- Baseball is a Game of Movement —
Overview - Tee-Ball
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The concepts below apply every time the kids are on the field. These points are fundamental to success in Tee-Ball. This page is a valuable resource for the entire season.
Three Goals for the Season
Players learn that their Legs power their bodies, and the movements for throwing and swinging the bat.
Recognize that when not fielding the ball, a player covers a base. – Baseball is a Game of Movement
Have Fun - Definition of Fun: Movement and Activity. Waiting in line for their turn, listening to an adult talk, standing in the outfield watching the other kids play. These common circumstances are not ‘Fun’.
Childhood Motor Skill Development
(from Joseph Lao, Ph.D.)
…Catching balls takes a little longer, (typically an additional 3-4 years), i.e., until 5-7 years of age. During infancy children can only catch large balls rolled directly at them. If a smaller ball is thrown directly at them they tend to close their eyes, turn their heads, and stiffly extend arms and legs.
It is not until seven years of age that children develop the capacity to track flying objects, make appropriate leg and body adjustments, and prepare their arms, hands and fingers quickly enough to catch a three-inch ball.
Note: This is a sample excerpt of one article. There are many written by child development researchers that state that seven or eight is the age that kids become better able to judge the movement of a thrown ball and execute a catch.
Keep in mind that during this research, the testing likely does not take place in a park with other kids and additional distractions. The Tee-Ball practice environment, very likely, makes catching a thrown baseball more challenging than in a research atmosphere.
The Science: Human beings' eyes work together as part of a process called 'Binocular Vision'. The eyes working together creates depth perception. Many Tee-Ballers’ brains have not yet developed Binocular Vision …the capacity to accurately track the movement of a flying ball coming in their direction.
Tee-Ball is an Adult-Child Activity
Managing a group of 4-6 year-olds is difficult, if not impossible, for 1-2 adults to do successfully. The ideal, for a Tee-Ball practice, is a 1:1 adult-child ratio. This is especially important for throwing and catching drills.
Also, spending time on the field with your child is a great bonding activity. And Fun …playing with them!
During fielding and batting drills, the extra adults serve as ‘Traffic Cops’, managing the players, while the coach is Coaching.
[For many years, I have run Tee-Ball training programs with 5-6 teams working at the same time in a space the size of a soccer field. We asked parents to attend and participate. We had nearly as many adults on the field as kids. All you have to do is ask and they will show up. Parents Get It; they understand that 1-2 adults cannot manage 8-10 little kids at the same time.]
Tee-Ball Games are 5 v 5
The Ideal Tee-Ball Game has players at the four infield positions and a player at the Pitcher’s defensive position^. The coach that is working the Tee takes throws to home plate …and they Always ‘miss the tag’ :)
On the offense side, when there are only 5 players, the kids get to bat a lot more.
Unfortunately, most Tee-Ball teams have more than 5 players. However, many have 10 players.
Why not, if both teams have a bunch of kids, split them into two groups and have 2 games going on side-by-side??
Tee-Ball doesn’t require an actual diamond. Set up two fields, using throw down bases or anything to represent a base.
Now we have more kids Doing …getting better and having more ‘Fun’ - reference ‘Three Goals for the Season’ above.
^ What happens when a ball is hit to the Outfield? A: the kids run after it; running after the ball is Fun!
Don’t Expect Them to ‘Get It Right’
A common mistake coaches (at all levels) make is trying to have every activity run perfectly, and for the players to immediately master the skill/drill that is being worked on. (Often the result is a lot of talking and not enough Doing.)
In most cases, player will not Get it Right. That is why we practice. Give a few words of direction (words are for Guidance), then let the kids get as many Repetitions as possible, then build off this day the next time you are on the field. (We are going to review and repeat the activities all season long. The kids will Get It …week 4 or 5.
Limit ‘coaching’ words to: (1) “Good Job” (player did it right) (2) “Try it again” (player wasn’t as successful as we hoped) (3) Reminding the player(s) of a point^ made in the initial instructions.
^ A ‘point’ is not a 30 second diatribe (the more talk by the adult, the more confusion for the kids). Reminding is usually just one word or phrase (that the player is familiar with; a word/phrase used during instruction prior to the activity (examples: ‘Feet Wide’, ‘Head Still’, ‘Reach Forward’, ‘Swing Faster’)
No Chasing Missed Throws During Drills
If we allow kids to chase missed throws, our practices turn into an activity of kids chasing balls instead of developing skills. Tell them, “You are Not Allowed to chase missed throws. Unless the coach asks you to”.
Repetition is The Key to Developing Skills
Coaches’ words are to Guide an activity. Players don’t learn from words; they learn by Doing.
