Conference 7.286::sports_91

    
    Well, Saturday starts our T-Ball practices.  
    
    I'm one of the coaches and I have a question (actually several
    questions).
    
    The team is made up of 14 young-uns ranging in age from 6 - 8 years
    old.  Boys and girls.
    
    Is anybody here an ex (or current) coach manager in Little league?
    
    How does one run a practice?  How does one keep the kiddies attention
    and at the same time make learning bball a fun thing.
    
    I've never played organized bball and never really learned the game
    other than the simple pitch the ball , hit the ball, run the bases,
    try to catch the ball, throw the ball and get the runner out.
    
    In theory, there'll be 3 Dad's involved but who knows......
    
    Thanks,
    
    I remain,
    da (neophyte) coach,
    Kev
    

    Bring lotsa bubble gum, sugarless, to be PC (parentally correct).
    
    Have parents take turns for bringing the goodies for each game.  This
    is fun, by the way.  If a parent bring Yodels or Ring Dings and
    Gatorade juice boxes, you know they're financially much better off than 
    you.  :-)
    
    BTW, Kev, are you playing or coaching?  :-)
    
    Hawk
      

    
    OK, I get it Hawk, get them on a sugar high and then find some creative
    way to channel that wired energy into hitting, running and throwing.
    Right?
    
    How do I stop them from hitting each other, running all over the
    bleachers, parents and nearby cars, and throwing up after they've
    consumed all the goodies?
    
    Since I don't have my 'stache any longer, maybe I will play.  Won't
    need to be disguised!  ;^)
    
    Parents.......  Glad you brought that up.  What do ya do with parents
    who know that their loinal fruit is Babe, Joe D, Cy, and Mantle all in 
    one and all the kid needs is playing time and favorite treatment?
    
    That's the scariest part - parents......
    
    Who needs 'em anyway?
    
    I remain,
    balking at the Gatorade, accepting the Beer!
    Kev
    

 Kev, first off, don't let Hawk handle the ticket window.  :-)
 
 The only way to run a *first* Little League practice with a brand new team
 is to just run a batting practice.   Tell the kids to go out on the field
 and take the positions they want to play and leave one kid behind to hit.
 
 Have a coach pitch about 10-15 balls to him/her and see what happens.  
 Call another kid in to hit and send the first one back out to the field. 
 Let the kids "negotiate" their positions as they move around from batter
 to batter.
 
 After everybody gets to hit, that's it.  Go home.  Now you'll have an idea
 of who can hit and what their fave spots on the field are.   You might
 want to repeat this type of practice two or three more times before you
 adjust it and start tinkering with batting lineups and situational
 defensive plays.
 
 Your last bit of "coaching" is almost always trying to convince the heavy
 kid to be the catcher.    Voice of experience.
 
 Bob Hunt

    
    Kev,
    
    You will discover immediately the following:
    
    EVERY kid can throw a ball (some better than others, obviously)
    
    EVERY kid can hit a ball off a tee (some better than others, obviously)
    
    NONE of them can *CATCH* a ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    Tee Ball is an incredible learning experience.........FOR THE COACH!!
    
    
    Basic fundamentals T-Ballers (no, this is not a nickname for those
    consenting to fornication with Mr.T!!!!) need to be taught are:
    
    Where is first base? 
    (Amazingly, kids playing 2 or 3 years of T-Ball go up to the next level
    and some of them have no idea where to run to after hitting a ball!!)
    
    Where to stand in reference to the Tee in order to hit the ball inside
    the field of play.
    
    The concept of running from base to base.
    
    Of major importance.....when in the field....PAY ATTENTION!!!
    
    Also in the field...a batted ball need not be gang-tackled by all 12 or
    14 kids!!!  Pig piles invariably occur on EVERY batted ball for the
    first few games unless you put a MAJOR emphasis on it in your
    pre-season practices.
    
    DO NOT THROW THE BAT!!!!!
    
    
    *IF* (and it's a BIG IF!!!) you happen to catch or stop a grounder...
    throw it to someone (preferably someone wearing a glove and covering a
    base!!!)!!
    
