Headfirst vs. Feet-first
4/30/11
By Cal Ripken

There has been a lot of discussions about Josh Hamilton and the ultra-aggressive style of play that landed him on the DL for 6-8 weeks. Here's my take...

Feet-first is always the first choice.
A feet-first slide is always the safest option when the circumstances call for a runner to slide in order to avoid a tag. It is the safest and easiest way to slide into a base while lowering the chance of an easy tag by the man covering the bag.

At the youth level, the feet-first slide should be used exclusively. Even up to more advanced levels of youth baseball, players should rely on the headfirst slide only when diving back to the bag on a pick-off attempt. Other than that, the feet-first slide is safest and generally gives you a great chance at being safe.

In fact, many youth leagues have rules against sliding headfirst. In those cases, players that use the headfirst slide are called out on the spot. It's a rule designed to protect young players from the increased risk of injury that comes with sliding headfirst.

When players transition from the formative years of youth baseball into the more competitive realms of baseball as adults, the style of slide becomes an individual choice based on the player's ability, his comfort-level with the headfirst slide, and of course the unique situation of the play that demands a slide.

Why would you ever slide headfirst?
Sliding headfirst is faster. Not by a lot, but in a game of inches, the slight difference can be all that a runner needs.

How is a headfirst slide faster than a feet-first slide? Consider momentum.

A feet-first slide is basically a controlled "fall" as the runner approaches the base. The runner leans back and "sits" as he goes into the standard bent-leg slide. So, while this is the safest way to slide, the runner is actually taking some of his momentum away as he leans backwards - away from his target base.

On a headfirst slide, the runner throws all of his momentum forward, toward his target base. It's similar to an outfielder diving to catch a ball. In fact, on a headfirst slide, you don't want to be "sliding" much at all. You're really almost diving to "catch" the bag and hold onto it before the defense can catch the ball and place a tag on you.

The difference in speed isn't a big one, but it's there. Players that are comfortable sliding headfirst just have that as an added weapon. In close-play situations, where a fraction of a second might make the difference, they can use the headfirst slide to gain that split-second advantage.

At the youth level, that tiny advantage is not worth the risk.
We always talk about emphasizing good player development and safety over winning at the youth level. And that's why young players should stick to the feet-first slide - it's safe and fundamentally sound. When dealing with kids, we're not worried about gaining a tiny advantage for the sake of winning. We're not worried at all about winning. Our only job as coaches in youth baseball is to make sure the kids develop good fundamental skills in a fun and safe environment.

For professional ballplayers, it's a different story. Winning does matter. And as professionals, they frequently weigh risk against reward in the name of winning.

That's why I can't criticize Hamilton's decision to slide headfirst. He's comfortable sliding headfirst, he's used it effectively in the past, and he's a professional who knows the risk.

Would a feet-first slide have saved him from the injury? Probably.

Could Hamilton have injured himself just as badly sliding feet-first into home plate? Of course - there's a possibility for injury whenever someone slides.

The biggest danger in sliding is indecision.
Sliding is an inherently dangerous part of baseball.

But what we hate seeing is when players hurt themselves on the base paths because of indecision. They're approaching a base, and they want to slide, but they hear their coach yelling "UP!" because there's no throw. In that split second, the runner tries to change his mind and ends up somewhere between a slide and staying in stride to the base.

That's a dangerous place to be, and it's how a lot of leg strains and other injuries occur.

That's why we've always taught, "When in doubt, slide."

If a player is stealing a base, or if a play has the slightest chance of being contested, the runner's safest bet is always to slide.

For the pros, that means sliding whichever way gives them the best chance of beating the defense.

For young players, that means sliding feet-first, always.

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Coaching Your Parents

4/30/11
By Cal & Bill Ripken

 

The number one priority for youth baseball coaches should be to provide the best baseball experience possible for their players.

But often coaches overlook an important part of this process. Coaching the parents.

As a coach you should help parents understand their role in maximizing their child’s overall baseball experience.

It starts by holding a preseason meeting with your parents to discuss your teaching philosophies, feelings about playing time, the schedule of practices and games and enlisting their support at practices or games.

The next step is to talk to your parents about how they can become “good baseball parents.” This can be done via a handout or by simply speaking to them about their roles in creating a positive experience for everyone involved.

We've pooled together some of our ideas below, and you may want to consider using these in combination with your own ideas as your form your own parental code of conduct.

Reinforce the Concept of Teamwork
How many times do you attend a youth baseball game and notice that a particular parent only cheers for his or her child?

This probably happens at one time or another during every youth sporting event played in this country.

Explain to the parents that your job as a coach is to provide an all-around educational experience for the players. Tell them that one of the greatest life lessons that baseball teaches, one that carries over into almost every facet of our daily lives, is the importance of teamwork.

Parents are the most influential figures in most kids’ lives, so stress to the parents that you want them cheering for all of the players or none of the players. Likewise, make sure to tell the parents that you would like them to make a point to congratulate every player after every game – win or lose.

Maintain an Even Keel
It’s easy to cheer, scream and be happy when your child’s team scores 11 runs in the first inning.

It’s much harder to mask your disappointment when that same team falls behind 12-11 in the sixth.

Kids feed off the atmosphere at the ballpark. If everyone is full of laughter, smiles and support when things are going great and dead silent when adversity hits, don’t you think the players are going to sense that and put more pressure on themselves?

Remember, winning is not the ultimate goal when it comes to youth baseball. Making sure that the kids have a good time and learn something are the most important goals. Coaches should tell their parents to maintain an even keel – don’t get too high or too low – and then lead by example. The last thing we want is for a kid to be standing on the field thinking that he has failed.

Avoid Excessive Criticism
Another thing to be conscious of when it comes to maintaining an even keel is excessive criticism – toward an individual player or the entire team.

We are dealing with kids who are fragile. One negative experience can cause someone to give up the game forever.

Mental or physical mistakes should never be addressed – by coaches or parents – in public view on the field. If a kid messes up, believe us, he knows it. Pointing it out in front of everyone – even when doing it in an instructive manner – is not going to help that player’s mental state or make him a better player.

As a coach, wait until the player comes off the field. Parents should wait until well after the game – either that night when they get home or the next day. Nothing does more to shatter a young player’s self confidence or self esteem than correcting him or reprimanding him publicly. Make it clear to the parents that you are the coach and will handle everything on the field.

Don’t Blame the Umpires
We all know that umpires make mistakes, but it is only in very, very rare instances that an umpire actually costs a team a game.

One of our primary goals as youth baseball coaches should be to teach the kids the importance of respecting authority. Like the police in our hometown, umpires are the voice of authority on the baseball field and should be treated as such.

Coaches must tell parents prior to the season that verbal abuse of umpires will not be tolerated – not because umpires are always right, but because of the message it sends to the players.

Having respect for authority is one of our duties as American citizens. The coach is the only person who ever should be allowed to question an umpire, and when he does it always should be in a conversational, professional and courteous manner.

Cheer for the Other Team
Parents can set a great example for their kids by cheering for the opposing team when there is an outstanding play or performance.

Coaches can set the tone by shaking opposing players’ hands, helping them up if they are injured or telling them that they did something well.

Most times parents will pick up on this and will join in.

Soon, the players on the team will start following suit, and the team will get a reputation for good sportsmanship – win or lose.

Like teamwork, winning and losing graciously is a lesson that carries over throughout our lives and can earn us a tremendous amount of respect from our peers.

Ask Parents for Assistance
It’s no secret that many youth baseball coaches -- and sometimes coaches up in to the high school level as well -- are volunteers in need of assistance.

Coaches should reinforce the concept of teamwork among parents (instead of supporting just their own children) by openly asking for assistance from parents at practices and games.

Don’t ask for a large commitment. See if one parent of each child will volunteer to assist with one practice and one game. Assure them that you are not asking them to be Joe Torre, just to come to a practice and toss the kids some balls or to make sure the dugout is safe and remains under control during a game.

The parents are more likely to take ownership in the team and to get to know and want to support the players if they feel part of it. On the other hand, the players will see all the different parents pitching in to make their season a success – further emphasizing the power of teamwork.

Set the Tone
Addressing parents can be a difficult and sensitive issue for coaches. Failure to take control and set some ground rules before the season can be disastrous, however.

Most times, if parents sense that the coach has a plan and understand that all he wants to do is to provide their children with the best possible experience, they will be much easier to deal with. There are always going to be parents who cross the line one way or another.

As a coach, as long as you set the parameters up front and explain why you approach things the way you do – even consider giving the parents something to sign off on – your chances of creating the atmosphere of teamwork, good sportsmanship, cooperation and support that you desire (among players and parents) are pretty good.

If you are not proactive, however, and you choose to avoid the parental issue altogether prior to the season, you will find it nearly impossible to successfully address the issues as they arise throughout the season.

This can lead to public second-guessing, criticism and a lack of respect toward you from the parents.

As we know, parental attitudes often filter down to their kids, which can create an atmosphere that is completely opposite of what you are hoping to establish.

 

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Situational Coaching

2/28/11
By Cal & Bill Ripken

It is pretty clear that extensive repetition of the basic fundamentals is one of the keys to success on the baseball field.

While baseball is a simple game in which the teams that throw and catch best often are victorious, there is so much more to the game than physical execution.

Baseball is a thinking man’s game. There is more time between plays in baseball than virtually any other team sport, giving players and managers more time to analyze and strategize in an attempt to give their team a competitive advantage. Situations, options and strategies can change with virtually every pitch.

Great players think on their feet
Because of the seemingly endless situations and decisions that can arise during a baseball game, the best players have to be able to do more than just catch and throw.

They have to be able to think on their feet, adapt and understand every potential action and reaction that can occur each time the ball is pitched. The only way to develop this kind of an understanding of the game is to be placed in these situations over and over, to have the game slowed down and explained so that each possible decision and its ramifications can be presented and understood.

Baseball presents a catch-22 for its coaches. Games present the best opportunity to expose young players to the various game situations that they must come to understand and execute if they are going to be successful. However, games often are the worst time for a coach to attempt to instruct or make corrections. The atmosphere surrounding a game is too chaotic for any substantial instruction.

While some things, such as minor flaws in technique or more simplistic individual errors, can be discussed during downtime between innings, team fundamentals and group responses to game situations are best covered at the next practice.

It’s important for a coach to realize this and to keep a mental or physical list of notes about what situations need to be discussed at the next practice. Practice time offers plenty of “teachable moments” that do not occur during games.

A simulated game is a great option
While it can be helpful to diagram plays and situations that were handled improperly in the previous game, young players prefer action over talking. So it makes sense to place them in similar situations to those that were not handled properly at game speed, to see how they respond, to walk them through the proper method of handling the situations and to let them attempt to handle the situations again at game speed.

The best way to accomplish this is through a simulated game.

There are a couple of ways to go about this, but no matter what the approach, the set-up is the same. Place a full defense with nine players, including a pitcher and a catcher, in the field. Remaining players will be used as baserunners.

The coach stands in the batter’s box with a ball and a fungo bat, simulating the stance of a batter. The pitcher has a ball and delivers a pitch just like in a game situation. After the ball is received by the catcher, the coach hits a ball fungo-style, simulating a specific game situation.

The runners start behind a line that is drawn in the dirt and aren’t allowed to leave until the ball is hit. You don’t want them to cheat and turn a routine ground ball into a nearly impossible play.

If you just want your team to get a lot of repetitions handling basic game situations, you can have the defense play several full innings, setting up specific situations as you go along. You might challenge the defense to play three innings and see how many runs that particular group of baserunners can score in that span. Then, you might send those runners out to defensive positions and present the same challenge with a new group of runners and a different defensive lineup.

As the coach, you are in total control and can simulate almost any type of game situation.

You can hit the ball where you want to check out how players react and move. You can set up situations to test various bunt and first-and-third defenses (and to work on first-and-third offensive plays).

During this type of situation drill, have the pitcher practice holding runners on, ask the base runners to be aggressive by attempting to steal and to take extra bases and have the catcher work on throwing out baserunners.

Your players will enjoy the game atmosphere, and the quick pace of the action will help you hold their attention. Because there is none of the chaos surrounding a real game, you will be able to halt play when mistakes are made and to walk players through their various options while explaining why they should have reacted in a certain way.

Keep creating the situations they struggle with and correct the mistakes until they respond correctly with little or no hesitation.

The soft toss game brings things up to game speed
A unique and fun twist to the standard simulated game is to play a soft toss game.

If you have enough players, divide them into two teams of seven or eight (it is too dangerous to use a pitcher, and the catcher is optional; the coach who does the tossing can be the catcher).

If you don’t have enough for two teams, create small groups to hit against full defensive lineups. You can see which group of players scores the most runs in a set amount of innings.

The beauty of the soft toss game is that there is action virtually on every toss (the ball is put in play using the traditional soft toss drill with a coach serving as the tosser), and players get plenty of opportunities to field balls that are coming off the bat.

Infielders get to simulate fielding ground balls and throwing out runners at a realistic game speed. Outfielders get a lot of work fielding ground balls, tracking line drives, cutting off balls in the alleys and throwing to bases.

The batters get to hit utilizing one of the game’s most fundamental hitting drills and run the bases in game situations.

Once your team seems to be comfortable making all of the routine plays individually, start introducing situation drills and simulated games during your practices. When done prior to the beginning of the game schedule, these types of drills can help prepare your players for the faster pace they will face when they take on opposing teams.

After the season begins, situation drills and simulated games provide the perfect opportunity to correct individual and team fundamental mistakes.

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Should My Child Weight Train?

1/29/11
By Cal Ripken, Jr.

While it’s now fairly well accepted that kids—even kids as young as ten or eleven—can start weight training, this is one area in which parents have to be careful and constantly monitor their youngster’s involvement.

Before enrolling your child in any kind of weight training program, discuss it with you pediatrician or family physician. Let the doctor know that your child is thinking of doing some weight training, and that your youngster is probably going to lift weights at least three times a week.

Sometimes, upon hearing this, the physician might recommend a particular trainer the doctor knows and trusts. Or, on the other hand, the doctor may question why your child wants to do this. Either way, make sure you get the physician’s professional blessing, because there are some inherent worries about weight training.

What to be wary of
The growth plates in your child’s arms and legs might be detrimentally affected by lifting too many weights. That could cause serious complications for your youngster as he continues to grow through adolescence.

However, assuming that your family doctor does clear your child for weight training, be sure to find an athletic trainer who is well qualified. Be very wary of the high school kid who says, “Sure, I’ll be glad to teach your son about weight lifting.”

That’s to be avoided at all costs!

You need to find a certified and experienced trainer who will meet with you and your child to go over exactly what the training regimen involves, and how it can help your youngster. You should also be certain to get some background on the trainer and his or her credentials.

Manage expectations
Finally, during this very important meeting with the trainer, be sure to ask how soon your child will see any tangible results. This is key, because most kids think that they’re going to see major improvements within a week or so.

They fully expect that their pipe-cleaner arms are going to be transformed into massive biceps by the end of the month.

In fact, one of the major reasons kids end up quitting is precisely this: They aren’t seeing the kinds of results they wanted. Remember, our children are growing up in an instant-gratification world, and they expect to see positive results immediately, if not sooner.

Patience and tracking are the key
Keep reminding your child to be patient—that just because he doesn’t see the results of his weight training right away, it doesn’t mean that he isn’t making progress and getting stronger.

Most weight training programs have the participants keep active charts, so that they can map their advancement week after week. That should be enough strong evidence for kids to see that they are getting stronger, and that if they continue with the program, they will see their bodies begin to respond to their efforts.

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The Issue of "Playing Up"

12/2210
By Cal Ripken, Jr.

I often get asked whether I believe in letting younger players play up. By “playing up” I mean allowing kids to play in an age group older than where they’re supposed to play. There really is no one answer to suit everybody. Kids develop mentally and physically at different rates, so each case must be looked at on an individual basis.

If kids possess the skill sets and are mentally capable of playing with older players, in most cases I would not have a problem with playing them up. When my son Ryan was moving up through the youth baseball ranks, he played up on several of his teams, which means he was usually the youngest on his team. He’s always been big for his age and back then his skill level fit in well with the older kids he was playing with, so the experience was a good one for him.

I remember when he was 11 years old, Ryan played up on a 12-year-old travel team. He had played up before that, but I had tried to limit the number of games that he could participate in to keep him from burning out. With his team slated to play more than 70 games that year, I was a little concerned about how he would handle it, but he made it through, enjoyed the experience, and had some success.

When Ryan got closer to the age at which the field was going to start to get bigger, I thought it would be a good idea to let him play with kids his own age to give his body and skills a catch-up year.

Doing this allows a young player to be more successful or dominant, which tends to help his or her confidence. It also can allow a kid to assume different roles within the framework of a team, going from being just another player to being a key performer and possibly from a follower to a leader.

Like Ryan, I spent most of my formative years playing up on various baseball teams. When I was 16, however, I had an opportunity to stay back and play with kids my own age. That experience was very positive for me and is one I would recommend for players who always feel the pressure to be at their best in order to play with an older age group.

Don’t be afraid to allow a player who is physically or mentally capable to play up if the situation arises. Also, don’t be afraid of hurting a player’s or parent’s feelings by suggesting that the player take a year to play with kids his or her own age. Just remember that kids who play up always feel that they have to be at their best to compete. Giving them a break and allowing them to play with kids their own age on occasion gives them an opportunity to relax and build their confidence.

Baseball gets serious fast enough. As coaches, we need to look at what’s good for each individual, not just for the team. No matter what decision you make, if you frame it properly, you can usually ease parents’ concerns and help them see that you’re looking out for their child’s best interests.

 

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Parentally Speaking

9/10/10
By Cal Ripken, Jr.

"After the season, what is the suggested down time, if any, for a 13-15 year old to rest his arm? One month? Two months? Not at all?" - Joe

Joe, that's an excellent question, and especially appropriate for this time of year. The start of the playoffs means that most big league players are headed home to rest up. Youth players have already been in their off-season for a little while, though some of the more serious players may still be involved in fall ball.

