
its responsibility to develop and promote the game at the grassroots level, USA
Baseball embraces publications such as Coaching Youth Baseball as a means of
communicating the basics of the game to one of the most important people
in a young player’s life—his or her coach.
Coaching Youth Baseball is an invaluable resource for the beginning coach
or for an experienced coach who wants to brush up on interpersonal skills.
The practical, step-by-step information provided will prepare coaches for the
task of communicating the fundamentals of baseball to today’s youth. Adults
will understand many important aspects of their role as coaches: how to com-
municate effectively with their players, the best way to teach new skills and
organize on-field drills, how to promote team spirit and leadership, the basic
first aid and sport science concepts. By following the information provided in
this book, and keeping the FUN in FUNdamentals, coaches will help to instill
in young players the ideals of teamwork, fitness, and friendship.
Welcome to coaching and the personal satisfaction that comes from work-
ing closely with our nation’s future, its children.
Yours in Baseball,
Paul V. Seiler
Executive Director and CEO
USA Baseball
vi
drill Finder
Drill Page
Offensive technical skills
Hitting Four-Count Hitting Drill Page 75
Hit-and-Run Page 165
Lead Runner Page 168
Double Trouble Page 170
Hitting Down Page 172
Squeeze Play Page 173
Baserunning Leadoff and Steal Drill Page 79
Outfield Sliding Drill Page 80
Tag and Go Drill Page 81
Fast Feet Page 164
Hit-and-Run Page 165
First to Third Page 166
Lead Runner Page 168
Tag-Out Page 169
Pickle Page 171
Squeeze Play Page 173
Defensive technical skills
Throwing Throwing Drill Page 94
Hit the Relay Page 167
Double Trouble Page 170
Making the Play Page 174
Bull’s-Eye Page 177
Airtight D Page 175
On the Fly Page 178
Pitching Pitcher’s Balance Drill Page 101
(continued)
vii
(continued)
Drill Page
Defensive technical skills
Catching Catching Drill Page 105
Catching Throws Drill Page 108
Fielding Ground Balls Drill Page 113
Fielding Fly Balls Drill Page 115
Line Drive Drill Page 116
Backstop Page 176
Airtight D Page 175
On the Fly Page 178
viii
Key to diagrams
P Pitcher
C Catcher
CO Coach
1B 1st base player
2B 2nd base player
3B 3rd base player
SS Shortstop
LF Left fielder
CF Center fielder
RF Right fielder
B Batter
R Runner
F Fielder, general
Path of runner/fielder
Path of hit/tossed ball
Path of throw
ASEP/E3805/Key/280059/alw/R1
ix
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