    I played ball through college...and coached a Senior Babe Ruth team to
    an 18-3 record and the state quarterfinals when I was 19 yrs. old......
    but I found out I didn't have a clue as to how to get the TRUE basics
    of the game across to kids with no prior knowledge!!!  As is always
    preached in T-ball.....priority 1 is to help the kids HAVE FUN!!
    
    Rather than continue this long-winded note, perhaps I'll give you a
    call to discuss verbally.....it might be easier for both of us.
    
    
    Regards,
    
    Nelly

Kev,

Here are some tips, some of which I gleaned from my teaching experience....


First, go to the library TONIGHT and get a book on coaching baseball.
YOu might find one that deals with coaching really young kids.  if not,
get what you can.  

learn to teach the main fundamentals.  (ie butt DOWN when fielding grounders,
etc etc etc).  No matter how well or poorly they do, praise them a lot.
Don't hesitate to take them aside and show them what you mean, and watch
for their improvement.


Divide your practice into small chunks of differing activities.  Their
attention spans will be small, so take that into consideration.

Suppose you want to work on grounders for 15 minutes.  It might be wise to
divvy that up into two sessions of 7.5 apiece, and have one early
and one late in the practice.


If you are the head coach, plan your practices, and delegate to your
assistants.  It might be wise to have a meeting with them prior to 
your practice to tell them how you're going to run the practice.  Get them
on the same wavelength as you...


Finally, make everything as fun as possible, even for the little un-athletic
Chainsaws you will have.   You have no problem being funny and witty,
so I doubt you'll have problems with making practice fun....


Hope this helps, please keep us informed!

'Saw

PS Let us know when the games are -- you might have a SPORTS cheering section!

Kev,

Nelly and Bob both have some good points.

One KEY is to figure out the fundamentals and how you might teach them
in a fun way that they can relate to.


Like fielding a grounder, you could make reference to duck walking (I'm sure
they still do that in kids PE class at school).  It's not quite the effect
but it's close...


Good luck...



Bob Hunt,

I too was the heavy kid.  They wanted me to play catcher, but I had one
problem -- left handed.  Can't tell you who the last left handed catcher
was in the Show, but I know that I kept saying I'd have a problem
throwing to second with a right handed batter in the box.

Wound up playing first base for my little league career.


(Hint for Kev -- if the heavy kid is a lefty, try 1B)


'Saw

    Thanks Bob but lemme toss a curve.
    
    T-Ball has no pitching.  The ball rests on one of those tubular
    things and the batter just whacks away until the ball goes somewhere!
    
    Also, with first-timers, if I send them out onto the field, I'd bet 
    99% of them don't have any idea about where the positions are, let
    alone what positions they want to play.
    
    now what?
    
    See? Once ya scratch the surface, it's not so simple.
    
    I remain,
    wearing my fingernails down.....
    Kev
    

 Never mind, Kev.  I missed the T-ball datapoint in your original note.  
 Save my advice for a couple of years when they're playing against "live"
 pitching.
 
 You still need to figure out your fielders, though.
 
 Bob Hunt
 
 P.S.  I resisted the push to catcher when I was in Little League but I had
 to admit later on that it was a good move for me.   I had a decent high
 school varsity baseball career as a catcher and probably couldn't have
 done so at another position that needed more speed.   I'm not the CF type
 and never was, that's for sure.

Bob,


Catcher is a cool position when you come right down to it.  It's the only
position that sees the entire field, and it's probably the only position
that can lay claim that baseball is a contact sport.

If I'd have been a righty, I'd have been catcher in an instant...


Then, during my teen years I had a growth spurt, and my quickness (not speed)
enabled me to play a very capable center field.


Now, if I play softball, I'm either behind the plate or at 1B again....


8^)


'Saw

    Kev,
    
    I think you should enter the following command at the NOTES> prompt:
    
    	SET PROFILE/PERSONAL_NAME="Kevin Farley, T-Ball Ringer"
    
    Have fun.
    
    	--dan'l

    Kev -
    
    From my son's first soccer practices, held at the same age as your
    group.  Try bringing a chalk board or grease board to practice.  Lay
    out the field on it, and talk the kids through where each position is. 
    At this age, make sure every kid plays every position at least once
    during the season.
    