Too much throwing over a prolonged period of time can be dangerous to the health of an athlete's arm. The key is for each player to listen to their body - if they're not feeling any pain and they really want to go throw the ball around, then I'm all for it no matter what time of year it is. If your child's arm is giving them any sort of pain, or they simply don't want to throw, then there's absolutely no benefit to keeping up a throwing regimen in the offseason.

I can't give you a specific answer in terms of days or months of required rest because that judgment really does need to be made on an individual, case-by-case basis. Perhaps the best advice I can give is to simply follow the example of big leaguers. When the long, grueling season ends, most big league guys will distance themselves from the game. That's not to say that they just sit at home and do nothing, but rather that they really try to limit their baseball activities.

Some guys may not pick up a glove or a bat until Thanksgiving; others may wait until after the holidays all together.

This period of recuperation is known as “active rest.” It’s never good for anyone to shut their bodies off from physical activity completely. Daily or near-daily exercise is important to living a happy, healthy life. It has been medically proven that exercising just a few times a week has an enormously positive impact on a person’s quality of life. It is important, however, for serious athletes to give the muscles that they use over and over in the sport that they focus on a chance to recover from the wear and tear of a long season. Without that recovery time, athletes at any level run the risk of suffering overuse injuries and developing chronic conditions that can affect their ability to compete effectively as they grow older.

That’s one reason why we've always been proponents of letting kids play other sports that require the use of different muscle groups and require a different type of fitness. We advocate the overall athletic benefits such as balance, endurance, coordination, leg strengthening, lateral quickness and so on that sports such as soccer and basketball offer. If you are a better all-around athlete, it stands to reason that you will be a better baseball player as well. In addition, as kids get older and strength and conditioning workouts do become part of their off-season training regimen for baseball, staying active in sports throughout the year will give them a head start in terms of their level of fitness when those workouts begin.

"My wife and I are very interested in your opinion about Derek Jeter's fake hit by pitch." -The Huberts

I have a lot of respect for Derek Jeter. He's a classy player and an intense competitor. Derek's defense was that it's his job to do whatever it takes to get on base, which I would agree with to a degree. I'd have to draw the line at theatrics.

As a player, it's not my job to call the game. Anyone who has played long enough has probably seen the inverse of what happened to Derek - a player is brushed by an inside pitch, but the umpire insists it never hit the player. What it all comes down to is that the umpire has to make the call and nobody else's opinion of what happened matters.

If I was in Derek's place, and the umpire were to grant me a base, it's not my place to correct him. I'd run to first base and let the managers argue it out at home plate. In that sense, I'm neither refuting an umpire’s call nor trying to deceive anybody.

Derek definitely took things a bit further by acting as though he was hurt and having the trainer come out to check up on him. That's a deliberate attempt to influence the umpire's call, and that is something I certainly don't want to encourage. 

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Throw Harder

9/10/10
By Cal Ripken, Jr.

 

A few weeks ago I was invited to talk baseball on ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the Morning radio show. At the time, Stephen Strasburg was awaiting the results of a second MRI and the topic of how to handle the young ace came up in our discussion.

 

I said the Nationals would be better off shutting Strasburg down for the season.

 

Later that week, the results of the MRI came out in the media. Strasburg would need Tommy John surgery to repair the ligaments in his elbow – a procedure that will keep Strasburg from throwing anything until Spring Training begins in 2011.

 

It’s always tough to see bright young stars suffer such detrimental arm injuries. A full recovery from Tommy John surgery typically takes more than a year, and some pitchers never throw the same after the operation. But what many people don’t realize is that for every big league star that goes down to a throwing injury, there are many more youth players today suffering the exact same injuries. And it’s happening earlier and earlier in their baseball careers.

 

I think we can all agree that it’s startling to hear about players needing Tommy John surgery before they even begin playing high school ball. As parents and coaches, we never want to see one of our players suffer such a serious injury, so it’s important that we give young players a good program for developing arm strength.

 

Arm strength and proper throwing mechanics are keys to protecting the arm from injury. Most throwing injuries stem from a player trying to do too much before the muscles and tendons in the arm are capable of handling additional strain. So, how can a player increase the strength of their arm?

 

Long toss

 

Long toss is the single best way to develop arm strength, and it’s a great way to keep the arm in shape even during the off-season. Players who are serious about developing a better arm should consider throwing twice a week during the off-season, beginning with a simple game of catch and progressing into a long toss session.

 

Long toss does not mean a player just throws the ball as hard as they can over the greatest distance possible. Players need to approach long toss with a purpose – to stretch out their arm.

 

When long tossing, players should begin with a normal game of catch. Once the players are warmed up, they begin to widen the gap between them with every four or five throws. As the distance grows, the players should not be firing the ball harder and harder just to cover the additional ground. Instead, they should be using a crow-hop and a relaxed, fluid motion to throw the ball with some loft to their partner. Players need to focus on really stretching that arm out.

 

It’s okay if the ball bounces before reaching the throwing partner. When players start overthrowing just to get it to their partner in the air, they're putting unnecessary strain on their arm and defeating the purpose of the long toss drill.

 

A player has reached their maximum distance when they are throwing comfortably and the ball is reaching their partner on one or two bounces. At that point, there is no need to expand the distance any further. Have the player throw at this distance for a short time, maybe 10-15 throws (unless they start to feel some discomfort).

 

Then, slowly decrease the distance back to where the players began playing catch, and you’re done.

 

A simple long toss session like this should only take 20 minutes or so, making it a simple and effective way to improve arm strength, even during the off-season.

 

Players who stay disciplined and work on long toss a couple times per week will begin to notice their distances increasing over time and their velocity improving without the need for overexertion. 

 

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Getting Around the Basepaths
5/2010
By Cal Ripken

Getting Around the Basepaths
When I was in the big leagues and it came time to review baserunning during spring training, everyone wanted to call in sick. Even at the major league level—and keep in mind this was just a review—this was the most boring aspect of getting ready for the season. It wasn’t necessarily the subject matter; it was how it was presented.

We would all huddle around Cal Sr. on the infield. Dad would take us through all of the responsibilities of a baserunner, starting from the on-deck circle. The talk would then move to the home plate area and right around the bases, one base at a time. Dad had gone through this ritual every year. But for him, there was no other way. The field was his classroom. We would try to be good students, but listening to all that talk when all we wanted to do was play made for a challenging day.

Players never want to focus on baserunning and coaches often avoid the topic because it is so boring, and sometimes coaches don’t totally understand how to teach baserunning fundamentals. But when you think about it, baserunning is critical to winning games – the goal of a baseball game is to score runs, and baserunning is the means by which we do that.

So here are some tips to help you get your team running on all cylinders and thinking about how to run the bases the right way.

Contact – Getting out of the Box
Whether you’ve tapped one off the end of the bat or raked a hard line drive down the line, your first goal is always to get out of that batter’s box in a hurry. There’s no excuse for not hustling, so run hard down the first base line.

Take a brief moment to see where the ball is headed and make a quick judgment – is it a base hit? If not, run as hard as possible through first base, stepping on the bag on the side closest to home plate, and do your best to beat the defense. If it’s a hit, run hard and move gradually into foul territory in order to make a smooth turn at first base. Whatever you do, don’t get caught watching the ball for too long – that only slows you down.

It’s a Hit – What Now?
If you’ve earned a hit, round first with the full intention of going to second. Quickly find the ball on the field and make another decision – is the defense in control of the ball? If not, decide whether you can make it to second base and go! If the defense has the ball and is in a good position to throw you out at second, stop and return to first base.

A good rule to follow: “Run until the defense stops you.”

Taking a Good Lead
Two and a half steps, that’s a good guideline to follow when taking a lead. Keep your eyes on the pitcher and never cross over your feet – you want to be vigilant in case the pitcher makes a sudden move and you want your feet to be ready to change direction quickly. Take your lead off the back edge of the base – that increases the distance any pickoff throw must go and also makes it harder for the first baseman to tag you. Every little advantage helps.

Getting up with the Pitch
On every pitch, you should generate momentum towards the next base in a secondary lead. Think of shuffling with three hops and count them in your head – one, two, three. As the pitcher delivers the ball to the plate you begin advancing towards the next base in the form of those three hops. You want your feet to come down on “three” just as the ball enters the strike zone.

Based on what happens—a strike, a passed ball, a hit—make a decision on whether to advance or return.

Third Base – The Walking Base
The shuffling method of taking a secondary lead works for first and second, but when you’ve reached third base, it’s time to take a different strategy. Now you’re going to walk towards home with three steps – right, left, right, counting in your head, "one, two, three."

Just as in the shuffling secondary lead, when you get to “three,” your right foot should be coming down and the ball should be entering the strike zone. React quickly to whatever happens and focus on taking advantage of every opportunity to score.

When in Doubt, Slide
No matter what base you are approaching (except for first base), if there’s even a slim chance of a play, slide. Too many injuries occur because runners are indecisive. Sliding is always a safer alternative to slamming on those breaks.

And you never want to be tagged out standing up when simply sliding could have saved your team an out.

Don’t Let Up
You should always hustle, but when it comes to first base and home plate, you absolutely need to run straight through those bases. Nothing feels worse than to let up on your way to first only to realize the defense has made an error on what seemed a sure out.

Your team will also be pretty upset with you if you fail to run hard through home plate, even when the defensive play may be at another base. Fail to cross home plate before the third out is recorded and your run simply doesn’t count.

No Fruit or Punctuation Please
I try to avoid terms like the “question mark” or “banana” when describing how to round the bases. Runners shouldn’t make a sudden turn into foul territory just to make another quick turn through the bag.

You can judge a base hit before getting too far down the line, so make a more gradual line into foul territory. The turn at first becomes smoother and more efficient.

When looking at the square created by the basepaths, you should really picture a circular path for runners. Make all the turns gradual and runners will never have to break stride. That saves time, increases speed, and helps prevent injuries that can occur when trying to make sharp turns at full-speed.

Bring all of these tips and lessons to your next practice and improve your team’s running ability. Before long, you’ll see more extra-base hits, more first-to-thirds, and more runs crossing the plate.

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DRILL: Drop & Block
4/2010
By Cal Ripken

Description
This is an incredibly simple but extremely valuable drill.

Catchers have a lot of roles to play on the field. They help the pitcher, command the defense, and also serve as the stalwart defenders of home plate. The catcher is effectively the first line of defense on every play, and the last line of defense whenever the opponent threatens to score.

Blocking wild pitches is therefore an extremely valuable skill for every catcher to have. Effectively preventing passed balls can stop runners from advancing and scoring while also giving the pitcher more confidence in breaking balls and borderline pitches.

Age Appropriate
10+

Problem
Even the best pitchers get a little wild sometimes. Other times, the situation just calls for a curveball in the dirt or a hard slider low and away. Whether intentionally wild or not, pitchers need to know they’ve got a wall behind that plate. Catchers need to be drilled in the proper way to block a ball.

Drill Objective
There’s no better way to teach a catcher than to just put him in the crouch and start chucking balls in the dirt.

Set-up
Catching gear, bucket of baseballs.

Executing the Drill
Put your catcher behind the plate in full gear – don’t forget the mask. Stand about 30 feet away with a bucket of baseballs.

One ball at a time, deliberately throw pitches in the dirt so the catcher must drop and block.

Reinforce the fundamentals – drop to the knees, get behind the ball, corral the ball and try to deaden it, keep the head down and locate the ball as soon as possible. Some young catchers will be afraid of the ball and might turn their faces away just as the ball comes in. Make sure you help your players overcome that fear, the mask is there for a reason and your catchers will do a better job if they keep their eyes open and focused on the ball.

Encourage excellence. The goal here is not to simply stop the ball from getting by the catcher. The best catchers bring wild pitches under control. They knock the ball straight down in front and they are quick to pick the ball up. When runners on base can see the ball has stopped in front of the catcher, they are less likely to risk taking an extra base.

Make it Fun
An easy way to make this drill more fun, turn it into a game. We call it the "Goalie Game" and its pretty self-explanatory. If you have more than one catcher, pit your catchers against each other.

Create a "goal" area for each catcher to guard. Now, have the catchers take turns throwing balls in the dirt at each other. Every time a catcher fails to block a ball thrown within the goal area, the other catcher scores a point. As your catchers develop their skills, expand the goal area to make this drill more challenging.

Advanced
When pitchers begin throwing breaking balls and other off-speed pitches, catchers need to practice how to block those pitches as well. All you need to do is incorporate those pitches into this same drill. Throw the ball with some spin on it, try different grips, and change speeds.

This will help your catcher develop a sense for how the ball reacts when it hits the dirt with some extra movement on it. The bounce of a fastball is pretty straightforward, but breaking balls can react much more erratically.

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Slump Busting 101
8/2009
By Cal Ripken

The slump. It’s what every hitter fears. More than 90 mile-an-hour chin music, a slump can cripple a good hitter’s confidence. Every season is a marathon and every hitter tries to stay consistent throughout. But every hitter eventually hits a snag, and stops hitting the ball all together.

This time of the summer in youth baseball, tournaments are heating up. Around here at the Academy, we’re gearing up for the Cal Ripken World Series (Aug. 14-22) and we’re both excited to see some of the great hitters who pass through here each year. But on every team, there’s almost always a young player struggling with an offensive slump. It can be tough on a little guy or girl, wanting to contribute to their team’s success but having trouble hitting the ball.

Both Bill and I are no strangers to slumps. During my consecutive game streak, there were several times that I got worn down by pesky little injuries and it started to affect my hitting ability. Besides, just look at how many stances I had! Throughout my career I was envious of those guys who found a stance that worked for them and maintained it throughout their career. I had to constantly change my stance in order to feel confident in my ability to hit.

I remember in the ’97 season I hit a rough patch. My back was sore and I was playing a little stiff and slow. At one point, I was 10-for-66 (.152) in a stretch of 19 games. I was more than 2,400 games into the streak and some people in the press started calling for me to take a break and get my game back on track. I stuck it out though, and continued to contribute to the team in other ways while working on getting my swing grooved again.

Bill had some trouble in ’93, when he started out the season going 11-for-54 (.204) in his first 20 games. Any slump is tough, but when it comes at the beginning of the season it’s especially challenging because you feel it looming over the entire season ahead. But Bill was a tremendous second baseman, and his staunch defense made him a valuable part of that Orioles’ club house day-in and day-out.

Any slump provides a challenge, but losing your ability to consistently hit the ball in the heat of a pennant race or in the exciting atmosphere of a youth tournament can really drag a player down. That’s why Bill and I wanted to offer our simple strategies for getting out of a slump in this issue of the Parents and Coaches’ Clipboard. If you’re little ballplayer is having some trouble hitting the ball and maybe not enjoying the game as much, try these simple strategies to help them start raking again…

Cal’s Tee Drill
Whenever I started to really struggle at the plate, I went back to the tee. Pitchers, even in batting practice, can complicate the hitting process. So why not eliminate that? The best thing I’ve ever heard about the tee: it’s never late to practice, and it always throws strikes.

The easiest way for me to bust a slump, was to get out the tee, jump in the batter’s box and start grooving my swing to every field. I’d begin by setting the tee up as if it was an outside pitch, placing it on the outside corner and deep in my hitting zone. Emphasizing my weight shift, I’d load up and then let loose on the ball. With the tee set up as an outside pitch, I would drive the ball to right field. Consistent and straight line drives to right field that did not tail towards the foul line—that’s the result I was looking for.

When I had grooved my swing to produce that result, I would move the tee in a bit and place it as if it were a pitch right down the middle. With the tee out in front and lined up with the center of the plate, I’d continue to work on my weight shift while I strived for the same result—consistent and straight line drives to center.

After I felt good about driving the ball up the middle, I’d take the tee inside and move it further out in front of my body. Hitting the inside pitch, my goal was to drive the ball to straight-away left without any hooking action on the ball. Once I could hit the ball to left without it bending towards the foul line, I knew I was hitting the ball solid and I was ready to go back to live pitching.

So many hitters take the tee for granted, but at the big league level you’ll find all the best hitters using the tee constantly to perfect their swing. If you have a young ballplayer on your team who is in a slump, I encourage you to bring them back to the tee. Set up a tee and let him or her just wail on the ball. Building consistency on the tee will ultimately lead to consistency at the plate.

Bill’s Back to Basics
What I like most about Cal’s approach is that it reverts back to simply hitting the ball hard. The tee really simplifies the whole hitting process and allows you to focus on just driving the ball. Dad always said that the only thing you can control as a hitter is whether or not you hit the ball hard. If you’re trying to direct the ball with your swing, you’re going to have a lot of trouble at the plate. But if you focus on just taking a good solid hack up there and let everything else fall into place, success will come to you.

In my opinion, slumps are almost always mental. Sometimes they occur because something has changed in your swing, but most of the time it’s because you’re thinking too hard about your approach.

Over the course of a season, all the instruction a player has taken in practice begins to pile up. Especially at the youth level, where kids have been learning a lot all summer long, hitting can get too complicated. No matter who you are, you simply won’t have success at the plate if you’re thinking about grip, weight shift, stride and rotation all at once. These are things you work on at practice, but have to push out of your mind during games.

Simplify the whole process down to “see the ball, hit the ball.” When I got into a slump, I focused on clearing my mind entirely. I just visualized the big part of the field and swung with a purpose. I stopped thinking about everything and just tried to see the ball and hit it hard.

Just like a pitcher getting into a rhythm, a hitter needs to be comfortable in order to consistently hit the ball. Think about when a hitter is really rolling. They’re not thinking about the fundamentals of their swing in the box. They’re singing a song in their head! Why change that when you’re in a slump? Don’t make things harder by driving yourself crazy thinking about what you might be doing wrong.

When a kid is slumping, especially this late in the season, the best advice you can give them is to clear their mind. Forget the slump, forget all the little adjustments, and keep it simple! See the ball and hit the ball!