…Less Talk, More Action!
Multiple Tees and Wiffle/Squishy Balls
Reference the Point above. Multiple Tees going at once = More Repetition. We use Wiffle/Squishy balls; this makes it safe to have multiple balls flying around at the same time.
Anyone who has their own Tee, Bring It! Suggestion: If your child is enthusiastic about the game, buy a Tee^ at the local sporting goods store. We want 3-4 Tees on the field during every practice, so multiple kids are swinging at the same time.
Ask your League to supply your team with 2 dozen wiffle/squishy balls, and more Tees. (If they are kept in an equipment box at the field, they are there for older teams to use. A Batting Tee is a tool that is used by players at all levels …including Major Leaguers.)
The most important factor is skill development is Repetition. Kids don’t get enough reps if only one is swinging the bat at a time.
^ When away from the team practice environment, your enthusiastic child will have a blast getting extra swings off Their Tee.
Kids Will Find Interests Other Than Baseball While On the Field
During practices and games, a ladybug or grasshopper will appear, a plane will fly overhead, a dog-owner will be in the park playing fetch.
It doesn’t take much to distract a young child. It IS going to happen. Be prepared, mentally and emotionally, for these distractions to come up. Don’t let these moments frustrate you; go with the flow. Remember, we are working with very young children. At this point in their lives most everything is a curiosity.
Having a 1:1 Adult-Child ratio (during practices especially) goes a long way to minimizing how much these inevitable distractions disrupt what we are doing.
Ready Position
This coaching directive puts players in the best position to Move athletically. It is used prior to each drill repetition and, in a game, when the batter is getting ready to swing at the ball. This statement focuses (and re-focuses) player(s) on the task at hand. It is an effective tool for player management; also for safety: keeps the kids alert to thrown or batted balls.
Feet ‘outside the knees’ (inside edge of feet outside the hips). Defensive players want their feet wide apart, which puts them in a more powerful position to react and move to the ball. Note: this is stressful (not in a bad way) on the leg muscles; its much more comfortable for a young child to stand with their feet under their hips. Initially few, if any, of the players will follow this instruction. Keep teaching it; we will say ‘Feet Wide’ hundreds of times during the season. It will be a constant mantra all practice long, each practice.
Elbows & Hands held in front of the body. Had See Note above re: few will follow this instruction. This aspect of the Ready position is stressful on the shoulder muscles. Hands are at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock with palms facing in.
A player in a proper Ready Position looks like a linebacker getting ready for the ball to be snapped or a basketball player defending an opponent dribbling the ball. Note: initially our kids won’t get in an ideal Ready Position. It takes weeks of constant instruction and reminding from the start to the end of each practice and game.
The Base is for the Runner
Teach our fielders, when at a base to receive a throw, the stand next to the base (in a Ready Position, not in a Stretch position). They don’t touch the base until they have the ball. The base does not belong to the fielder, the Base Is For The Runner.
Recording an out requires the fielder to touch the base. However, the fielder must first have possession of the ball. If the fielder does not have the ball, touching the base has no value.
When a fielder has their foot on the base (or stands on top of the base) they endanger themselves and the runner. A collision is more likely. Or it causes confusion for the runner (“Hey, you are in my way”).
Ball First, Base Second
Thrown balls are often inaccurate. Teach the fielders to focus entirely on catching/gaining possession of the Ball, First. Once they have the ball, then they can touch the Base with their foot, Second.
Move Feet to Catch
We teach our kids, ‘Catch the Ball with Your Feet’. When the ball is not coming straight to them, they need to move their feet, which takes their hands to where the ball is going. (A player doesn’t stand in place, reach out sideways, and hope the ball lands in their glove.)
Ask your players, “Does the ball always come straight to you?”.
Move Feet to Throw
The legs are the most powerful part of the body. The arm is not very strong, compared to the legs. To throw with maximum velocity and accuracy, a player Moves Their Feet to Throw. Movement of the feet engages the power of the Legs.
Overhand throws: shuffle the feet straight towards the target.
Underhand Toss: run straight towards the target.
Baseball is a Game of Movement
When watching a baseball or softball game, kids see the players standing in one place most of the time (between pitches). When watching high-level players (HS, College, Pro/Olympic Level) most of the throws are very accurate; they go directly to the receiving player (who doesn’t have to move to make the catch). Kids (and many of us adults) follow the ball around the field. The result is the kids don’t see the movement of the other players (who don’t have the ball). While one player is going for the ball, all the other players are moving: to cover a base or get in position to back up a throw.
It is critical for us to constantly teach the concept: Baseball is a Game of Movement.