    If it were me, I'd have each kid try hitting the ball and running to
    first base.  No fielders, no nothing - just hit the ball and run in the
    right direction.
    
    Have them try playing catch with each other.  Each time you
    successfully catch the ball, back up one step.  Swap off who they toss
    it with each time.  Later in the season, have them set up lines and
    toss the ball down the line and back again (three or four kids in the
    line).  Heck - make it a relay race!
    
    A&W 

    Bob Hunt knows T-Ball...
    
    
    Not!
    
    
    Make sure you make them run bleachers every time one of the little
    cherubs makes an error.  Gotta get the upper hand at an impressionable
    age.
    
    Mark.
    

       Hey 'Saw, Lufay stole your old P-name!!
                                Denny 8^o

    
    Thanks Mac, you're quite a guy!
    
    that said, later I'll resume my regularly scheduled baiting....
    
    ;^)
    
    Kev
    

 Bob Knight would have had at least three Little League champs by now had
 he chosen that profession.  Snuff, of course, would still be cherishing
 his one LL ring ... that earned, of course, on a wild pickoff throw to the
 wrong base by the opposing team's pitcher.
 
 Bob Hunt

Bob Hunt --


	BRUTAL, absolutely BRUTAL.  But I loved every word...


Denny --


	It's okay.  With a name like Lufay, you know he ain't visibly
	Scottish.

	And besides, Bob Hunt's note a while ago inspired my new p-name...



'Saw

    Never did it myself, but here's what I would do.
    
    Take 2 groups... give one group grounders, the other fly balls and see
    how they do.  If they can catch grounders, make them infielders,
    positions depending on arm strength.  If they can catch fly balls, make
    them OF's, again depending on arm strength.  If the kid's big and can
    do both, put them at 1B.  Concentrate on the fundamentals.  Make sure
    they know how to do it before one gets hit in the haid with a fly ball
    or a grounder.

    
    In my mind I keep seeing bits and pieces of the Bad News Bears
    
    skeered.....
    
    Seriously, practice (this time) is only gonna be 1 hour long. The
    idea of a chalkboard is nice but I doubt the timing is right to play
    classroom.  Lordy knows the little folk have had enuf of that for the
    week.  It's important (imo) to fill the hour with activity and fun and
    hope that some of the messages (through osmosis) become cranially
    implanted.  Practice, practice, and more practice is a given (over
    the course of the season).
    
    I'm wondering what your thoughts are about how practice should be
    conducted (ie organized) and then we can get to the "meat" (no offense
    Meat ;*) of fundamental basaball.
    
    I remain,
    looking for my flack jacket and hard hat!
    Kev
    
    
    

    
    Pop Warner football is easier to get the kids in specific positions.
    Just take 'em out to the woods and make 'em run.  The ones who run
    around the trees are backs, the ones who run into the trees are
    linemen.
    
    Dickstah
    

    On a real serious note...
    
    Kev, what Whoa Nelly said, about kids this age not being able to catch,
    is 100% correct.  I've seen way too many hardballs to the face (no, not
    mine, you neanderthals, the kids'!).  And, after taking a few to the
    face, the kids will become afraid of the ball, and that's the hardest
    thing to break, fear of the ball.  I know, I went through this with my
    boy....
    
    I highly recommend using those softer hardballs.  They're much easier
    on the face, and it helps their confidence since they're not so afraid
    of getting hurt.  Using one of these soft hardballs turned my son's
    confidence around real quick.  And, after the kids start getting a
    knack for almost catching the ball, and/or getting out of the way so as
    not to get hit in the face (believe me, some kids'll just stand there
    and watch the ball streak towards their face!), then you can gradually
    break them into using the real thing...
    
    Also, even if you do decide to use the soft hardball, encourage the
    parents to get their kids mouth guards...
    
    Hawk
    

    Yeah, Hawk I know what you mean.  Nelly and I spoke and I told him
    one of the reasons I didn't play was because I was ( and still
    partially so today) afraid of the ball.  (developed while being a
    target for my older brother when we played "catch" ha!).
    
    I'm pretty sure we have the soft baseballs, sorta like rags with
    covers.  They probably still smart a bit but I imagine they're quite
    dead so the wierd bounce might be a rarity. I'm considering some
    sponge balls or tennis balls as possible alternatives.
    