Things to avoid and a word from “Hammerin’ Hank”…

One thing you don’t want to do as a youth coach when you have a young player struggling at the plate is single them out. Kids can put a lot of pressure on themselves, and if you single them out in front of their teammates you may just compound the problem.

Build a practice around hitting and give your slumping hitter or hitters plenty of repetitions. Give plenty of encouragement. If you focus on the negative, so will your young ballplayer. If you offer a lot of praise, you will see your hitters’ confidence grow along with their batting average.

Hank Aaron, one of the best hitters to ever play the game, had this to say about slumping:

“My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.”

This is the epitome of keeping it simple. Take Hank’s approach when you have a kid on your team in a slump. Keep him or her swinging!

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Set a Tempo on the Mound!
8/2009
By Bill Ripken

Baseball According to Bill... There are so many different aspects of pitching. From the grip to the mechanics of the pitching motion. From arm slot to the mental aspect of choosing the correct pitch in the right situation. It all has to come together to throw strikes consistently, and it can get overwhelming. That is why it is so important for a pitcher to simplify the game by finding a comfortable rhythm during games. The focus has to be on delivering each pitch exactly where you want it while letting the mechanical details slide into the background.

White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle is a perfect example of setting a tempo on the mound and maintaining that rhythm throughout each game. Regardless of what happens on the field, Buehrle has a great ability to work within himself and remain unfazed. He also works quickly, which can be a big advantage for pitchers who are comfortable with driving the pace of the game.

Buehrle isn’t going to overpower anyone, but he does have great mechanics, and he stays consistent in his rhythm. More importantly, he’s not afraid to throw the best pitch in baseball—strike one. I love watching him pitch because he has such command over the entire game. He catches the ball, steps on the rubber, and just goes!

Rhythm had a lot to do with Buehrle’s record setting success last month. He threw a perfect game on July 23 against the Tampa Bay Rays, and followed that up by going into the sixth inning of his next start with another perfect game bid. As a result, Buehrle now holds the record for most consecutive outs recorded by a pitcher (45). Buehrle did so well because he kept hitter’s off balance, not only by his pitch selection, but because he worked quickly and never allowed his opponents to get comfortable in the box. He found his rhythm early and kept rolling throughout.

When a young player takes the mound, encourage them to get in a comfort zone just like Buehrle. Work on mechanics at practice, but during the game, allow your pitcher to throw his game. Too often I hear coaches at the youth level shouting out instructions on what a pitcher should be doing…

Bend your back! Pick your elbow up! Throw over the top!
It’s just too much to think about for a young player. Start making all those adjustments in the game and any youth pitcher will quickly find their motion entirely out of whack. For parents and coaches alike, let a pitcher go during the game. Offer encouragement, and take notes, but leave instruction and major adjustments for the next practice.

Successful pitchers often live from pitch to pitch. The details of their motion are entrenched deep in their muscle memory. They simplify a complex delivery into basic thoughts of executing each pitch exactly how they want to. Buehrle works so quickly that he has no time to think about his arm slot or follow through. He simply thinks about what pitch he’s going to throw next and where he wants to locate it, and then he starts his motion.

And when it comes to setting a tempo on the mound, I’d recommend developing a quick tempo over trying to slow the game down. Buehrle is an excellent example of how working quickly on the mound can really help a pitcher and his team. He tossed his perfect game against the Rays in just two hours. The quickness with which he receives the ball from his catcher and gets back on the rubber helps keep hitter’s off balance while also keeping his defense active. Hitters don’t have a lot of time to settle into the batter’s box and fielders have to be constantly at the ready.

Maintaining a quick pace on the mound has several advantages. Umpires, fans, coaches, and teammates alike tend to enjoy having a quick-working pitcher on the mound. It speeds the game up and reduces the amount of inactivity on the field. It’s good to consider the defense behind you as a pitcher, as they are the ones who often bail you out of tough jams. Being overly deliberate, taking long walks around the mound and spending too much time shaping the dirt will drive fielders crazy as they wait for something, anything to happen.

Keeping a quick tempo will keep those fielders on their toes. Often pitchers will find that when they work quickly, the defense behind them plays better. This is especially true at younger levels, where a short attention span can drag a fielder’s focus away from the game at hand.

Be careful though. Don’t work so quickly that you begin to rush everything. Sometimes pitchers get frustrated when things are not going their way. Upset, they begin to rush their delivery as if trying to escape a rough inning as quickly as possible. The result is often detrimental to good mechanics and consistent strikes, causing a rough inning to be extended longer.

You should encourage pitchers to find a good tempo, preferably a steady pace that keeps things moving. Avoid being too deliberate. Really dragging out each pitch isn’t going to help you. Thinking too much about all the details that go into pitching will often bog you down on the mound and reduce effectiveness. Be confident and throw your game.

Young pitchers will often find that if they work quickly, all the little things start to go their way. If the guy on the mound is throwing consistent strikes and keeping the game rolling, don’t be surprised to see that strike zone widen a bit as some borderline calls become definite strikes, or when the defense starts to make some spectacular plays.

There’s no right rhythm to have on the mound. It’s all a matter of individual comfort. When a young pitcher takes the mound, they should find a pace that is comfortable for them. Work at your own pace! Don’t let a hitter rush or slow you down, and don’t let a rough inning change the tempo you’re comfortable with. If you’re struggling, take a moment, collect yourself and then find that rhythm again. Maintain a good tempo and you’ll end up controlling the pace of the entire game. The pitcher has a tremendous advantage over the batter in that his actions determine everything about the hitter’s re-actions.

It’s similar to the approach Cal and I take at our camps in Aberdeen. We keep it simple and drive home the underlying fundamentals during drills and practice, but when it’s game time, we celebrate the individual style of each player. And when you want to talk about individuals, well, pitchers are often a different breed all together. Going through the ranks of professional baseball, you meet some characters, and often the most unique ones are pitchers. But we celebrate this because pitchers who bring their own style to the game often have the most success.

So take the time in practice to work on pitching mechanics, but let your pitchers get in a groove during games and don’t interrupt that rhythm with untimely instruction. Ultimately it’s about having fun. Pitchers will enjoy their experience on the mound much more if they can just throw their game at their own pace with confidence in their ability. Once they start making all kinds of adjustments in the middle of a game, then it becomes work.

Keys to setting a good tempo on the mound:

• Working quickly and confidently often gets the best results.
• Avoid being too deliberate. Your defense will thank you for it.
• Find a comfort zone and stick with it. Don’t let the action of the game deter you from throwing your game.
• Keep it simple! Don’t think about your mechanics in-game, just focus on throwing strikes and then make any significant corrections at the next practice.
• Working quickly does not mean rushing. If you get in a jam, take a breather and find that comfort zone.
• Have fun with it! Pitcher’s who develop a good rhythm will be confident and comfortable on the mound.

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Throwing Workouts
6/2009
By Cal & Bill Ripken

Throughout the years we have always maintained that defense, when boiled down to its most basic components, consists of catching and throwing. Certainly when a ball is hit you have to catch it first and then, at least most times, throw it to the proper teammate to either record an out or keep a base runner from advancing. While this sounds very simple, ask any coach and he or she will tell you that for some reason young players struggle when putting the two fundamentals together to complete a play.

Nothing is more frustrating for a coach than to know that he has a group of kids who seem to throw the ball pretty well when they are warming up, but really struggle when they have to make throws in game situations. One reason for this is that we all tend to take playing catch for granted – players and coaches alike. It’s rare at the youth level to find kids who are committed to working on the proper throwing fundamentals every time they release the ball, and it’s even rarer to see kids trying to develop quick feet and quick releases during that part of practice.

This is also the time that many coaches are getting the equipment out, setting up the field and preparing for practice. Sure, a coach may look over his or her shoulder and see kids chasing errant throws or hear balls clanging off the fence and make a comment to the team about taking it more seriously. But rarely is time taken to really analyze what is going wrong with each kid and to give him or her the individual attention and guidance necessary for the player to improve dramatically.

You’ve heard this 1,000 times I’m sure, but Dad always used to say, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” I’ve heard Billy put it another way, saying, “If you practice like a moron, you’re going to play like a moron.” While that may be an insensitive way to put it, that statement really rings true. That time spent playing catch in which the kids are lazy, not focusing, using poor mechanics and generally goofing around has a direct impact on how they play in games. 

The other thing that happens is that these kids are not throwing with any sense of urgency. They are having conversations, walking after errant throws, taking big wind-ups instead of just stepping and throwing, etc. So when a batter hits a ball in a game toward one of your players, everything starts moving at what seems like a million miles per hour. Instead of confidently focusing on getting to the ball quickly, fielding it and making a quick, but routine, throw, your player kicks it into hyper speed. He or she sees the runner hustling to first, rushes to get to the ball, never gets into a good fielding position, struggles to find the proper grip and then rushes the throw with poor mechanics. That definitely is not the recipe for success.

Seldom do you hear about coaches taking their teams through a throwing workout. That’s because nobody really wants to spend half or more of his or her practice time just throwing. Remember that game throwing is a function of catching the ball and that the two are intertwined. If your players can’t focus when they are playing catch and continue to develop bad habits, take them through the following throwing workout with the understanding that you really are helping prepare them to throw after the catch in game situations. This workout can be done by as few as two people by setting a target up to throw to at first base when that becomes necessary.

Playing Catch

Once a week make a point to monitor your team or your child during this part of practice to ensure that the kids are playing catch properly – not only as far as the fundamentals of throwing are concerned, but also in such a way that it will help them improve their game throwing. Points of emphasis include:

• Catch the ball with two hands out in front of the body so that you can see the ball and make a quick transfer to the throwing hand.
• Start to move your feet as the ball is approaching, turning so that the front shoulder is pointing toward the target as the ball is received.
• Find a four-seam grip quickly when making the transfer; if you don’t find it, gather yourself until you do have it.
• Upon receiving the throw, bring the ball to the center of the body as you turn, raising the front elbow to chest level to help align the shoulders and keep them level.
• Stride forward toward the target as you take the ball back out of the glove.
• Keep the elbow above the shoulder and release the ball by coming directly over the top.
• Make sure you shift your weight over the front foot as the ball is released so that the back or throwing-side foot automatically comes forward.
• Follow the throw for a step or two toward the target after releasing it.
• Focus on having quick feet and a quick release.
• Aim for your partner’s head or chest.

Rolled Ground Balls

After 10 or 15 minutes of productive, focused and fundamentally sound throwing, have your players move over to shortstop. If you have an entire team, split them up so that half are at short and the other half are receiving throws at first base. Flip-flop the groups after 10-15 minutes. The reason that you want to roll ground balls is to create a controlled environment in which the players can concentrate on getting into a proper fielding position without having to worry about bad hops, training their bodies to catch the ball while moving forward slightly or at least with their weight over the balls of their feet. Too many young players catch the ball flat-footed or on their heels, which means that they are off balance or have to generate momentum after catching the ball. Not only does fielding the ball in this manner make the fielder take more time to get the ball to first, but also it makes it very difficult to get the body turned properly so that the front shoulder is pointing toward the target. Points of emphasis: 

• Roll the balls so that the players can field them using the proper fundamental approach with a wide base, the butt down and the hands out in front.
• Make sure that the ball approaches the fielders from the same angle as it would when hit from home plate.
• When fielding the ball make sure that the glove-hand wrist is relaxed so that the fingers of the glove are pointing straight down and touching the ground.
• Move forward to field the ball, staying under control, but maintaining some movement forward as the ball is fielded so that there is already some momentum toward in the general direction of the target.
• The ball should be fielded out in front and immediately funneled into the center of the body.
• Bring the elbow up to chest level to help the shoulders align toward first and remain level.
• While funneling use quick footwork to turn so that the front shoulder is pointing toward the target.
• Make a quick shuffle step without crossing the feet as the ball is taken out of your glove.
• Keep the elbow above the shoulder at release point and throw straight over the stop.
• Step toward the target and follow the throw in that direction after the ball is released.

Hit Ground Balls

Once your players are fielding the ball aggressively, showing quick feet and making consistently accurate throws after fielding rolled ground balls, back up to home plate and start hitting them ground balls. Remind them to maintain the same fundamental approaches that they just finished working on when you were rolling them balls. Hit only routine ground balls right to them until everyone is making strong and accurate throws consistently. At that point you may start hitting balls harder, moving the players around slightly or incorporating baserunners.

Have Some Fun

By this time you conceivably could be more than an hour into your practice. Reward your team for its hard work and focus by doing something they love. Let them take batting practice, play a controlled scrimmage or compete in some kind of hitting contest. If they know there some a reward coming to them after an hour of hard work, you may increase their level of focus and practice performance on a regular basis.

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The Playing Time Dilemma
6/2009
By Cal & Bill Ripken

One of the toughest dilemmas facing any coach is how to allocate playing time and assign positions. There are many factors that go into this decision-making process, but the key concept to remember is that as amateur coaches you are in the business of developing baseball players and doing what’s best for each individual player within the framework of your team. Unfortunately this may lead to decisions that are not in line with what each parent and player desires.

If you are up front about your philosophy and how playing time will be allocated right from the start – and then follow through by sticking to what you presented – you will be able to defend yourself under any circumstances. If, however, you stray from the principles that you outline to the team and parents prior to the season, you will run into situations in which those same players and parents have legitimate complaints that you must deal with.

Nobody who puts hundreds of volunteer hours into coaching a team has the time, energy or desire to deal with a barrage of questions and complaints, so the best strategy is to hold a preseason meeting or send a preseason email detailing your philosophy of allocating playing time and assigning positions along with your reasons for developing that philosophy. Offer the parents a window of opportunity during which they can ask questions about your philosophy and request further clarification or information. Once that window is closed, so to speak, inform them that there will be no further playing time discussions going forward, and as long as you stick to your philosophy, no one ever should feel like they have the right to question you. And if you are questioned, all you have to do is refer back to that initial conversation or email.

So, what should that philosophy be, and what should go into the thought process behind developing it? There is not an easy nor a right or wrong answer to that question. A lot depends on the age of your players and the level at which you are competing, but there are some basic considerations that cut across multiple age groups and skill levels.

The goal for any amateur coach should be for your team to be as competitive as possible every time out and to improve. This is what you should strive for at all levels of play. Of course, at the youngest ages and in more recreational settings there should be an equal allotment of playing time with more of an eye toward making sure that the kids enjoy themselves and get to try different positions. Still, you don’t want to ever put players in positions in which their safety is compromised or in which they have little chance of succeeding. There are times when it just isn’t fair to a kid or the team to put a player who really struggles to catch a routine throw at first base in that positing during a game – as much as that player might say that he or she wants to play there. Doing so may create a safety issue and lead to a situation in which that player and his or her teammates may experience failure on a consistent basis. That isn’t fun for anyone.

Obviously, as you climb the baseball ladder and move from rec. ball to travel ball and then high school, the game takes on a different meaning for everyone involved. The sport naturally is going to become more competitive, but winning should never be what determines the success or failure of your team at any of these levels. It’s okay to make winning one of your goals, because it sure is a lot more fun than losing and is an indication of your team’s overall achievement. However, if you have a team that is competitive day in and day out and improves every day, you should always consider your season a success.

On another level, if you can help each player improve and experience the sport in such a way that they are all eager to come back for more, consider your season an overwhelming success. If all of your players love the sport and want to stay involved with it as they grow older – as players, fans or coaches – you are a great ambassador of the game as well as a great coach. Some ways to accomplish these goals – at all levels – include the following:

Develop every kid’s fundamental skill set on a daily basis
Every kid on your team, regardless of the level, should work on his or her individual fundamentals every single day at practice. This means that each player should take an equal amount of fly balls, ground balls and batting practice repetitions. This is also the time to let that kid who has been bugging you to play first base or shortstop try out one those positions. If those kids prove that they can handle themselves in those spots, are not at risk to injury and will be able to succeed there in a game, either move them into your rotation to play those positions (at the youngest levels) or start looking for ways to give them some innings there (older teams). If you have kids who are really eager to try new positions, but they are not quite equipped to do so, your goal should be to help those kids improve to the point that they can play their favorite positions during a game. You’ll be overwhelmed with how hard they try and how appreciative they are when that opportunity finally arises.

Avoid putting kids in positions at which they will fail consistently
Nobody likes to be put in uncomfortable situations in which there is little chance for success. This is bad for individual and team morale. When coaching you must consider the overall experience of the team, as well as that of the individual, at all times. It just doesn’t make sense to put a kid who clearly is afraid of a ground ball in an infield position during a game. Can you work with that kid to help him or her overcome that fear and progress to the point that he or she can contribute at a particular positions in a game setting? Absolutely! You wouldn’t be doing your job if you didn’t. Likewise, never put a kid who can’t catch routine throws or batted balls at a spot on the field where that can possibly lead to an injury. If a kid is adamant about wanting to play first base, but is an injury risk there, work with that kid on footwork and catching throws in practice, hoping to help him or her improve to the point that you can work the player into a game there. Throw sponge balls or rubber balls at that kid until he or she becomes skilled enough – and confident enough – to warrant a game opportunity.

Do whatever you can to help that player improve without risking injury. Getting hit by a thrown ball is not going to add to anyone’s enjoyment of the game, and nothing is more frustrating to kids with a little more skill and experience than fielding a ball cleanly, making a good throw to first and knowing that there is no chance of getting an out. Worse than that is the fear that your throw might really hurt someone. Situations such as that take away from everyone’s enjoyment and actually can cause other infielders to develop bad habits as they try to throw balls that the first baseman might be able to handle instead of firing the ball across the field like they should.

Try to let everyone hit during your games
At the younger levels – even on travel or select teams – if the rules allow you to let every kid bat you should do so. While practice is the best time to work on hitting drills that help your players fine-tune their swings, when it comes to hitting, there is no substitute for facing live pitching in game situations. Allowing as many of your kids to do this as often as possible is the best way for you to help them become complete hitters. Hitting is what kids generally like to do best, so this will ensure that everyone has a positive experience.