    Also, we've used at home those velcro covered "plates" with a tennis
    ball a bit to have a catch.  Nelly called it a "magic clove" or
    something.  Maybe will bring them too so the kids could get the idea
    of catching without having to remember that a baseball glove has to be
    open to catch the ball.  Ya know, a slow gradual learning progressive
    thing.
    
    anyway, that's my $0.02.
    
    I remain,
    looking for my cup and shin guards,
    Kev
    

    Remaining Kev,
    
    I just had a brainstorm (or at least a mild drizzle)......
    
    Kids are never too young to learn the fine art of bench-jockeying!!!
    And it's fun TOO!!!!
    
    Teach them the finer points of insulting umpires and the opposing
    team!!
    
    
    	For the ump:
    
    Where's your red nose you clown?
    Open your good eye!!
    Punch a hole in that welders mask!!!
    Keep your ears out of our dugout!!!
    Tuck those ears in, blue!!!
    You're missing a good game!!
    
    	For the other team:
    
    You couldn't throw out the garbage!!
    Rag arm!!
    Your mother!!! (This one is ALWAYS a big hit!!!)
    One man to a pair of pants!!! (For the young catcher/firstbaseman of the 
    group)
    
    
There's hundreds more....and all will go to waste if not used repeatedly!!
    My first practice will be dedicated to this dying art!!!
    
    
    HTH,
    
    Nelly	
    

    Kev, forget that Magic Glove thing.  It's like teaching a kid to skate
    on those double-runners.  Let them use their own real baseball gloves. 
    Soft hardballs are the best best though.  Tennis balls and soft rubber
    balls are ok, but the closer to real, the better...
    
    Hawk
    

           <<< HYDRA::DISK_NOTES$LIBRARY:[000000]DAVE_BARRY.NOTE;1 >>>
                       -<  Dave Barry - Noted humorist  >-
================================================================================
Note 407.0                    Great Sports Moments                    35 replies
SUBSYS::DOUCETTE "Jim Doucette"                      87 lines  27-MAR-1988 20:17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            Great Sports Moments

                                by Dave Barry

	[ Reprinted from the Boston Sunday Globe, Mar. 27, 1988 ]


OK, fans.  Time for Great Moments in Sports.  The situation is this:  The
Giants are playing a team whose name we did not catch in the hotly-contested
Little League Ages 6 and 7 Division, and the bases are loaded.  The bases
are always loaded in this particular division for several reasons.

First off, the coach pitches the ball to his own players.  This is because
throwing is not the strong suit of the players in the Ages 6 and 7 Division.
They have no idea, when they let go of the ball, where it's headed.  They
just haul off and wing it, really try to hurl that baby without getting
bogged down in a lot of picky technical details - such as whether or not there
is now, or has ever been, another player in the area where the ball is likely
to land.

Until I became a parent, I thought children just naturally knew how to catch
a ball, that catching was an instinctive biological reflex that all children
are born with, like knowing how to operate a remote control or getting high
fevers in distant airports.  But it turns out that if you toss a ball to a
child, the ball will just bonk off the child's body and fall to the ground.
So, you have to coach the child.  I go out in the yard with my son, and I
give him helpful tips such as:  "Catch the ball!"  And:  "Don't just let the
ball bonk off your body!"  Thanks to this coaching effort, my son, like most
of the players on the Giants, has advanced his game to the point where, just
before the ball bonks off his body, he winces.

So fielding is also not the strong suit of the Giants.  They stand around the
field, chattering to each other, watching airplanes, picking their noses,
thinking about dinosaurs, etc.  Meanwhile, on the pitchers' mound, the coach
of the opposing team tries to throw the ball just right so that it will
bounce off the bat of one of his players, because hitting is another major
area of weakness in the Ages 6 and 7 Division.

The real athletic drama begins once the opposing coach succeeds in bouncing
the ball off the bat of one of his players, thus putting the ball into play
and causing the fielders to swing into action.  It reminds me of those
table-hockey games, where you have a bunch of little men that you activate
with knobs and levers, except that the way you activate the Giants is, you
yell excitedly in an effort to notify them that the ball is headed their way.
Because otherwise, they'd probably never notice it.

"Robby," I'll yell, if the ball goes near my son.  "The ball!"  Thus activated,
Robby goes on Full Red Alert, looking around frantically until he locates the
ball, which he picks up and - eager to be relieved of the responsibility -
hurls it in some random direction.

This is why the bases are always loaded, which is what leads us to today's
Sports Moment.  Standing on third base is James Palmieri, who is only 5, but
who plays for the Giants anyway because his older brother, T.J., is on the
team.  James got on base via an exciting play:  He failed to actually,
technically, hit the ball, but the Giants' wily coach, Wayne Argo, employed
a classic bit of baseball strategy.  "Let's let James get on base," he said.
And the other team agreed, because at this point the Giants were losing the
hotly-contested game by roughly 143-57.

So here it is:  James is standing on third, for the first time in his entire
life, thinking about dinosaurs, and, next to him, ready to activate, is his
mom, Carmen.  And now Coach Wayne is throwing the pitch.  It is a good pitch,
bouncing directly off the bat.  Bedlam erupts as parents on both teams try to
activate their players, but none is shouting with more enthusiasm than Carmen.
"Run, James!" she yells, from maybe a foot away.  "Run!"

James, startled, looks up, and you can almost see the thought forming in his
mind:  "I'm supposed to run."  And now he is running, and Carmen is running
next to him, cheering him on, the two of them chugging toward the plate, only
15 feet to go, James about to score his first run ever.  Then suddenly,
incredibly, due to a semirandom hurl somewhere out in the field, there appears,
of all things:  The Ball.  And - this is a nightmare - an opposing player
actually catches it, and touches home plate and little James is OUT.

Two things happen:

	o  Carmen stops.  "S-word," she says, under her breath.
	   A mom to the core.

	o  James, oblivious, keeps running.  Chugs right on home,
	   touches the plate smiling and wanders off, happy as a clam.

You can have your Willie Mays catch and your Bill Mazeroski home run.  For me,
the ultimate mental picture is James and Carmen at that moment:  The Thrill of
Victory, the Agony of Defeat.  A Great Moment in Sports.
    

    I will add one comment about the chalk board.  It was used for the
    instructional level of soccer - no one on the team had ever seen the
    game before.  It came out for all of about 5 minutes, while the coach
    was assigning everyone their position for that day.
    
    And that team won 100% of its games, with only one athletically
    talented youngster (he could run and kick the ball at the same time) on
    the team.  
    
    A&W

    
    
    Kev,
    
    I've found the best way to handle 6-8 year olds at T-ball is a long
    whip and a cattle prod.  They work wonders in getting those kids to
    commit something new like hitting a ball and catching a ball to their
    memories!!!
    
    JaKe
    
    Many (8^)*'s
    

    JaKe,
    
    Sounds like a great idea but.....
    
    the parents will be there too and I think I read somewhere that some
    have rather strong feelings against "non_intellectual, non_rational
    "incentives""
    
    But, I like the idea (in principle)
    ;^)
    
    I remain,
    building an invisible pee-shooter reminder thang,
    Kev
    

    
    seriously....
    
    I've given a lot of thought to kiddie desires and motivational things
    and attention spans and I'm gonna talk to the manager about the
    following idea.
    
    We wanna teach them to stop the ball (catching is preferred of course),
    throw it (where it should go) and generally learn the whole game. 
    However, it looks seems like *ALL* the kids wanna hit the ball and
    nothing else.  Traditional thought would say that sometime during
    practice the team takes the field and some lucky kid gets to release
    his energy and hit the ball to the 13 "gang tacklers".  IMO, by the
    time #10 or #9 or #whatever  the chance, you've lost them.  So, ya
    gottsa keep it interesting so they are interested.
    
    So....we have 14 young'uns here and 3 adults.  Why not use their desire
    to hit the ball as a psychological tool?  Why can't we bring our own
    personal tubular thingie to practice, break the team into a 5-5-4 group
    and then let the munchkins work in a group which has 1 at bat, the rest
    chase the ball and switch batters after 3-4 hits?  If we do a good job
    at guessing the ability levels of the kids in each group and put those
    who can catch together and those who can't together then we minimize
    the "can't catch=ridicule" syndrome. Of course working this out
    requires a bit more thought to work effectively.
    