This is true even if you coach a young travel team in which you have the option of batting nine, 10 or your entire lineup. If these kids are good enough to be on your team and show up to practice every day hoping to get better, you owe it to them to provide this opportunity. If you coach older or more experienced teams in which you are tied to more traditional baseball substitution rules, you still should look to develop a playing rotation in which everyone gets at least one at-bat in the game and plays at least a couple of meaningful innings.

Look for ways that all of your players can contribute and celebrate their contributions
For coaches of younger teams this means to create an atmosphere in which every player hits and is on the field for at least half the game. Based on the game situation and how players are progressing in practice you may be able to create a blanket policy in which everyone plays the same number of innings and has a place in the batting order. Sometimes numbers and the individual skill set of your players prohibit a totally even distribution of playing time, but if you can ensure that every kid hits and plays at least half of the defensive innings – with all of the players taking a rest for at least an inning – you are providing a positive environment for everyone.

As players get older, the game becomes more serious and specialized. Winning takes on added importance, although it shouldn’t be the determining factor as to whether a game or a season is successful. For coaches of competitive travel and high school teams, your goal still should be to help your players improve individually and as a team and to enjoy playing the sport. Look for every opportunity to give all of your players the chance to contribute in meaningful situations. If you have a fast kid who can steal bases, use him or her as a courtesy runner for your pitcher and catcher or as a pinch runner during a crucial situation in which a stolen base can help your team win. If you have a player on your bench who is an excellent bunter who you can bring in to pinch hit in situation in which he or she can help you win with a squeeze or sacrifice bunt, do so. You will be amazed at how kids respond in these types of situations and how excited they will be in if they can help the team win and feel accepted and appreciated by their teammates.

These are just a few suggestions to help you form your own philosophy. Whether you follow these guidelines or develop your own, as long as you have a plan, outline it to your players and parents before the season and stick to it, you should limit your headaches and have a positive coaching experience.

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Pitching Limits: Let Common Sense Prevail
5/2009
By Cal Ripken, Jr.

I often get asked whether I favor some sort of mandated pitching limits for youth and high school baseball players. If we lived in a perfect world, my opinion on that subject wouldn’t matter. But, since I get asked the question so often, I guess the world of amateur baseball isn’t perfect.

The easy answer to this question really is a cop out. Because the current structure of youth and high school baseball is so fragmented, there is no realistic way to develop and enforce a universal set of pitching limits. There are too many leagues and national baseball organizations playing under too many different sets of rules to be able to establish any kind of blanket regulations. Hopefully, at some point there will be a way to address important issues across all of amateur baseball, but as of right now that just isn’t the case.

So, what can we do? Well, right now the only steps that organizations such as Major League Baseball, USA Baseball, Ripken Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, etc. can take are to educate coaches everywhere as to the potential of overuse injuries among young baseball players and how to best prevent those injuries from occurring.

While many of us who are involved with youth baseball played the game and are aware of how much we could throw or pitch without hurting ourselves, very few of us possess the medical background, knowledge or resources to develop any types of appropriate limits. We need to rely on medical doctors and studies performed by them to educate the masses. Still, if you look at all of the information regarding this topic that is out there, you will find many differing plans and opinions.

Determining proper pitching limits is a very challenging task for a number of reasons. First of all, many local and national organizations have mandated how many innings a pitcher of a certain age is allowed to throw over a period of days or a week. How beneficial can this be when some innings can be completed with three or four pitches being thrown while others take 40 or 50? Also, does the week in question last from Sunday to Saturday, with the slate being cleared no matter what the following Sunday? Or does the week encompass any seven-day period that continues to roll over? Should the limits be expanded for postseason play and other tournaments?

Second, some organizations have attempted to deal with the potential discrepancy in the number of pitches it can take to complete and inning by limiting the number of pitches that can be thrown by one player during a fixed period of time. It already can be tough for a coach to find a parent or another volunteer who knows the game well enough to keep score. Under this scenario it would be necessary to find someone to keep track of the number of pitches thrown as well. And, if a team is fortunate to find someone who can do this competently, does each team supply someone to count both team’s pitches? Do they count their own team’s pitches? Do they count the opposing team’s pitches? Who mediates disputed pitch counts? And if we really are interested in the physical well-being of young players, shouldn’t we limit the number of breaking balls that young pitchers are permitted to throw? None of these questions really has a clear-cut answer.

Third, and probably most important, whenever I am questioned about pitching limits, the question usually is phrased this way: “I’m a coach of a 10-year-old team. We play two or three games a week. What is your opinion on limiting the number of innings or pitches a kid can throw over a given period of time, and what would the appropriate limit be for a 10-year-old?”

This question, like many questions about youth baseball, really cannot be given a blanket answer. It only can be answered appropriately by an individual coach, parent or player. Kids develop at different rates mentally and physically. What’s good for my 10-year-old might not be good for your 10-year-old. If my son is 5-foot-8, 150 lbs. and yours is 4-foot-11, 85 lbs., why should my kid be subjected the same limitations that your child is?

When you factor in all of those issues and questions, it really is miraculous that so many leagues have been able to come to some kind of consensus about pitching limitations. It’s also admirable that so many attempts have been made, but I have to wonder how effective these rules are in terms of actually preventing the abuse of young pitchers’ arms.

It really is a shame that we have to impose pitching limits of any kind. I know that I’m naïve and that I view the world through rose-colored glasses at times, but it seems to me that the vast majority of coaches are involved with the game because they love the game of baseball, enjoy working with kids and want to help young players develop into successful athletes who love, honor and respect the game the way that they do. If that’s the case, if the main objective of youth baseball is developmental, then we shouldn’t have to worry about imposing limits on coaches. Right?

The spirit behind any pitch limit is to protect the kids, but the ultimate protection should come from the common sense of the coach and the parents. If pitch counts or innings pitched are not regulated, the accountability goes back to the parents and coaches. I’d hate to think that a parent would allow a coach to abuse his or her child’s arm at a young age for the sake of winning a game or a tournament.

I’m not against pitch limits, because there is a certain amount of ignorance out there about how to properly utilize young pitchers. Suggested, as opposed to mandated, pitch limits do provide a guideline to help make coaches aware that they may be overusing one of their pitchers. Rules can be good in lieu of common sense, but ultimately common sense always should prevail. When there are no limits, it clearly is the responsibility of the parents and the coaches to monitor a young pitcher’s workload. When there is abuse, that’s where the blame must be placed.

Remember, whether you coach a “travel” team or a recreational team, youth baseball should not be all about winning. It should be about developing baseball players, teaching the game and having fun. While winning takes on greater importance at the high school level, high school coaches still should value the concept of developing good baseball players and good people over winning at all costs.

It is important for coaches at all levels to have a good rapport and open line of communication with the parents and the players. Taking a common sense approach by utilizing the information about pitching limits that already is available and relying on your instincts while also soliciting advice from the players and their parents is a great way to make decisions. Abuse of young pitchers only becomes an issue when an overemphasis is placed on winning. If this is the case, it is the parents’ responsibility to discuss the situation with the coach or find another place for their child to play.

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Preseason is Fundamental Time
2/11/2009
By Bill and Cal Ripken

Fundamentals should never be neglected in baseball. In the big leagues, every single day the best players do the same simple hitting drills before batting practice, field a lot of routine ground balls, catch fly balls and play catch with a purpose. While some parents may think that tee hitting and catching rolled ground balls repeatedly is beneath their kids, the truth is that these simple drills performed routinely can separate their kids from the rest of the pack.

There are no shortcuts or miracle cures in baseball. When the routine truly becomes automatic and natural is when the spectacular can occur. The reality of coaching is that once your season starts, while there always should be an emphasis on the simple fundamentals, there are a million things that get in the way. You need to go over what went wrong in the last game and figure out what you need to prepare for in the next outing. Everybody has to get some swings. Some of your pitchers need to throw on the side. You have to work on team fundamentals such as cutoffs, relays and rundowns. Oh, and you haven’t really gone over bunting yet. There’s a lot to cover.

By the time you’ve thought about all of that and look at your watch, you have almost completely used up your allotted practice time. Of course you want to make sure that you mix in something fun for the kids every time you are on the field, too, so by the time you do that practice is over.

It’s really no different in the big leagues. Even though there is an allotted block of time before every game for batting practice, catching ground balls and flyballs and so on, there are a lot of distractions that arise during the season. That’s why spring training is so important. If you go to a spring training workout and look around, you see a lot of throwing, a ton of routine ground balls being fielded, a bunch of flyballs being caught, guys in the cage working on basic hitting drills and pitchers doing simple exercises to fine-tune their mechanics.

These are the best players in the world, and they do this for six weeks – not two or three days right before the season starts. The players and managers know how difficult it can be to work on the basics once the hectic playing season begins, so they make sure to take their bodies through a progression that first allows their baseball muscles to adapt and get into playing shape and then trains those muscles to respond exactly the same way to every ball and pitch that comes their way. Again, once the routine becomes automatic, the spectacular can occur. That’s why it’s important for them to reacquaint their bodies to the actions they need to perform routinely on a daily basis throughout a long 162-game schedule.

For those of you who have teams that are working out now or simply want to work out with your kids in the backyard, this is the perfect time of year to focus on the basic fundamentals involved with throwing, catching, fielding and hitting. You know that your practice time is going to get eaten up by other things once your season starts, so now is the time to help the kids develop the basic skills that they will need to be successful. Yes, it can seem to get boring or tedious for them at times, but as long as you keep an eye on them and make sure to incorporate some fun time into your workouts, concentrating on the fundamental building blocks now will give you a competitive advantage when the season begins and allow you to expose your team to more advanced strategies and fundamentals throughout the year.

When we say fundamental building blocks, we mean getting right down to basics: catching and throwing (that’s all that defense is), routine fielding drills and basic hitting exercises. The temptation will be to start whacking ground balls at your players right away or to fire up the pitching machine. There is a belief that focusing on more advanced skills and drills will give your players an advantage when, in fact, the opposite may be true. If their bodies are not ready to perform in a more advanced capacity at this point, it may frustrate them and hurt their confidence. If they are struggling they are likely to figure out some shortcut or means to accomplish a task that they cannot handle. An example of this would be a player who strides before a ball is fed through the pitching machine just so he or she can catch up to the pitch and make contact. This leads to bad habits that may take an entire season to fix.

Here are some things to consider when teaching the fundamentals during preseason workouts:

Catching and Throwing
Remember, the better we play catch the better we play baseball. Defense simplified is comprised of catching and throwing. That’s it. Teams that catch and throw well always have a big advantage over teams that don’t. For that reason, the exercise of playing catch never should be taken for granted.

The biggest issues we see with young players when it comes to throwing are stepping away from the target, getting the hand under the ball before releasing it and dropping the elbow below the shoulder at the release point. Take extra time in the preseason to monitor your players as they play catch, correct any flaws and help them develop a consistent routine that can carry over into the season.

Many preseason practices are held indoors. If that’s the case for your team, have your players play catch along a line and make sure that they turn their bodies so that their two feet are on the line and their front shoulder points toward the target. If they start in a position in which they are facing the target, they are already are opened up and are most likely going to step away from the target when they throw. The throw tends to drift in the direction you step if your other mechanics are in order. Really the only way you can step away from the target and make an accurate throw is to drop your shoulder and throw from a three-quarters or sidearm slot. This will make the ball dart and dive and puts unnecessary strain on the elbow. As your players play catch they should check their step with each throw to make sure it is toward the target and on the line or at least very close to being on the line.

A lot of young players get their hand under the ball when they throw, which leads to a delivery that resembles an old one-arm pitching machine and forces the hand to come around the ball at the release point instead of staying behind it. To correct this, players should get in the habit of making a circle with their arm that goes down, out and up after they take the ball out of the glove using a four-seam grip. At the point when the arm is up and extended back, have them stop and check to make sure the hand is on top of the ball. If the hand is on top of the ball at this point, it should naturally be behind the ball in a position of power as the arm comes forward and reaches the release point. Having the hand behind the ball as it is released allows you to generate the spin that will enhance accuracy and help the ball carry.

Have the players make the circle, take the ball down out and up and stop over and over until each one of them has the hand on top of the ball at the stopping point every time. This circular motion must become comfortable and second nature. When they get comfortable, have them make the circle without stopping and complete the throwing motion by releasing the ball. Once they have grasped this concept, allow them to play catch on their own. Remember that the throwing motion should be continuous. That is what creates the arm action and torque necessary to throw the ball at maximum velocity. Don’t let your players fall into the trap of actually stopping their throwing motion. The only reason you are having them stop at all is to so that they get accustomed to the circular motion and to make sure they are keeping the hand above the ball.

Also keep in mind that the hand should remain above the shoulder at the release point, again to ensure accuracy and carry. If this is a problem for your players, have them throw from one knee, with their torso tall and the non-throwing-side knee up. Have them exaggerate the circle and concentrate keeping the elbow above the shoulder each time. You may want to place a batting tee raised to shoulder level or hold your hand at shoulder level on their throwing side and ask them to throw, making sure the elbow is above the tee or above your hand as the ball is released.

As far as catching is concerned, every player should present a two-handed target with the fingers pointing up at chest level. The ball should be caught out in front of the body so the eyes can see it enter the glove every time. Once it is in the glove, the bare hand should cover the ball to keep in from coming out. Make sure that your players are catching every throw this way so that it becomes automatic.

If your team seems to be losing focus or getting bored of playing catch, make it a game. For every throw their partners catch at chest level (in front of the chest) they get one point and for balls that are caught at face level (in front of the face) they get two points. The first one to 21 wins.

Fielding
As far as fielding is concerned, there are certain fundamentals that should be followed to give a player the greatest chance to succeed. A ground ball must be caught out in front of the body, with a relaxed wrist and the fingers pointing down so that the tip of the glove touches the ground. The best way to get into this position is by creating a wide base with your feet and getting your butt low to the ground. This allows the hands to get out in front, which allows you to see the ball go into the glove. The bare hand should remain beside the glove so that it is safe from bad hops and can be placed on top of the ball after it enters the glove.

Many young players want to bend at the waist or hold their glove to the ground so that the webbing is actually in a position in which the ball cannot roll directly into it. In addition, the ground ball position is not a natural pose for the body to assume. It takes some getting used to and can lead to some muscle soreness early in the season. For this reason it is important to condition the body to get into and out of the position. If this becomes a natural position for the body to assume, a player is going to automatically set up properly in a game when a ball is hit his or her way. So, to allow the players to get the feel for the proper fielding position, it is important for you to roll them ground balls so that they can get accustomed to fielding them properly before having to worry about hard-hit balls, bad hops, catching balls on the run and so on.

Roll them balls over and over on a flat surface, having them hold the position for five reps, 10 reps even 15 reps without standing up. This will condition the body and build strength and flexibility in the legs. Have the players assume a backhand position and do the same thing. This should be done for players of all ages before you should even think about hitting them ground balls. You can roll balls harder if necessary and control hops to allow them to work on catching more difficult balls without getting hurt. This will condition their bodies and build confidence. When everyone seems comfortable fielding rolled balls properly, start hitting them ground balls and moving them around a little bit.

Catching flyballs properly is a matter of confidence, too. A flyball should be caught with two hands over the head and slightly in front of the body so that you can see the ball enter the glove and quickly generate momentum forward to make a strong, accurate throw. Many kids are scared to catch balls this way or like to look cool by catching balls off to the side or with one hand. Throw them balls over and over – use softer balls if you have to – until they are all confident catching the ball properly. Again, you can control the height and difficulty. As they develop confidence and consistency throw the balls higher and then move them around. Have them run football-style pass patterns for fun, to work on catching balls on the run and to improve their conditioning. There is plenty you can do to help your outfielders improve their fundamentals and build confidence before hitting them balls. This goes for any age group.

Hitting
Very simply, you want to spend several sessions working on different drills such as soft toss, short toss, tee work and so on that are designed to focus on each individual component of the swing before moving on to live hitting. You want to be able to develop each part of the swing properly and correct any flaws before allowing kids to hit against live pitching. This will improve their chances of having more success when they take batting practice and will allow them to condition their hitting muscles and hopefully avoid injury.

Try to stress one area of focus for each drill. For example, with soft toss we take the stride out of the equation and ask the kids to focus on “loose grip, quick bat.” We like to focus on weight shift and “going back to go forward” when using a batting tee. Short toss from the front can be done to help kids work on hitting pitches in certain locations that give them trouble. For example, you might toss balls to the outside part of the plate and ask them to try to hit the ball hard up the middle or the opposite way in hopes that they will learn to keep the front shoulder closed long enough to hit the ball hard consistently.

Hitting a baseball is possibly the most difficult skill to perfect in all of sports, so it is important to develop each component of the swing before allowing a young player to take batting practice. Use the individual drill time to provide instruction and correct mechanical flaws, but resist coaching too much when they face live pitching so that you don’t clutter their minds and paralyze them at the plate.

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Batting Practice Can be So Much More
5/13/2008
By Bill and Cal Ripken

We’ve seen it and heard it. Baseball can be boring. Specifically, baseball practice can be boring. Many times the culprit is batting practice.

There’s no question that kids love to hit, and with hitting being one of the most difficult skills in all sports – if not the most difficult skill – to master, it makes sense that a high percentage of a team’s workout time usually is dedicated to batting practice. So, if kids love to hit, and a lot of practice time is spent hitting, how can practice be boring? Well, the few minutes the kids spend actually hitting is not boring. It’s the rest of the time when they are out in the field waiting for their turn at the plate that is the problem.

You can drive by any public park or school field and witness the reasons why baseball practice, more specifically batting practice, is not exciting for most kids. A coach is standing on the pitcher’s mound with a bucket, surrounded by a bunch of balls that are scattered around him or her in a pattern resembling a paintball explosion. One kid is hitting. One kid is on deck. Team members are stationed in various positions.

A few kids seem excited, chasing every batted ball, getting to balls quickly and returning them to the mound. They are making the most of their time in the field. But a further look reveals a couple of kids playing in the dirt, some others picking grass, one or two sitting or kneeling down and others talking with their arms folded and not paying attention.

Unfortunately, this scenario plays out more often that not on ball fields everywhere. Coaches know that batting practice is important, so they spend a lot of time doing it – at the expense of the kids’ other skills and interest in the sport. It doesn’t have to be this way, though. By following a few simple guidelines, you can turn batting practice into an efficient segment of your practice that allows players to stay active while also improving their defense, baserunning and hitting.

The Set-up
There are two types of batting practice (B.P.). There’s your standard pre-game B.P. in which you might have more limited time or field space, and there is a longer, more intensive batting practice session that you might hold during an actual practice. In reality, there shouldn’t be much difference between the two other than time, which might afford you more of an opportunity to incorporate hitting drills and to provide more individualized attention. For now we are going to walk you through a more general format that can be adapted to a pre-game or practice setting.

The first place to start when it comes to batting practice is the actual set-up. While at the youngest ages coaches might be able to throw safely without an L-screen, we would recommend that coaches throw from behind a screen whenever possible, regardless of the age. It sets a good example for the kids in terms of making safety a priority and prevents any needless injuries. Inexpensive portable L-screens can be purchased from either the Jugs Company or Baseball Express. These screens are absolutely essential for teams with players older than 9.

To run an efficient batting practice you also will need at least one full bucket of balls and at least one empty bucket to which all batted balls will be returned. Five-gallon buckets can be found at any hardware store and are not costly. An empty bucket should be placed behind second base. If you have more than one empty, a good trick is to turn one of the empties upside down and then place the bucket of balls on top of it so that the coach can reach down and pick up balls without having to bend over each time. An extra coach or willing parent can be stationed at the bucket behind second base to receive throws from the players who field the batted balls.

We are going to assume that you are coaching a team of 12 players for the purposes of this article. Before starting B.P., divide your team into three equal groups (if you have more than 12 players, just use the appropriate math). If one group has five and the others have four, that’s okay. One group is designated the hitting group, one group is the shagging group and the third group is the outfield group.

Ask two coaches or parents to get a bat and some balls so that they can hit fungos between pitches, and you are all set. The goal of this batting practice session is to keep your players active and provide them with an opportunity to work on their fundamental defensive and baserunning skills.

Remember, kids don’t get better by playing games. The games are the fun part – the reward for all of the hard work that takes place during practice. Improvement occurs as a result of the repetitions that young players get in practice. Utilizing this B.P. format at the end of a practice allows players to continue working on many of the fundamentals that may have been covered earlier that day. And if you can get your team to the field an hour or so before the first pitch on game days, handling B.P. in this manner really gives you an opportunity to sneak in an extra practice session without anyone even realizing it.

Hitting Group
Obviously, since we are talking about batting practice, the hitting group is the focal point of your on-field B.P. Keep in mind that batting practice is the time when all of the pieces of the swing that players have been working on during drills come together as one final product. Resist the urge to instruct. Let the players hit and make adjustments on their own. Of course, if a player is really struggling, you don’t want that kid to end batting practice discouraged or with shattered confidence. In those cases, a few words of encouragement or pointers are fine.

This is a confidence-building session, but it should be more challenging than soft toss or short toss. The goal is not to overpower kids or trick them, but to give them consistent, firmly thrown strikes to hit. At the big league level, 60 mph is considered a pretty standard B.P. speed. That’s considerably slower than what players are going to face during games.

Assuming that you have four people in your group, the hitting session is broken down this way: One player heads to first base to work on baserunning, one player is at the plate hitting, one player is on deck getting loose and one player is chasing foul balls. If there is an extra coach or willing parent around, the fourth player can do soft toss or tee hitting with the adult while waiting and chasing foul balls. Older players can hit off of a tee on their own without adult supervision. Each player in the hitting group should wear a helmet at all times.

The hitter and the player on the bases work together during B.P. If you are coaching an age group in which bunting is appropriate and has been taught, have the hitter attempt two sacrifice bunts – one toward third and one toward first. The baserunner’s job on the bunts is to take a lead and then a good secondary lead as the pitch is delivered. When the ball is bunted and the runner is sure that the bunt is on the ground and not a pop-up, he or she should take a crossover step and then several hard strides toward second before returning and doing it again. The key is to not break until the ball is definitely on the ground. For the older age groups, the first two swings after the bunts should be hit-and-runs, with the runner practicing steal breaks and then picking up the ball at the point of contact. Younger kids can practice their steal breaks while the batter focuses on simply making contact.

On the second steal break in which the batter makes successful contact, the runner advances to second. At that point for most youth teams just let the batter swing away. Older and more advanced teams can work on hitting behind the runner and advancing him or her to third. Again, the runner takes a normal and secondary lead. It is the runner’s job to react to batted balls as if it is a game situation: Advance on ground balls to the right side, see ground balls on the left side through, go halfway on pop-ups and fly balls to center and left fields, and tag up on fly balls to deep right. After a couple turns at second, the runner advances to third and practices situational baserunning there, including taking a lead in foul ground, tagging up on fly balls and breaking on ground balls. The runner can practice this until the hitter has finished his or her round.

A batting practice in which the hitter gets two bunts and 10 contacts seems to work well at most age levels. That gives the runner enough time to get around the diamond and should allow the hitter to get into a pretty good groove. If a hitter is struggling it’s okay to give him or her more chances, but remember that time is limited. Sometimes it’s better for a player to go back to the drawing board and work on simpler drills. The batter should run out the last hit. For fun you can have all of the players in the field stop what they are doing and play the last hit as if it’s a game situation.

After running the last hit out, the hitter stays on first and goes through the baserunning exercise while the on-deck batter hits and the foul-ball chaser moves into the on-deck position. The baserunner does hitting drills and/or chases foul balls. This rotation continues until everyone has hit. At that point, this group becomes the shagging group.

The Shagging Group
The group that was hitting goes into the field to shag live balls off the bat. These four players should spread out – with two in the infield and two in the outfield. One player may need to be stationed at the bucket if there aren’t enough coaches or parents. Shaggers are instructed to play all batted balls off the bat as if in a game situation, getting to the ball as quickly as possible and making a strong throw to the bucket person. A coach or parent hits ground balls to the players in the infield between pitches. These balls are tossed back into the coach who is hitting them. After two batters, the outfield shaggers and infield shaggers switch places. This gives everyone a chance to track balls off the bat from the outfield and to get quite a few ground ball reps. When the hitting group finishes, the shaggers head to the outfield.

The Outfield Group
This group goes off with a coach to a distant spot in the outfield. These players are going to work on their outfield fundamentals – catching fly balls, fielding ground balls and making strong, accurate throws after the catch. Other outfield drills can be incorporated as well to help the players improve their footwork and ability to catch on the run. Once the hitters finish up, the outfield group rotates and becomes the hitting group.

Closing it Out
The great thing about this batting practice format, other than the fact that it allows the players to work on every individual aspect of the game, is the flexibility that it provides coaches. If you have 15 or 20 minutes to hit, you can cut back on the number of swings and get your team through in that amount of time. If you are practicing and want to extend the hitting session to 30 or 40 minutes, you can add more rounds, incorporate drills or just give each player a little more individual attention. No matter what, you can be assured that the entire team, not just one player, is doing something to improve throughout the entire session. That’s the best way make your team better and keep your kids excited and coming back for more.

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Sportsmanship Is Not Just for Sports
By Cal Ripken, Jr.
5/28/2007

Every summer more than a fifteen hundred young athletes come to our teaching academy in Aberdeen, MD, for baseball and softball camps. Many of them dream about someday becoming professional athletes.

It used to be that only young male athletes could dream of reaching such lofty heights through athletic participation. But, in recent years with the advent of women’s professional basketball, softball and soccer leagues, young female athletes have been able to share those dreams.

While it’s great to dream and strive for success in all of your endeavors, the reality is that a very, very small percentage of athletes ever get the opportunity to play a sport professionally. In fact, only a handful of the athletes we touch will play at the collegiate level. More, but probably not the majority, will play in high school.

At some point all of us – even the most successful professional athletes – have to venture out into the business world or what some people like to call the “real world.” While it is our primary goal to help the young baseball and softball players who attend our camps improve in those sports, we are very aware that there is more to life than athletics. There are many valuable life lessons that can be communicated through sports participation, and it is our hope that the young athletes who attend our camps will take away something that will help them later on in life. One of those key lessons that we hope to impart is the value of sportsmanship.

When people think of sportsmanship, they naturally think about sports. Well, sportsmanship is defined in this way: Someone who plays fair, sticks to the rules and accepts defeat without any rancor or bitterness. On the field, a good sport plays hard and tries his or her absolute best to win within the scope of the rules. A good sport doesn’t complain to the officials, doesn’t “trash talk” and helps an opponent who falls down get back to his or her feet. When all is said and done, this person has no regrets. The athlete put forth his or her best effort and played fairly, earning the admiration and respect of teammates, coaches, officials and opposing players. Despite being a true competitor, this person is willing to openly congratulate opponents and accept even the most bitter of outcomes, because he or she knows that there was nothing more that could have been done within rules of the game to change the end result.

Just because the root sports actually is part of the word sportsmanship doesn’t mean that sportsmanlike behavior is important only on athletic fields. In life, people who are honest, consistently give their best effort, don’t make excuses, respect others and are able to accept everyday outcomes without complaint or holding grudges are generally the ones who succeed. They are the type of people that any wise CEO would want to build a company or organization around. Because of their attitude, work ethic and professionalism, those who consistently exhibit sportsmanlike behavior in the “real world” earn the respect of their peers, have many friends and admirers and enjoy the highest level of job satisfaction. People will go out of their way to help make a good sport successful. They are people who can go to bed every night satisfied, knowing that they have given their best no matter the outcomes of that particular day.

In life, each day presents many ups and downs. There are far more small defeats than major successes. Good sports don’t get bogged down in these small setbacks. They accept the outcomes, acknowledge that someone might have had a better idea and push on toward bigger and better things. For people of that mindset, success is right around the corner. For poor sports there are nothing but excuses and complaints, which suck up energy and waste valuable time.

A good sport believes that his or her approach is the right one and will not resort to underhanded or deceitful tactics for the sake of improving the results. This person goes back to the drawing board and puts in the time necessary to achieve a more desirable outcome, confident that his or her approach will ultimately lead to success. Poor sports are easily frustrated and often resort to tactics that may prove successful in the short term, but ultimately come back to haunt them.

Coaches, managers and executives always will find a place for those who display the traits of good sportsmanship. Others will come and go – either because they become too miserable, resort to dishonesty or wear out their welcome. Remember to use sports to help develop young athletes’ sportsmanlike traits and you will set them up for success on the field, in the classroom and beyond.

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Batting Rx (Tips for improving at the plate)
By Cal Ripken, Jr.
April 2007

After years of running camps and clinics all over the country and countless hours watching tournaments at our complexes, as well as time spent working with our own children and following their progress, we have developed a sense for the common mechanical flaws that tend to hinder young hitters.

We’ve also fielded numerous questions from coaches concerning the problems they frequently see and the best methods of correcting them. With games getting into full swing, this is best time of year to help young hitters understand why they aren’t hitting as well during games as they do in batting practice and to assist them in developing the consistency they crave. With that in mind we present the following list of common mechanical flaws and the prescription for each:

Symptom: The batter seems to be fighting with him or herself. The swing is compact, but bat speed is lacking and the swing never seems to have a complete follow through. This is sometimes known as “muscling” the swing.
Prescription: Standard soft toss drill (from the side)
Ripken Catch Phrase: “Loose hands, quick bat.”

How many times have you heard a parent or coach tell a kid to get his or her back elbow up at a youth baseball game? It happens all the time. For some reason this has become a rallying cry for parents and coaches everywhere, but the fact is that when a hitter tries to get that back elbow up, the top hand naturally rotates so that the knuckles are not aligned properly and the bat handle slides into the palm instead of the fingers. This leads to a slow, cumbersome swing that limits bat speed and range of motion.

When hitting, the proper way to hold the bat is loose and in the fingers with the “door knocking knuckles” aligned. This allows the wrists to unlock, promoting a fluid swing and increased bat speed. We use the soft toss drill to concentrate specifically on the proper grip and hitting the ball as hard as possible.

For this drill we eliminate the lower half by asking the hitter not to even think about his or her stride. We ask the hitter to wiggle his or her fingers to make sure that the bat is being held loosely and toss the ball from the side to a point in front of home plate. The goal is for the hitter to drive the ball into a target on a net, hopefully developing a feel for what it means to hold the bat properly and involve mainly the hands, wrists and forearms in the swing.

Symptom: The hitter’s movement is only forward and he or she seems to hit with all of the weight on the front foot. The swing is lazy and doesn’t generate much power.
Prescription: Standard tee drill
Ripken Catch Phrase: “You have to go back to go forward.”

So many young hitters stand ready to hit and then lunge forward as the ball approaches. While they may make contact consistently, their swings don’t pack much of a punch. The hips never fully rotate and the bat listlessly comes to a stop not long after contact. These hitters lack proper weight shift.

The misconception is that weight shift involves taking the body weight forward to hit the ball. That is only a half truth. To generate maximum power and core involvement in the swing, all good hitters shift their weight to the back side, where they gather their energy, before exploding forward. To throw a more powerful punch, a boxer pulls back before extending forward. Likewise, a cobra that is about to strike recoils before attacking. “You have to go back to go forward.”

All good hitters possess a weight shift, and we like to utilize the batting tee to help young hitters get a feel for shifting the weight back before coming forward. When a ball is sitting on a tee, it is stationary, so the batter can easily work on weight shift without having to worry about a ball coming toward him or her. A rhythm and feel for going back to go forward can be developed through repetition and hopefully will carry over into live hitting over time.

For this drill have the hitter exaggerate the weight shift to the back side so that the front leg comes off the ground, almost like a pitcher, before exploding forward. Have the hitter swing hard, attempting to drive the ball right through a target on a net. Make sure to remind the hitter to watch the ball and to go straight back and straight forward.

Symptom: The hitter either steps toward third base as the ball approaches or rotates the front shoulder away from the pitcher well before contact is made. In other words, the batter is not keeping the front shoulder in long enough.
Prescription: Short toss from the front
Ripken Catch Phrase: “Use the big part of the field.”

Many young hitters “bail out” or take their energy away from the field by allowing the front shoulder to fly open too soon when swinging. This can be a result of fear or because they feel like that is the only way they can really swing hard. Either way it is important for them to learn what it feels like to keep that front shoulder in as long as possible.

The best way to accomplish this is by tossing balls underhand to the outside portion of the plate from 12 to 15 feet in front of home (Behind an L-screen, please!). Tell the hitter to try to hit the ball hard to the “big part of the field,” with a line drive up the middle or toward the opposite-field power alley being ideal.

Some kids will pull line drives when executing this drill. That is fine as long as the approach is proper. Weakly pulled ground balls are an indication that the front shoulder is not staying in and should be avoided.

If a hitter is hitting consistent line drives, mix in a few inside tosses just to keep him or her honest and to provide a realistic feel for hitting balls in different locations. Hopefully after plenty of repetitions your hitters will begin to naturally take the proper approach in game situations.

Symptom: The hitter is striding too early, causing him or her to either swing before the ball arrives or to be forced to keep the hands back and hit with all of the energy spent and with all of the weight on the front foot. This hitter most likely struggles with off-speed and breaking pitches.
Prescription: Lob toss
Ripken Catch Phrase: “Let the ball travel.”

Often this hitter is the one who trains exclusively on pitching machines that throw balls at speeds exceeding what he or she is used to. The player gets into the habit of striding as soon as the ball is fed, because that is the only way to catch up to the pitch (at least that’s the thought process). These hitters sometimes step even before the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand and end up being way out in front of the pitch or using only their hands – minus the lower half – to hit the ball.

To alleviate this problem, it helps for players to get a feel for waiting as long as possible before starting the swing. You want them to let the ball “get deep” or to “let the ball travel.” By tossing higher-arching, slower pitches to them from maybe 15 to 20 feet in front of home plate (from behind an L-screen, of course) and asking them to wait as long as possible before swinging, you can help players get a feel for staying back and being patient. Ask them to try to wait long enough to hit the ball up the middle or the opposite way, and after a while they will start to trust the quickness of their swing and stop trying to cheat by striding early.

Symptom: The batter drops the hands down as soon as the pitch is delivered, causing the body to move forward before the hands and creating a long, looping swing. This allows the bat to spend a short amount of time along the same plane as the pitch, which creates a slower swing that is less likely to produce solid contact.
Prescription: Start with the high tee drill and then move on to the one-arm drill.
Ripken Catch Phrase: “Take a direct path to the ball.”

Once again, when a player drops his or hands first, this may be an attempt to swing a bat that is too heavy as hard as possible. Check and see what size bat the player is using and then determine if a lighter model might solve the problem.

For players who drop their hands and then start the swing forward from a lower position, the solution isn’t as simple as telling them to swing down to the ball or to take a more direct path to the ball. They think that they are swinging down. You have to show them what it feels like to take a direct path to the ball through drill work and let their muscles adapt to that sensation.

There are two good drills to help accomplish this. First, take a standard batting tee and raise it to the absolute top of the hitter’s strike zone. Tell the batter to start the bat in the normal firing position and then to hit a line drive into a net with a target. There is no way that the player can drop the hands first and still hit a line drive when the tee is high. The more the player does this, the more natural it will start to feel.

The second drill, the one-arm drill, is a bit more advanced, but we’ve found that it can be performed very effectively by almost any age group. Younger players may have to use a lighter bat or choke up quite a bit to execute it, but that’s okay. For the drill, set up 12 to 15 feet in front of home plate and toss balls firmly either overhand or underhand to the hitter. Let the player hit five tosses with two hands on the bat, then have him or her remove the top hand and attempt to hit the ball five times using only the bottom hand. Allow the hitter to tuck the elbow into the body for leverage if necessary. The muscles in the arm will have to work hard to get the bat head to the ball, which when done many times should promote a more direct two-handed swing. Let the player hit five more tosses with two hands after the one-handed swings. The hitter should feel the difference and positive results should emerge quickly.