    IMO, this idea touches on catching and hitting, two of the three things 
    beginning baseball players should learn.
    
    Whattya think?
    
    I remain,
    potentially creative,
    Kev
    

    re.28
    
    Kev,
    
    If you tell the parents at the first practice that at the next practice
    you will be assigning jobs to the parents who attned, such as who
    brings the drinks, and who brings a snack for the kids, and who helps
    little Johnny make a wee-wee, then at the NEXT pracitce, you won't find
    a parent within 25 miles of the ballfield and you cain go to your car
    and whip out the mainly implements I mentioned in an earlier note.
    
    Schnort Schit Schleps
    
    JaKe
    

    Kev, I've used that set up to run DEC league softball practices.  I've
    found it works very well.  It's difficult to get 20 people to show up
    to have a full scrimmage, so you divide the group up so there is always
    a complete team in the field and  a small group up at the plate.

	Kevin,

Speaking from 2 years managing T-Ball, and 2 in farm.

	If you have 3 parents, 3 groups is fine.

	1st practice - 

	1 group catching and throwing
	1 group htiing off the Tee to the BACKSTOP
	1 group figuring out baserunning - no sliding, I imagine

	Switch them every 15 minutes. That gives you some time before and after
	to talk to them and parents.

	2nd practice - Outfield, Infield, Hitting to Backstop.

	Throw grounders and flies.

	3rd practice - Outfield, Infield - Then hitting into field as a group.
	Hit the ball this time.
	Have 2 coaches keep people awake, 1 keep the kids waiting to bat in line

	4th practice - Try guys out at positions and hit and run

	5th practice - Game situations

	Try to get a practice game against another team.

	Jim

    
    RE: .20  Dickstah...
    
    Hahahahaha(tm)!!! 
    
    
    Cath

Kev,

	I've done this T-ball thing for 3 yrs now, here is some advice, some of 
it based upon my league's rules. I coach 4-6 yr olds so your league may differ
slightly.  We use the afore mentioned soft hardball; no plays at the bases, i.e.
the runner has to stop when the fielders get the ball to the pitcher; no outs, 
change sides after everyone bats; Game is 2 innings (or 45min).  The kids will 
all want to pitch or play infield, so make up a roster and rotate fielders every
inning. All inning one's infielders go to the outfield for the second inning,
and bring in enough inning one outfielders to play the infield and pitch.  
Parents at this level are no problem. We try to have each kid play most of the
positions, and each let each kid leadoff or hit the dinger (bat last) once a 
year.

	Based on that;

the key to the field is use the correct # of infielders, and put the 30 or 40 
other kids in the field.  This will eliminate the scrums that can develop in 
the infield. Tell your pitcher to field balls that only come right to him. The 
rest of you infielders can go get almost anything. Most scrimages will only 
involve two or three kids.  Ask your team before every batter, Who do we get the
ball to ? The pither!!! Keeping the pitcher focused on this and staying on 
mound will keep him out of pig piles.  If your pitcher can catch, kids can throw
him the ball, else roll it to him or infielders can run it over.

 The outfield will almost always produce srcums. But your stud(s) will almost
always come up with the rock. (even if he is playing rt rt field, and a shot is 
hit to center left , or left lft field. Sometimes your stud will get the ball in
the infield when he's in center field.  Need to try and teach kids like that the
concept of playing "his posistion" but don't stiffel kids that "go to the ball 
like a bat outa hell".  

Make sure your infielders keep those gloves up in front of their face.  Back 
your pitcher and thirdbase men up when that 90 pound seven yr old come to the 
plate (1st basemand too if the 90 pounder looks like Mattingly). The first time
a little shaver takes a shot or a short hop in the chops, you'll feel like sh*t.