Symptom: The hitter doesn’t finish the swing.
Prescription: Big ball tee drill and short toss from behind
Ripken Catch Phrase: “Get to it and through it.”

A large number of young players make contact and then don’t follow through. Their swings stop almost immediately after the ball is hit. It doesn’t matter to us whether a player has one hand on the bat or two when the follow through occurs (as long as both hands stay on until contact is made); many great major leaguers have used both approaches. But, if the swing is not wrapping all the way around the body (preferably at shoulder level or below) once contact is made, that means the bat is slowing down at the point of contact and the hitter is not generating maximum bat speed.

We have a couple of drills that address this situation. The first is the big ball tee drill. A big rubber ball, like a playground ball or a kickball, is placed on a batting tee. The hitter follows all of the principles of the standard tee drill by exaggerating the weight shift and then attempts to hit the big ball as hard as possible into a net. The repetition of generating enough bat speed to hit that bigger, heavier ball hard, should help the batter follow through naturally when hitting a real ball.

The second drill that promotes a proper follow through is short toss from behind. A coach tosses a ball from several feet behind the batter toward where the pitcher would be. The hitter’s job is to hit the ball as hard as possible into a net as it crosses the plate. By having to catch up with a ball moving away from him or her, the batter should have to generate enough bat speed to make the follow through automatic. Repeating this drill should help the player develop a natural follow through when hitting against live pitching.

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Parentally Speaking
By Cal Ripken, Jr.
April 2007

Can kids who don’t play travel baseball develop into good players, and is it fair for coaches of travel teams to expect their players to concentrate only on that one sport – or to make that sport the top priority – throughout the year?

As I’ve stated here many times before, we recommend that young athletes not specialize in one sport until they are old enough to make that kind of a decision on their own. Playing multiple sports promotes overall athleticism, which is never going to be detrimental to a player’s development in one particular sport. So, I do believe that young athletes who do not play travel baseball can develop into fine players. If you find that your child’s participation in baseball at the recreational or in-house level isn’t helping him or her progress adequately, there are plenty of coaches out there who can work with him or her one-on-one at times that fit into your family’s schedule.

Many travel team coaches ask young athletes and their families to make huge time and financial commitments to their teams. Because of financial constraints, as well as busy family schedules, this commitment may prove to be too much. Ultimately, if a child hopes to play baseball or any other sport seriously into high school and beyond, he or she will be at a disadvantage without having faced tougher competition. Individual lessons with a qualified coach can help bridge that gap somewhat, but not completely.

If you find yourself in a situation where a coach is placing significant demands on your child, I would ask the kid directly which sport he or she likes better and which one he or she wants to pursue more seriously. On one hand, if the child wants to make a serious commitment to a particular sport and has fun playing other sports at a less-intense level, I would say that you should let that scenario play out. On the other hand, if he or she wants to play several sports at a less-intense level, that’s okay, too, since the child will be developing a wide range of athletic skills. And, if your child would like to pursue two different sports at a more-competitive level, I would recommend getting all parties – parents, athlete and both coaches – into a room for a meeting to see if some kind of compromise can be reached that would allow that to happen.

If it’s just too difficult for your child to participate in two sports at the travel level, look for a good recreational or in-house program in the sport he or she isn’t playing at the higher level and try to find other options that fit into your schedule to further his or experiences in that activity (indoor soccer, one-one-one pitching lessons, summer camps, after-school programs, etc.).

In some areas, middle-school aged athletes are permitted to try out for and play on varsity high school athletic teams. What are your feelings about this?

Every young athlete matures physically and emotionally at his or her own rate. There may be some sixth graders (about 12 years old) who are physically strong enough to compete with freshmen (usually ninth graders who are about 15 years old), but who aren’t ready from a mental or emotional standpoint for the pressure of competing at that level. Likewise, there might be some sixth graders who are emotionally stable and really understand the game, but can’t compete physically.

This decision really has to be handled on a case by case basis. If the athlete is going to try to play against the older kids, the parent and coach shoulder a tremendous responsibility. They must monitor the situation and make certain that the kid is holding up from a physical and an emotional standpoint.

The games get serious enough fast enough. A sixth grader has a lot of years in which to compete. There’s no sense rushing it and risking a bad experience that will make the kid want to quit playing altogether.

What are your opinion about products such as weighted baseballs that are supposed to help make a players arm stronger?

I’ve never been a big believer in using any type of weighted equipment to build strength for baseball (I’m not referring to resistance training, but instead items such as weighted bats, balls, etc.). I’m a big believer in training with the same objects that you use on the field. I never used any kind of weight on my bat when preparing to hit, and I never threw a weighted ball. In fact, I can’t recall ever seeing any type of weighted balls being used for training purposes at the big league level.

It seems to me that if you train with a weighted object, such as a ball or a bat, that is similar to what you use in a game situation, you may in fact be teaching your muscles to react and move more slowly than if you just use a regulation game ball or game bat. Additionally, the shoulder and elbow are very delicate areas, and there is no telling what type of long-term shoulder or elbow damage might result from throwing a heavier ball.

There’s no better way to build arm strength than by throwing. Play catch and long toss to the point of fatigue and then follow that up with a rotator cuff maintenance program to keep the shoulder muscles strong and free of injury. A local fitness professional, such as a certified strength and conditioning coach, a certified athletic trainer or a certified personal trainer, can provide you with a safe and effective rotator cuff program.

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Coaching Your Own Child
by Cal and Bill Ripken
01/24/2007

Many, if not most, coaches get involved with youth baseball because they want to make sure that their children have a positive experience. The local league might be short on coaches and be looking for volunteers, or perhaps a parent who has a busy work week sees coaching as a way to spend some quality time with his or her child.

Some of these parents have a lot of baseball experience, and others have very little. Some have coached before, and others have never set foot on a field. All of them want their children to have a great experience, and none of them wants to show favoritism. This seeming contradiction can lead to some difficult situations for these coaches.

For parents coaching their own children, the golden rule is to treat your child just like everyone else on the team, in good times and in bad. It doesn’t matter if your kid is one of the best players or one of the lesser-skilled players. On the one hand, don’t give your child preferential treatment when it comes to playing time or a spot in the batting order. On the other hand, don’t weigh your child down with unfair burdens that aren’t placed on the other players. For example, don’t ask your kid to always carry the team equipment or to make sure the other players are doing the drills correctly. And, finally, be very careful not to discipline your child in a way that separates him or her from the others. You want your child to look forward to being on the baseball field, not dread what punishment you might inflict if practice isn’t going well.

Balancing this dynamic can be difficult. The natural instincts are to protect your child, whereas the fear is that other parents will think that you are playing favorites. If your policy is to not argue with umpires – as it should be – make sure you don’t question an umpire if your child is on the short end of a close call. If you reverse the batting order each inning, make sure that you child has to adhere to that rule. If every player sits out two innings, your kid should, too. Make sure that any personal disagreements that arise are handled at home and not in front of the team, and that your child is not disciplined at practice because he or she did something wrong at home.

There is always time before and after practices and games to give your child extra attention and to help him or her improve. But when the team is together on the field, make sure that you do the best that you can to give everyone equal attention and treatment.

As players get older and things such as designating team captains and handing out team awards become more a part of coaching, continue to go out of your way to treat your child the same way you treat the other team members. If you think that your kid is captain material, instead of appointing captains, let the team vote and be willing to stick with those selections. You can do the same thing for team awards, or you can even let the parents vote on these. By handling difficult situations in this manner, no one can question you, no matter what happens. The parents and team members can’t accuse you of favorable treatment if your child is chosen, and your son or daughter can’t accuse you of going out of your way not to acknowledge him or her. In the long run, recognition from teammates will mean more to your child than recognition from you.

Another thing to be wary of is singling out your child for mistakes made by the team or for overall lackluster play. Everyone is responsible in these situations. If you feel like you need to be a little more stern than usual to get through to your team, pull them aside away from everyone and address the situation. Don’t let your need to have an outlet to release your pent-up frustration cause you to unfairly discipline your child.

Remember, when it comes to having your son or daughter on your team – no matter what level you are coaching – live by the golden rule: Treat your child the same way as every other team member. If you can manage to do that, your life will be easier on and off the field.

Coaching Reference Sheet
March 31, 2006
By Cal and Bill Ripken

We have provided you with a lot of information about coaching -- everything from goal-setting to the basics of running a fun and efficient practice to actual practice plans. If you continue reading you will find a quick reference sheet that you can call on to refresh your memory at any point during your season. Use this guide to help you organize your practices, communicate with your parents and chart your team's progress.

Basic Teaching Philosophy

Keep it Simple
This doesn’t always mean basic or boring. Baseball is a simple game. The teams that throw and catch best often win. Reinforce basic fundamentals with simple drills. There are no shortcuts to becoming a good baseball player. The youngest player should catch a ground ball and throw it the same way a college or pro player does. The same fundamentals should be applied over and over. Eventually the young player will progress and be able to execute the fundamentals more effectively. You don’t teach players to make great plays. Once the fundamental skills are fully developed and become automatic, players will begin to make more challenging plays naturally as their bodies mature.

Explain Why
Why is a young person’s favorite question. As a coach, if you can’t tell a player why he should do something a certain way, you lose credibility. It also is more likely that the player will try to do something the right way if you can explain why that method will make him a better player. Lesson that come with an explanation are more likely to sink in and be applied effectively.

Celebrate the Individual
Every kid has a certain style or flair that he brings to the game. Don’t try to eliminate that. Celebrate it. As long as the players utilize the proper fundamental approaches and are successful, let them be themselves. Baseball is not a game of cloning. If you watch big league players you’ll see hundreds of different batting stances, but at some point all good hitters get to the same place technically and follow similar fundamental approaches. Other sports promote the different styles their athletes bring to their games; baseball should do the same. Let kids be kids!

Make it Fun
If we are going to keep it simple and stress repetition of fundamental skills and drills, it is imperative to add some excitement to maintain a high level of interest among the kids. By simply turning a basic ground ball or hitting drill into a contest and implementing a point system, you’ll find that kids will do the same drill they were getting tired of for as long as you’ll let them. Practice at the youth level is extremely important, but there’s no reason that it can’t be even more fun for the kids than the actual games. Be creative! Think fun first!

Responsibilities of a Coach

• Be an effective communicator

• Preseason team meeting to discuss goals, philosophy and ask for assistance from parents.

• If you can’t get parents to commit to helping all year, ask for one or two different parents to help each week – explain how this will make the experience better for the kids.

• Create phone and email lists of parents.

• Send practice and game schedules.

• Send announcements.

• Send practice plans.

• Do not rely on email lists for last-second or emergency situations. Call everyone about these. Not everyone checks email all the time. Avoid confusion.

Create a Safe, Enjoyable Environment

• Have a med kit and ice for injuries (and water) on hand at all times.

• Coaches should be first-aid/CPR certified if possible (if not, find out if any parents are).

• Have proper equipment and make sure it fits.

• Be aware of facility, its hazards and emergency resources.

• Have parent phone list and local emergency phone list numbers in case of emergencies.

• Long practices can lead to injuries as kids get tired and lose focus.

Be a Role Model

• Kids look up to coaches as heroes. Coaches can be very influential. Keep that in mind when you are dealing with players, parents, umpires and opposing teams.

• Search for teachable moments to correct mistakes. Don’t single players out in front of spectators, opposing teams, teammates, etc. Pull them aside at appropriate times or address problems in the next practice.

Be Organized

• Have a practice plan, communicate it and stick to it.

• Keeps practice moving and shows your commitment level.
  

• Adhere to the teaching philosophies mentioned above as closely as possible

Set Reasonable Expectations or Goals

Ask these questions:

• Are the kids having fun?

• Are the kids improving?

• Are the kids learning?

Set Age-Specific Goals
Every coach should set five basic goals that his team hopes to accomplish by the end of the season. These should be based on the team’s age and skill level and should focus on the following areas:

• Rules

• Throwing and throwing mechanics

• Catching and fielding

• Hitting

• Positions/positional play (younger teams) and team fundamentals (for older teams – cutoffs and relays, covering on a steal, bunt defenses, 1st and 3rd defenses, pickoff plays, offensive plays and strategies, base running, etc.)

Sample Practice Plan – Ages 12 and Under

10 Minutes Base Running

• “Big League” base running and/or dynamic warm-up

20 Minutes Stretch and Throw

• Stretch around mound or in center field

• Go over practice plan in detail

45 Minutes Stations
Small groups, 15 minutes per station and rotate

• Live Batting practice

• Tee work/soft toss – use fences/backstops if necessary

• Fielding/throwing station – while live batting practice is going on

• Fly ball/throwing station – while live batting practice is going on

10 Minutes Base Running

As always, common sense must prevail. For ages 4-6, a practice should not last much longer than an hour. Times should be shortened accordingly if the kids are struggling and don’t seem to want to be there that day. Practice can be extended at this age group, but only if the players ask to stay longer. Players ages 7-9 should be able to handle an hour just about any day and may even be able to maintain interest and concentration for as long as an hour and a half (try to keep practice to about an hour and 15 minutes for this age group). Players in the 10-12 age group can probably handle an hour and a half with regularity. Use this framework as a guideline and customize practices to fit your needs.

Sample Practice Plan – Ages 13 and up

20 Minutes Stretch, Run, Throw

20 Minutes Ground Balls and Fly Balls
Use buckets and systems to minimize throws and maximize repetitions

• Not taking infield

• Two infield fungo stations

• One outfield fungo station

20 minutes Team Fundamentals

• Bunt defenses

• First and third defenses

• Cutoffs and relays

• Pickoffs and rundowns

• Team base running

60 Minutes Team Batting Practice
Four stations, 15 minutes each (or four stations, 10 minutes each if you want to do another team fundamental)
o Stations can be rotated daily – always include free hitting

Once in-season, coaches should prioritize which issues need to be addressed during team fundamental sessions. Another team fundamental session can be added, reducing batting practice by 20 minutes. Please note that the infield fungo station does not mean taking a full infield. Batting practice provides opportunities for pitchers to throw on the side and do their running.

Making Practice Fun
March 2006
By Cal Ripken

My dad, Cal Ripken, Sr., used to say, “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” He also used to say that baseball is a simple game. I grew up living and believing those sentiments, and I still do to this day. When working with kids, however, I have another philosophy that I preach in addition to those of my father: Make it fun! With a little creativity, there is no reason that baseball practice can’t be almost as fun – or even more fun – than games.

If you take away the strategies and team fundamentals and then look at even the most complex plays in baseball, they can be broken down into very simple parts. A double play, for instance, is nothing more than someone fielding a groundball and throwing it to a teammate who catches it and throws it to another teammate who catches it. In its simplest terms a double play is no more than a catch, a throw, a catch, a throw and a catch. Simple, right? It is if a solid fundamental base has been developed.

So, there’s no denying the need for fundamental development when we are working with baseball players at any level. What’s that you say? Fundamentals are boring? They don’t have to be. We do fundamental station and drill work every morning at our camps in four basic areas -- pitching, hitting, infield and outfield – and the kids have a ball. We make every kid go through each station because all players need to learn proper throwing mechanics (covered in the pitching station); all players need to learn how to field a groundball properly (infield station); all young players love to hit, which is the most technical part of the game (hitting station); and everyone on a baseball field, at some point, must catch a flyball or pop-up and learn to communicate effectively (outfield station).

At first kids ask us why they have to go through all the stations. Even as 8-year-olds they often see themselves as pitchers, shortstops or center fielders. Another of our philosophies is to be able to explain why. There is solid reasoning behind everything we teach on the baseball field. Most times, when you can explain why, it gives you instant credibility as a coach and kids are happy to perform the tasks once they understand the spirit behind them. Once we have that out of the way, the fun begins.

In our five years of running camps we have found that our methods of fundamental teaching are fun and allow for dramatic improvement even in a weeklong camp. The basic principles are: Put the kids in small groups so they get plenty of individual attention, understand their attention spans and move them to different stations after short periods of instruction and drills, and keep them active to avoid having players stand around for long periods of time.

We also have found that these methods translate well when it comes to practice. Many volunteers don’t have the luxury of a full staff of assistants like we do at camp, but usually there are parents around to help. One solution is for the head coach to hold a preseason meeting to ask if one or two parents can help out at each practice. Parents can rotate throughout the season so assisting at practice does not become a burden.

Practices should be geared toward a particular age group’s attention span. The youngest players should not practice for more than an hour. High school players should probably be limited to approximately two hours. Again, break the players into groups and rotate them among different stations: batting practice, baserunning, ground balls, fly balls, throwing, etc. Sometimes stations can be combined. For instance, one group can be hitting while another is working on baserunning and another is shagging hit balls. The group that is shagging can also be hit groundballs and flyballs between pitches. For older teams, if there are strategies or team fundamentals that need to be addressed, that can be accomplished together as a team, keeping in mind that kids’ attention spans vary. At some point, if they are not getting it, move on and come back to it later.

Remember, there are only so many drills. For kids, practicing the same drills over and over can become boring and tedious. We have found, however, that taking those same drills an introducing an element of competition increases the focus and enjoyment for the kids. Turn the drills into contests and award prizes to the winners. Keep in mind that competition drives all of us. Please use the tools and resources you will find here, along with your own creativity, to make the game fun for you, your kids or your team.

Safety on the Ballfield
June 30, 2005 
By Bill and Cal Ripken

With the unfortunate death of a 4-year-old on a local ball field recently, a lot of attention has been focused on providing a safe environment for players, coaches and spectators at youth baseball games.