Batting, like what was previouly mentioned, don't throw the BAT. Carry it with 
them is they can't drop it.  Run once the ball is in play, and if the picher 
doesn't have it yet, go to second. (It takes an act of God to get most kids 
to run to second, except your stud(s), who will score on most balls hit to the
outfield, especialy if said shot produces a scrum). Need base coaches to move 
kid along after next batter hits. You also need a bench mom or dad to keep the
troops focused when your team is batting. We only practice once or twice before 
the season (at this age they (I) couldn't tollerate much more). I skipped drills, 
and had game situations- all they want to do is have fun (read: hit and play 
pitcher). Make up a roster and batting order and switch it ea. week. I.E. week 
1's leadoff hitter moves to the back of the pack, and everyone else slides up.
Hopefully you will have enough games, so everyone can lead off.


Good Luck, Stan

�This will eliminate the scrums that can develop in 
�the infield. 
    
    The correct terminolgy is "ruck" not "scrum".  And it's a bad ruck at
    that if everyone is just piled on top and the ball doesn't come out.

    
    T-Ball is a lot like rugby...a whole lot. 
    

                           My .02 worth
    
    I've coached T-ball for 2 years (6-7 yr olds). The first item on my
    journey was to meet with the parents. I told them I wasn't a
    babysitter, and i he/she didn't pay listen and behave they didn't
    play. Our little league organization backed our coaches 100% on 
    this matter. If you had a problem with a child not listening or
    misbehaving, you were supposed to talk to there parents directly,
    if nothingwas resolved then the league board members got involved.
    
    Most T-ball leagues don't keep score. Have fun with the kids, let
    them play any and every position. If you want to win, coach older
    kids!!!
    
                                 Bruce

    re back a few,
    
    Who Gives a Ruck???
    
    JaKe
    

>    re back a few,
>    
>    Who Gives a Ruck???
    
We, the RUCKmasters do...


If you ain't never been in a ruck, then you can't be talking about
scrums and rucks and such.

But when you ruck, and you ruck GOOD, it's an adrenaline rush like you
wouldn't believe -- especially if you're inside their 22 meter line...


'Saw    

� But when you ruck, and you ruck GOOD, it's an adrenaline rush like you
� wouldn't believe -- especially if you're inside their 22 meter line...
 
 Uh-oh.  Looks like vacation was a lot like rugby, too.  Sorry, 'Saw, gotta
 do it, pal.  It's for the common good.
 
 Notes> SET NOTE/NORUGBY
 
 Bob Hunt

But BOB, THEY started it!


8^)

'Saw

    From the notes I've read I think that Stan in .34 has the biggest grasp
    on the subject. The T-Ball teams I've coached have kids in the 5-6 yrs.
    range, they move up to Coaches Pitch for 7-8 yrs., then pee wee etc...
    At the very start of the season the first thing I do is talk to the
    parents. All of their kids are all-stars and should play short stop.
    You need to let them know up front that you will try to accomodate them
    but you're going to play them where they are best suited. Also let them
    know that no matter how many kids you have, all of them will play and
    you will be very fair in play time no matter how close the game is.
    This will build the parents confidence in you as a coach. Ask for a
    volunteer for a team mother... she will be in charge of keeping the
    roster to be handed in to the umps and keeping the score during the
    game. This is a very important position. Not only will she have to keep
    you in check while you're swaping in and out kids, she will have to
    keep an eye on the other team to make sure that their big hitters don't
    come up to the plate every three or four bats.(Don't think it dosen't
    happen!!!) She will need some assistants to bring kool-aid for after
    practices, and check colas and pies for after the games.(cheap is cool,
    the kids don't care one way or the other)
    
    Here is something a lot of people don't agree with but you will find
    will make your job a lot easier. You will have a lot of hard heads
    with a short attention span. Find a tree or a pole about a 100yds from
    the playing field. If one starts messing up due to lack of attention,
    run him to the tree. Don't play favorites run them all! You'll be
    suprised how much better their play will improve and how quickly you
    will notice it. My parents get a big kick out of it when they come to
    the practices. One of their kids will mess up on a play and you'll hear
    mom or dad yell "take it to the tree!" After practice I tell them that
    I want them to understand that I'm not mad at them that this just helps
    them pay more attention and gets them is shape at teh same time.
    If you get some of the dads (or moms) to help with the practices and
    games get them on the same wavelength as you. 
    