There is so much going on a typical youth game. As many as 30 players are full of energy, anxious to play catch and swing bats. In fact, if there are two teams playing and two teams waiting to play, there can be as many as 60 energized kids within a fairly confined area. Parents set up their lawn chairs and picnic blankets so that they can relax and socialize with their peers all around the field. The players’ siblings are running around with the other brothers and sisters, unconcerned that a baseball game is going on.

With so much action involving so many children, there are many factors that can turn what looks like a simple, fun game into a potential safety hazard – both on and off the field. It’s probably not possible to make any athletic venue completely safe for everyone, however there are some precautions that can be taken to help ensure an atmosphere that promotes safety.

Make Sure Equipment Fits and Is Not Worn Out

This seems like an obvious safety precaution, but we all are aware that many youth baseball programs have to deal with budget constraints. Not having enough money in the budget to purchase new equipment every year can lead to equipment that is passed down and used much longer than it is functional. Worn out equipment is dangerous for obvious reasons. Sometimes equipment that is handed down is not meant for the age group using it. A helmet that is too large can cover a batter’s eyes and prevent him from reacting to an inside pitch that might hit him. A helmet that is too small might not provide proper protection. Catcher’s gear that is too large might shift and leave an area of the body exposed that shouldn’t be. If the gear is too small it might not cover all the body parts that it should. As coaches don’t be afraid to speak up and let your commissioner know that you don’t have the proper equipment. Sticking to a budget is important, but not at the expense of anyone’s safety. If the league won’t cooperate, consider explaining the problem to your parents. A small donation from everyone can easily cover the cost of catcher’s gear and batting helmets.

Use Appropriate Bats and Balls

It is important to understand which bats and baseballs are appropriate to the age group you are coaching. If a player can’t control a bat, there is a good chance he might drop it or throw it in a dangerous manner. Players who still are mastering their throwing and catching skills should practice and play, when possible, using balls that are the same weight and feel of baseballs but have softer covers. The most dangerous time of some practices is the first few minutes when players who still are learning to throw and catch are warming up their arms using real baseballs. From a skill-development standpoint, if the balls are the same size and weight as regular baseballs, the players still are benefiting the same as if they were using the regulation balls. You are just decreasing the risk of an inury.

Designate an Area for Warming Up

When teams are getting ready to play, there is a desire and a need to warm up properly for the game. This can include playing catch and some sort of batting practice. If teams are playing catch on the field before the game, they should play catch in the outfield grass, preferably along one of the foul lines, with everyone throwing in the same direction. If two or three kids decide to throw in a different direction, overthrows can be dangerous to players or spectators. In addition, spectators should be sure not to set up their chairs or blankets directly behind the spot where a team is playing catch.

Teams waiting to get on a field that want to play catch should find an open area of the facility, away from spectators. Again, the players should all throw in the same direction to avoid the possibility of an overthrow hitting a teammate. Players always should spread out as much as possible when playing catch to avoid the possibility of getting hit by a teammate’s errant throw.

When there is no batting cage, teams like to get creative with their pre-game batting practice – especially if they don’t have access to the field. Once again it is imperative to find an open area to hit, as far away from spectators as possible. If there is no batting cage, plastic or sponge balls should be used. Players hitting, as well as the on-deck batters should wear helmets at all times, regardless of the type of ball being used. Most hitting-related injuries seem to be head injuries that occur when someone without a helmet gets hit by a careless swing.

Pick Out a Safe Rooting Location

Parents usually like to sit on the same side of the field as their team’s bench. And they often prefer to set up their chairs and blankets out of play farther down the baseline than where the bench is located. They usually choose this location over sitting in bleachers behind a fence or setting their chairs or blankets up behind fenced-in areas where the few might not be perfect. Often the area that they pick is in a location that is exposed to hard-hit foul balls or errant throws. This can be okay if the parents are alert and constantly paying attention to the game. More times that not, however, the game becomes a social event. Conversations distract the spectators from the game action, which means they are not prepared to protect themselves from batted or thrown balls. This becomes even more dangerous when small children are thrown into the mix without having alert adults available to protect them.

As a coach you can help your supporters pick out a safe area from which to root for the team. One idea is to have a team banner made and hung or placed in an area that is less likely to be a target for foul balls and that is safe from any potential errant throws. This can be designated as the official rooting section and team supporters can be directed to sit there. Another possibility is to talk to the parents to make sure that at least one person is designated to “stand guard” each inning. This parent would make sure to warn spectators of incoming balls and would be prepared to protect the others if necessary. Finally, it is imperative that coaches and spectators make sure that children who are playing together are far enough away from the field to be out of danger.

Assign a Coach or Parent to Bench Duty

Pick a parent or one of your assistants to be on “bench duty” for each game. It will be this person’s responsibility to make sure the bench area is safe. The on-deck hitter should be forced to wear a helmet and should be the only player other than the batter to have a bat in his hands. The next couple of players in the lineup should wear helmets, but they should be sitting on the bench with their teammates. It is the on-deck batter’s responsibility to remove the hitter’s bat after he drops it and runs to first. This should be done quickly if there is a potential play at home plate so that the runner doesn’t slide into the bat and the catcher doesn’t trip over it. All players not in the game should be on the bench or in the bench area. The only time they should go to play catch would be if they were warming up to come into the game. When that time comes the parent on “bench duty” should make sure that they throw in a safe location away from any potential batted or thrown balls as well as any spectators. If a pitcher must warm up to go into a game at a location that is near the playing field, it is the responsibility of the coach to make sure that there is a player, coach or parent there to stand in front of the pitcher and protect him from batted or thrown balls.

Walk the Field Before the Game

Coaches should walk the entire field before any game or practice to get a feel for any areas that might be dangerous. Look for bumpy ground, holes or gullies, large rocks, broken glass or anything else that could cause an injury situation. Dangerous items should be removed from the field. Players should be informed of any areas of the field that might potentially cause an injury so that they can try to avoid them. If you are practicing and the infield seems excessively rough or dangerous, you might want to take your infielders to a flat, grassy area or a blacktop so that they can practice the proper techniques without having their bodies take a beating. It’s very hard – not to mention dangerous -- to teach a young player how to field properly if he is being bruised by balls that constantly are taking bad hops.

Keep Their Heads in the Game

Baseball, by its nature, is a game that features a substantial amount of downtime and standing around. As a coach it is imperative to impress upon your players the concept of a proper ready position and to keep them focused on the game. Coaches are supposed to be paying attention to every pitch, so it shouldn’t be too hard to verbally remind your players to be prepared before each pitch. Remind them how many outs there are and make sure they don’t have their hands on their knees. They should be in an athletic stance with their bodies square to home plate. Make sure the players understand the game situation and are aware which bases the ball might be thrown to if it is hit. This can help avoid a player making a throw to a teammate who is not expecting it.

Teach the Proper Fundamental Techniques

Many of the fundamental drills that you will find in the Coach’s Clipboard archives will teach players to approach the game in such a way that they will be less likely to put themselves in potential injury situations.

Vision is the most important defense mechanism on the baseball field. If the player can see the ball and the glove (ground balls and throws should be caught out in front of the body and fly balls should be caught with two hands over the head) or can see the pitch with both eyes, he is more likely to catch or get out of the way of a ball that takes a bad hop or to get out of the way of an inside pitch. Don’t be afraid to throw foam rubber balls at your team in practice to teach them how to get out of the way of pitches. Turn batting practice into a dodge ball game one day. The players will have fun with it while learning how to protect themselves. Ultimately that will give them more confidence at the plate.

For a skill like bunting, it is easier for a player who pivots on both feet to get out of the way of an inside pitch than for a player who squares his entire body to the pitcher. Also, when it comes to bunting, the top hand should never be wrapped completely around the bat.

Introduce the Protective Cup

A protective cup may be the most important piece of equipment any baseball player can wear. It protects the player from serious injury and instills a greater sense of confidence. So, why wouldn’t a player want to wear one? They aren’t very comfortable. The earlier a player gets used to wearing a cup, the easier it will be for him to wear it consistently. After a while he won’t even realize that he is wearing one. No baseball player should step on a field – especially the quality of fields most kids play on – without wearing a protective cup.

First Aid Considerations

Every youth baseball team should be given a freshly stocked first aid kit by its league administration. Of course this doesn’t always happen. A basic first aid kit is not very expensive, so we would recommend that a coach consider making that small investment to help ensure the safety of his or her team. If that is not possible maybe you can solicit small donations from the parents.

All youth coaches should be first aid certified as well. Again, we know that most coaches are volunteering some of their valuable free time and that many of them are not first aid certified. First aid certification courses last only a few short hours and are very inexpensive. They are held frequently at your local chapter of the American Red Cross. As a coach, consider speaking with the Red Cross to see if you can set up a first aid course for several of your league’s coaches. A few short hours of your time will allow you to provide a safer environment for your team.

Bunting 101
May 20, 2005
By Bill Ripken

When you are one of the players fighting for a roster spot every year, you try to develop skills that will make you more versatile and more valuable to your team - at any level. As a player in the big leagues I realized that one aspect of the game that sometimes gets overlooked is bunting, so I figured I could increase my value by working hard to be a good bunter.

Bunting has been in the news a lot lately, especially here in Baltimore, because of the injury suffered by Orioles center fielder Luis Matos. For those of you who don't know, Matos suffered a pretty severe hand injury when his top hand was hit by a pitch while he was attempting to bunt. Normally an injury like this would not have received much attention, but because Matos had his top hand wrapped around the bat, instead of the traditional grip between the thumb and forefinger, it seems as though the play has been analyzed over and over again.

When I played, I also wrapped my top hand around the bat, but I do not teach that method to youth or high school players. The reason I held the bat that way was that I felt it gave me more bat control, which is important when most pitchers throw 88 mph or faster and when you have to face big league breaking and off-speed pitches. As a professional I also had enough confidence in my reflexes and the pitchers' control to be able to hold the bat that way and not get hurt. It just felt best to me. As with a lot of baseball skills, at the big league level, the way you hold the bat when executing a bunt is a personal preference. At the lower levels, however, I prefer to teach the traditional method. I will get into that shortly.

Our Philosophy on Bunting

Bunting is a difficult skill to master, so I encourage players to begin practicing it as soon as they begin facing live pitching (either coach pitch or player pitch). If you teach players the right way to bunt at a young age it will give them plenty of time to perfect the technique and to be comfortable when they get older.

When it comes time to play the games, however, at the youngest youth levels we believe that the focus should be on hitting. Hitting is a much bigger part of the game than bunting, and players at the youth level should be given every opportunity to develop as hitters by swinging the bat in game situations. Bunting is a skill that can help a team win games, but the focus at the youngest ages should be on developing good baseball players instead of winning. Certainly as players progress up the ladder into the 11- and 12-year-old age groups and start having opportunities to play in district, state, regional and national tournaments, playing the game the right way and helping the team win is emphasized a bit more.

It is important to keep in mind that even in these situations we are dealing with young, developing baseball players. It would be a shame for an 11-year-old to be labeled a "good bunter" and have many of his opportunities to hit taken away from him. Yes, there is a time and place, but please remember that as youth coaches your job is to prepare your players to be able to continue playing the game competitively every step of the way. By all means teach bunting and have your kids practice it without losing site of the fact that hitting is what brings the kids the most joy. Winning is not everything when you are dealing with younger baseball players.

Mechanics of the Sacrifice Bunt

As you probably have guessed from my opening statements, there isn't one perfect way to bunt. For the basic sacrifice bunt we recommend that the batter simply pivot on both feet, keeping the knees slightly bent and the feet about shoulder-width apart to provide a good base and promote balance. Some players feel that they can see the ball better by "squaring" around and bringing the back foot forward so that it is parallel to the front foot. While many hitters through the years have been effective bunters using this approach, we believe that "squaring" around makes it very difficult for the batter to get out of the way of an inside pitch. This position also allows you only to bunt. If you want to pull back and attempt to slash or even take a full swing it is very difficult if you are square to the pitcher.

After pivoting it is a good idea to first point the bat toward the pitcher and transfer all your weight to the front foot. This should help get the bat out in front of home plate in fair territory, which gives you the best possible angle to keep the bunt in play. The top hand should slide up the bat to a point just below the label with the bat gripped between the thumb and index finger. By holding the bat loosely and not back in the hand it will leave a space that will allow the bat and hand to give and act as a shock-absorber. This should help the batter deaden the ball more effectively.

The bat should start at the top of the strike zone. Any pitch above that starting point should be left alone, because it is a ball. The head of the bat should be tilted so that it is slightly above the hands when contact is made. This makes it easier to push the ball down to the ground, avoiding a pop-up. Avoid stabbing at the ball or dropping the bat head, both of which make it more difficult to get the ball on the ground. Bend the knees and keep the bat in the same position to bunt low pitches. The bottom hand is used like the rudder of a ship to angle the bat in the direction you want the ball to travel. The bat should give a little bit as the ball approaches to soften it. Thinking about trying to catch the ball with the bat can help players better understand this concept.

Batters shouldn't worry about showing the bunt too early when sacrificing. The placement of the bunt is what's most important, not the element of surprise. One mistake that many hitters make when bunting is to try to make the bunt too perfect in hopes of getting a hit. The object of a sacrifice bunt is to advance the runners who already are on base. Try not to bunt the ball directly to the pitcher. For the most part if you make the pitcher come off the mound in one direction of the other to field the ball, your goal will be accomplished.

Proper Warm-Up
Ripken Newsletter (5th Issue)
April 30, 2005

By Tim Bishop
Baltimore Orioles Strength and Conditioning Coach

Most people, including baseball players, think that simple stretching exercises provide a sufficient warm-up prior to a game or practice. While stretching can – and should -- be one component of a pre-game or pre-practice routine, it is probably not the most important. In fact, it may be the least important.

The ultimate goal of a warm-up, to raise the temperature of the body and specifically the muscles that will be used during the game or practice session, is much more important than performing stretching exercises. Raising the temperature of the muscles allows them to be more pliable and actually to contract more effectively. This allows your muscles to perform more efficiently and should help reduce the chances of developing a muscle-related injury.

There are three stages of a proper pre-game or pre-practice warm-up.

1. General Warm-up

This can include a very light jog, jumping rope, riding a stationary bike, or any light activity that raises the heart rate and increases blood flow to the muscles.

2. Performing Functional Movements

The second phase of a proper warm-up is to perform functional movements. These consist of multi-joint movements in which the muscles and joints are used in a manner similar to how they will be used later on in the game or practice. Some examples of a functional warm up might include body-weight squatting, lunging, lateral low walking, high-knee drills, shuffles, etc.

3. Sport-specific Phase

This is where you actually use movements from the specific sport or activity that is being performed at a lesser intensity to “get loose.” Examples of these types of drills would be batting and fielding practice, long toss, and running the bases.

A light stretch can be done following any of these phases, but only after the muscles are warmed up properly. Athletes with flexibility issues should work on these areas during training sessions in the off-season and not necessarily during a pre-game or pre-practice warm-up. This time should be used to prepare the muscles for how they will be used during the ensuing game or practice, not to address deficiencies that a player might have.

A team warm-up also is a good way to create good habits athletes can fall back on for any sporting activity they will participate in throughout their lives. It also promotes interaction between the players, serves as a time to focus on the upcoming game or practice and provides an opportunity for a coach to address the team about the practice plan for the day or the day’s opponent.

The most important point to take away from this article is to avoid confusing a proper warm-up with stretching. While they can be used in conjunction with one another, in reality they serve two completely different purposes and should be viewed that way.

Pitcher's Checklist
Ripken Newsletter (4th Issue)
March 31, 2005

By Cal and Bill Ripken with John Habyan

This time of year is very important time when it comes to the development of young pitchers.  It seems as though most pitching injuries and most bad habits are developed early in the season.

The Pitcher’s Checklist

• When watching a pitcher throw for the first time, it’s important to look at whether the pitcher is throwing strikes, at velocity and at ball movement
• The fastball is the foundation for everything a pitcher does. You can’t develop off-speed pitches without the arm strength gained by throwing a lot of fastballs at a young age.
• A pitching coach should first look at a pitcher’s results before he starts breaking down the pitcher’s mechanics.
• The grip is important in pitching, and the best grip for a particular pitch is the one that’s most comfortable for the pitcher while allowing him to throw strikes and achieve maximum velocity and movement.
• The first pitch to introduce, especially to a young pitcher, is the four-seam fastball.
• Change-of-speed pitches should be prioritized over pitches that make the ball move.
• Pitching mechanics involve one continuous motion, but there are five links that make up that motion – footwork, balance position, power position, rotation and follow-through. If one of those links breaks down the entire chain can be affected.
• Encourage young pitchers to keep their eyes on the target. The longer a pitcher sees the catcher’s mitt, the more likely it is that he is going to throw a strike.
• The most important thing for off-speed pitches is to make sure that the ball is comfortable in the pitcher’s hand.
• Coaches should not let young pitchers fall in love with their off-speed pitches and to throw them too often.
• Once the pitcher releases the ball, he’s no longer a pitcher. He’s a fielder. A pitcher fields a ground ball just like any other infielder: wide base, butt down, hands out in front.
• On a ball to the right side, a pitcher’s first instinct should be to move toward first base.
• A pitcher who comes to the set position and goes to the plate the same way every time is easy to steal on. He should change his timing and pattern when throwing to the plate and vary the type and quality of his pickoff moves.

Planning an Effective Practice
Ripken Newsletter (3rd Issue)
March 1, 2005

By Bill & Cal Ripken

Baseball is a simple game. However, planning an effective baseball practice can be challenging. In this, the second article in this month's edition of Coach's Clipboard dedicated to developing effective practices, we are going to take a look at some of the basic components of a baseball practice and outline some sample practices for older and younger youth teams.

Warming Up

So many times a coach will show up and immediately tell the team to go run around the soccer goalposts and come back. As players get older they begin to understand that this is a warm-up. They know what it means to jog and get loose. Younger players usually do not grasp this concept. They will view this as a race and will run as hard as they can in an effort to win the race. Some players will not be able to complete the run at this pace and will get tired quickly. Others will push themselves to the very end and will exhaust their energy. Either way you are going to have a bunch of tired kids. It might take them 10 minutes or longer to recover, which is not a good situation to be in when there only is an hour block allotted for practice.