    On practicing new kids to the game.... The most important thing is to
    HOLD THE BALL!!!!! These kids love to throw the ball around the field.
    If you cannot get the batter out at first, get it into the kids head to
    hold the ball and call time! Another thing that I do that a lot of
    teams started doing is when one of thekids in the infield gets the
    ball, do not throw it to first base in the air, but throw it overhanded
    to the ground and roll it to first! Your out percentage will raise
    considerably. This does a few things for the kids. It gets the infield
    used to throwing a straight line to the base and builds confidence buy
    getting runners out and gets the first baseman used to balls in the
    dirt and builds his confidence also. When your kids get beaned with a
    ball no matter how light go out and tell them what a great job they did
    for knocking the ball down like you asked in practice. I think someone
    mentioned not throwing the bat for it is and automatic out. Also
    someone mentioned playing catcher. Tell whoever you pick that either
    they ride the bench until you can get them in the game which means only
    1 or 2 hits or to start which means 4 or 5 times at the plate. Spend
    more time running the bases than hitting. When they figure out that
    they don't get to hit until they learn to run the bases they pick it up
    pretty quick. If you have bunch of players on the team all the extras
    not playing positions should be running the bases when you're having
    infield/outfield practice. Hitting off the tee is the easiest thing 
    the kids have to worry about when getting started and I don't usually
    put a big emphasis on it till mid season. Oh I forgot, try and line up
    a few practices at the field where they will be playing. When you take
    them from your practice field to the park where they play, they tend to
    get a little intimidated by moving to a bigger ball field. When you do
    start putting emphasis on the hitting, get them used to the third bas
    coach positioning them in the batters box. Make up a turning motion
    sign for them to understand which way to stand in the batters box to
    hat away from the batter on base.  hope this help a little.
    
    Rod. 

    The best advice you can give to young ball players is to play
    catch as much as they can outside of practice.  Playing catch
    with dad or an older brother is optimal cause they will play
    catch not fetch. 
    
    I continue to be amazed by how poorly older kids, in general, throw 
    and catch balls. And I believe nothing improves baseball skills more 
    than repetition.
    
    
    
    

    
    
    I couldn't find this topic anywhere so I decided to start it.
    
    I have child who plays Hockey and Tennis.
    He is involved in a local Youth Hockey program.
    After originally trying out for the Manchester Flames
    he was released to play for Salem, he had an option 
    to play with Gate City (Nashua) he chose Salem.
    
    His tennis consists of neighborhood
    one on ones nothing organized, he had some
    lessons over the summer.
    
    I guess I intend this note to concern youth sports
    programs the involvement of kids and parents where
    how and anything else even news.  
    
    So any Youth Hockey folks out there?
    
    Any one know anything about youth Tennis programs in NH?
    
    cbc

    
    The Phillipine Little League World Series team was stripped of its
    championship due to overage players and illegal roster moves. The team
    that moves up is supposed to be a regional team, but according to the
    radio, the Phillipino team picked all-stars from other teams that had
    been eliminated prior.
    
    Sheesh, at least I didn't hear anything about steroid use.
    
    Dickstah
    
    P.S.  I wonder if the now-champion California team already turned in
          their shirts?
    

    re: .45
    
    Gets better. Long Beach left one of their players behind because he
    lived 2 blocks out of the designated district for that team.
    
    The Crazy Met
    

>    Gets better. Long Beach left one of their players behind because he
>    lived 2 blocks out of the designated district for that team.
    
Yeah.  I heard that too.


Like my mother always said:

	Cheaters never prosper.


I feel sorry for the teams that the Phillipines beat on the way to the
finals.


And I'd bet those Phillipine kids were using steroids too, and maybe
even growth hormone!  8^)


'Saw    

    
    There appeared to be something up with the Phillipines team when no 
    sooner had they gotten off the plane and the papers *in their own 
    country* were reporting that some of the kids were over age.
    
    No American sour grapes though... the real losers are the kids from
    Taiwan, who were most likely denied their near-annual championship.
    
    Once these things are done, though, everybody's the loser, I guess...
    
    glenn
    

    Glen, I heard this weekend that the Taiwan teams were suspect as well,
    but no evidence as yet to show that they broke the rules.
    
    Perhaps it's just sour grapes.
    
    Anyway, those in charge of the Phillipine team are great teachers, huh?
    
    Lee