A better idea for the younger ages is to open practice with base running. Kids love to run bases. In fact, they love it so much you can begin and end practice with base running. There is a drill we call “Big League” base running that we really like. The players run from home to first as if they are trying to beat out an infield hit. The concepts of touching the front of the bag and running through the base are stressed. Next, the players run from first to third. After that they walk home and then run a double. Then they simulate scoring on a hit from second base. Beyond that, if the players are not too tired they can run out a triple or a home run. Each time specific base running fundamentals are stressed.

As players get older (above the age of 13) the concept of a dynamic warm-up, including jogging, running, bounding, skipping, high knees, etc. can be introduced. The team should be able to arrive at practice and start this type of warm-up as a team on its own before beginning a daily stretching routine.

Cold muscles should never be stretched, but it is important to introduce a stretching routine to any age group. After the base running or dynamic warm-up, players can sit in a circle to begin their stretching routine. Younger players will not have a real physical need to stretch. They roll out of bed and are loose and ready to go. There is not much danger of them pulling muscles. However, understanding the importance of stretching and developing a routine will be habit forming and will help them throughout their athletic careers. So the earlier the concept of stretching is introduced the better. Team stretching also provides coaches with an opportunity to go over the practice plan that has been developed for that day, which will eliminate wasted time once the practice begins.

The Importance of Having a Plan

It is important for a coach to spend at least some time in advance putting the day’s practice on paper. It is even better if this plan can be emailed to all of the players and parents the night before practice. If the coach comes to practice with a plan and can communicate and organize the plan effectively while the team stretches, the confidence level of the players and parents will increase. They will understand that the coach is taking his or her responsibilities seriously and is attempting to make the experience as rewarding as possible for all involved. Players are more likely to give maximum effort and attention to a coach who is organized, and parents are less likely to question an organized, dedicated coach.

Dealing With Limited Field Space

It can be very easy for us to tell coaches not to fall into the trap of running a practice where one kid is hitting and everyone else is standing around in the field. After all, we have access to a new youth baseball academy that we have built in Aberdeen, MD, that has four youth fields, a synthetic turf practice infield, four batting cages with a tee and soft toss area and a large multi-purpose grass field. Most coaches come to practice and have use of one field for an hour. Some coaches don’t even get to use a field with a backstop. Those circumstances make it harder to plan an effective practice. Harder, but not impossible. You just have to get a little creative!

Batting practice can be set up so that there are actually several different stations going on at the same time. Let’s say you have a team with 15 players. You might break your team into three groups of five. One group goes to the outfield, where a coach or volunteer hits fly balls and ground balls to the players between pitches. Another group goes to the infield, where a coach or volunteer hits ground balls to the players between pitches. The third group is a hitting and base running group. One player goes to first base and simulates situational base running (seeing a bunt hit the ground before breaking, hit and run, advancing on a hit, reading a fly ball, etc.). Another player is hitting at home plate (two bunts, two hit and runs, 10 swings). The other three players are hitting plastic, rubber or foam balls off of a tee or by doing a soft-toss drill into the backstop or a fence.

In this scenario players are working on hitting, throwing and catching. If you spend 15 minutes on warm-up, throwing and catching before starting batting practice, you then can let the groups hit for 10-15 minutes each and still accomplish quite a bit. There might even be more time left over at the end to go over a team fundamental for older groups or to do more base running or have skills contests for younger teams.

This is just one example of how to make efficient use of limited field space to run an effective practice. Another way is to purchase some portable pop-up nets like the Instant Screen produced by our partner, The Jugs Company. These screens are light and fold up into a bag. They can be taken anywhere and set up in a matter of minutes, allowing for a coach to create his or her own hitting stations under virtually any conditions. Jugs also produces foam rubber Lite Flite balls with raised seams that can be used to take safe batting practice almost anywhere, and there is another product we endorse, Ripken Quickball, that uses durable small and regulation-sized plastic balls with holes and raised seems that are perfect for hitting drills and hold up even when struck with aluminum bats.

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

We’ve all heard the saying, “Practice Makes Perfect.” Well, that’s not really true. If you practice a skill over and over again, but you are practicing it the wrong way, when it comes to a game situation you are going to do it wrong. Our dad, Cal Ripken, Sr., who played, coached and managed in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization for nearly 40 years, was famous for saying, “Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.” He also used to say, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” Both of these sayings reflect the idea that we tend to play the way we practice.

Sample Practice Plan – Ages 13 and up

20 minutes - Stretch, run, throw

20 minutes - Ground balls and fly balls – use buckets and systems to minimize throws and maximize repetitions

• Not taking infield
• Two infield fungo stations
• One outfield fungo station

20 minutes - Team fundamentals

• Bunt defenses
• First and third defenses
• Cutoffs and relays
• Pickoffs and rundowns
• Team base running

60 minutes - Team batting practice – four stations, 15 minutes each (or four stations, 10 minutes each if you want to do another team fundamental)

Stations can be rotated daily – always include free hitting

Once in-season, coaches should prioritize which issues need to be addressed during team fundamental sessions. Another team fundamental session can be added, reducing batting practice by 20 minutes. Please note that the infield fungo station does not mean taking a full infield. Batting practice provides opportunities for pitchers to throw on the side and do their running.

Outfield Communication Drill
Ripken Newsletter (3rd Issue)
March 1, 2005

For some reason the same kids who like to call out in school or yell and scream around the house don’t like to speak up on the baseball field. At times this can cause serious problems – and lead to injury situations – in both the infield and outfield. We have a drill that emphasizes the importance of outfielders communicating about who is going to catch a fly ball. Our instructors make the drill fun by encouraging the kids to get excited and to be loud.

The Setup

The setup for the outfield communication drill is very simple: one bucket of balls, one coach and two single-file lines of players. The lines should be parallel and about 25 feet apart.

This drill is designed to help players understand the importance of clearly calling a fly ball that they are going to attempt to catch. It also can be used to introduce the concept of outfield fly ball priorities. The drill will help teams avoid potential injury situations and teach players not to be shy about communicating on the baseball field. A team that communicates well most likely will be a good defensive team.

Points of Emphasis

• The outfielder calling the ball should be loud and clear.
• The outfielder calling the ball should yell, “I got it!” at least three times: “I got it! I got it! I got it!”
• The player calling the ball should get to the spot where it is coming down quickly to set up and catch the ball over the head with two hands.
• The player not making the catch should get out of the way and back up the other fielder.

Executing the Drill

The coach finds the mid-point between the two lines and backs up so that he can throw simulated fly balls in between the first two players in each line. After the ball is thrown, the player closest to it should call the ball forcefully three times: “I got it! I got it! I got it!” before getting to the spot quickly and catching the ball with two hands over the head. The other player should get out of the way quickly and back up the player who called the ball. If the player farther from the ball calls it, the other player still should defer to the fielder who called the ball to avoid a potential collision situation. This introduces the importance of effective communication on the baseball field. The players should switch lines after each turn. A more advanced version of the drill introduces the concept of outfield priorities by designating one line as the center field line and the other line as one of the other outfield positions. Any ball the center fielder calls is his, with the other player moving out of the way and backing up the one who called the ball.

Teaching Point

The main teaching points here are the importance of being loud and forceful and deferring to a teammate who has called a fly ball. In addition, the basic fundamentals of catching a fly ball should be stressed: get to the spot quickly and catch the ball with two hands above the head so that you can see the ball and the glove at the same time. Outfielders should try not to drift when catching fly balls.

Doctors See a Big Rise in Injuries for Young Athletes
New York Times
February 22, 2005
By BILL PENNINGTON

submitted by Dan Norton

A competitive swimmer since she was 7, Alex Glashow of Barrington, R.I., logged 8,000 yards a day in the pool, until her arms ached. She learned to dislocate one shoulder intentionally to ease the pain in the water, but after shoulder surgery and a year of physical therapy, Glashow quit competitive swimming forever when she was 15.

Jeret Adair, a top young pitching prospect from Atlanta who started 64 games in one summer for his traveling baseball team, last year had Tommy John surgery, an elbow reconstruction once reserved for aging major leaguers.

Ana Sani of Scarsdale, N.Y., a 13-year-old budding soccer star, practiced daily until she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee.

Around the country, doctors in pediatric sports medicine say it is as if they have happened upon a new childhood disease, and the cause is the overaggressive culture of organized youth sports.

"They are overuse injuries pure and simple," Dr. James Andrews, a nationally prominent sports orthopedist, said. "You get a kid on the operating table and you say to yourself, 'It's impossible for a 13-year-old to have this kind of wear and tear.' We've got an epidemic going on."

Typical injuries range from stress fractures, growth plate disorders, cracked kneecaps and frayed heel tendons to a back condition brought on by excessive flexing that causes one vertebra to slip forward over another vertebra. Most are injuries once seen only in adults.

Dr. Lyle Micheli, a pioneer in the field of treating youth sports injuries and director of the sports medicine division of Boston Children's Hospital, said that 25 years ago, only 10 percent of the patients he treated came to him for injuries caused by overuse. Back then, most childhood injuries were fractures and sprains. Dr. Micheli said overuse injuries now represented 70 percent of the cases he sees. In interviews with more than two dozen sports-medicine doctors and researchers, one factor was repeatedly cited as the prime cause for the outbreak in overuse injuries among young athletes: specialization in one sport at an early age and the year-round, almost manic, training for it that often follows.

"It's not enough that they play on a school team, two travel teams and go to four camps for their sport in the summer," said Dr. Eric Small, who has a family sports-medicine practice in Westchester County. "They have private instructors for that one sport that they see twice a week. Then their parents get them out to practice in the backyard at night."

Pushing Children to Overachieve

Dr. Angela Smith, an orthopedic surgeon at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said parents in virtually every sport were pushing their children to excess in pursuit of college scholarships or the dream of a professional sports career. "The volume of training has increased beyond the maturing young body's ability to handle it," she said.

Doctors lament the loss of what has become a cultural artifact: the playground athlete. Two decades ago, sports for children were often unorganized, with pick-up games common in schoolyards and community parks.

"Children might have played baseball, basketball and football all in the same day," Dr. Micheli said. "This was good for their bodies, which developed in balance. Now young athletes play sports supervised by adults who have them doing the same techniques, the same drills, over and over and over.

"By playing one sport year-round, there is no rest and recovery for the overused parts of their body. Parents think they are maximizing their child's chances by concentrating on one sport. The results are often not what they expected."

In his office in Birmingham, Ala., Dr. Andrews hands the parents of new patients a piece of chalk and points to a blackboard in the corner.

"I say, 'Write down when your child started playing his sport, how many teams he's played for, what camps he went to, for how many years, what private instructors he's seen, what championships he won, what his stats were, all that stuff,' " Dr. Andrews said. "Then I walk out of the room. I come back in and they've filled up the blackboard. They're proud.

"And I say, 'You all know why he's here seeing me?' And I point to the blackboard. That's when the light bulb goes off."

According to several pediatric sports-medicine specialists, not all parents - and they come from all economic classes - see the light so clearly. It is not uncommon for the damage done by an overuse injury to be irrevocable, and the doctor's advice is to quit the sport.

"That's usually not received too well," said Dr. Michael Busch, an Atlanta orthopedic surgeon. "The parents will ask if there isn't some kind of surgery that can be done, so their child can keep doing the things that brought this injury on in the first place. I explain that an operation might be necessary just to alleviate the pain and to set a course for normal everyday use again.

"To tell you the truth, the kids usually take it better than the parents. Many kids are relieved. They can be kids again."

Doctors are also seeing what could be called the Curt Schilling effect in their examining rooms. Schilling was the Boston Red Sox pitcher who underwent a radical medical procedure - a ruptured tendon sheath in his ankle was sutured in place - so he could pitch in the postseason last year.

"I recently had a mother ask me if there isn't some kind of shot or fix-it procedure I could do for her 11-year-old daughter's ankle so she could be ready for an upcoming regional competition," Dr. Smith, the Philadelphia orthopedist, said. "I told her that if it were the Olympic Games coming up, perhaps we could treat this situation differently. But as far as I understood, her upcoming competition wasn't the Olympics.

"At this point, the daughter is giggling but the parent is in the corner crying. I said: 'This isn't Curt Schilling in the World Series. It's not worth not being able to run anymore for a plastic gold-plated medal.' "

The doctors who treat young athletes said they were proponents of youth sports, which they said were vital to the health of America's children. Participation in sports should be encouraged, the doctors said, but with certain precautions.

"I agree there are more overuse injuries, but I am still more worried about the high rate of inactivity and obesity in children," said Dr. William O. Roberts, president of the American College of Sports Medicine. "We need more kids to do a lot more and a few kids to do a little less."

It's also true that not all young athletes, maybe not even a majority, break down from overtraining even after years of rigorous workouts. But doctors warn that many young athletes will not complain about pain from sports because they believe it is just soreness, or part of the price for overachieving.

Learning to Play in Spite of the Pain

"My arm hurt for years but I never went to the doctor," said Jeret Adair, 16, the Atlanta pitcher, who underwent the surgery named for the Major League Baseball pitcher on whom it was first performed 30 years ago. The surgery involves removing a healthy tendon from one arm and inserting it into the other. Jeret had Tommy John surgery last year after the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow snapped in two as he was delivering a pitch.

"You know, like they say, you play with pain. If you're a good pitcher on a team of 14- or 15-year-olds, you're going to be throwing too much. Everybody wants to throw their ace out there."

Jeret was one of 51 high school pitchers upon whom Dr. Andrews performed elbow reconstructive surgery last year, a tenfold increase from a decade ago.

One approach to limiting overuse injuries involves training that is specially designed to prevent injuries.

Vinny Sullivan, a certified strength and conditioning coach and director of sports performance at Formé Health and Fitness in Scarsdale, said he saw more than 300 young athletes a week in a program designed to reduce overuse injuries. Mr. Sullivan has his athletes do exercises to correct muscle imbalances brought on by overtraining in a single sport. He works on their flexibility, balance, and running and jumping biomechanics.

Of special focus is teaching young athletes how to decelerate correctly, because many knee injuries result from a sudden stop or change of direction.

Among Mr. Sullivan's pupils is Ana, the soccer player, who came for help as a 13-year-old after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. The injury occurred without contact from another player as she was running down the field. She had recently stopped playing other sports to concentrate on her soccer.

"Ana is a phenomenal soccer player, but her hamstring muscles were much weaker than the rest of her leg structure," Mr. Sullivan said. "Her body hadn't developed anything but the muscles to play soccer."

After a 10-month rehabilitation, Ana returned to playing soccer - on three teams at the same time no less - and at 18, she just completed her first season at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. She recently tore the meniscus cartilage - which helps distribute body weight evenly - in the same knee she hurt when she was 13.

"I don't know if it's a coincidence or not," said her mother, Ana Cristina Sani, "but she hadn't been in her injury prevention program while at college, and that's when she hurt her knee again."

Dr. Micheli, of Boston Children's Hospital, and many of his colleagues said they believed that better coaching would help reduce overuse injuries among children.

"The coaches are volunteers and mean well, but they are not trained," Dr. Micheli said. "And every five years, a new batch comes along and the problems go on unabated. We are vigorously promoting mandatory coaching certification programs where youth coaches can get the education they need to protect the children.

"I think town leaders will eventually say to soccer leagues, 'We'll give you the access to our fields but we want certified coaches.' "

Dr. Andrews advocates a laundry list of changes. It begins with stopping year-round play in one sport. "At least three months off," he said. For baseball and softball pitchers, he would also ban the radar gun.

"That thing has wrecked more arms," he said. "I'm sick of seeing these kids being torn apart."

Efforts to Reverse the Trend

Next month, a public-service campaign to educate young athletes, their parents and coaches about overuse injuries will be started through a partnership of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the National Athletic Trainers' Association. The campaign includes a poster that shows a youth baseball team celebrating after a game with the headline: "What will they have longer, their trophies or their injuries?"

Alex Glashow still goes to the pool, helping out as a lifeguard. "I can stay involved in other ways," she said. She tried diving, but that bothered her shoulder, too. She has recently devoted more time to another sport, skiing.

Jeret Adair is tossing a baseball again and is hopeful about returning to pitching - with a strictly enforced pitch count - by this summer. He wants to pitch in college.

"I'm the living example of someone who did too much," Jeret said. "I would tell young kids coming up now: 'Don't be such a hero. Take a rest.'

"I look back now at all those games I won when I was 14 or 15. They don't mean so much anymore. They weren't worth it."

First Base Play
Ripken Newsletter (2nd Issue)
January 31, 2005

By Cal Ripken Jr.

Which position on the field is most important to a team from a defensive perspective? Many times you will hear someone talk about the importance of being strong defensively up the middle. Certainly when you consider that the majority of balls are hit to what we like to call “the big part of the field,” it makes sense to have some of your best athletes and defensive skill players stationed at shortstop, second base and center field. While that is true, I’d like to make the argument that first base could be just as important. A good first baseman has the power to make all of the other infielders better.

Even at the big league level I believe that having a good defensive player at first base is underrated. Take it from someone who knows first-hand, to have a first baseman who is skilled defensively takes a lot of the pressure off of the other infielders. Infielders who know they are throwing to a first baseman that they can count on are less likely to make poor throws, because they know that they don’t have to be absolutely perfect every time. And, when they do make a throw that is slightly off line, a first baseman can turn that into a routine out. Fewer bad throws means fewer errors which in turn means fewer base runners and fewer runs allowed.

Fewer balls are actually hit to first base than any other position on the field. So the theory that your first baseman doesn’t have to be the best ground-ball fielder on the planet does have some legs. But that doesn’t mean that you should put the biggest, slowest guy who can hit the ball a mile at first base. The first baseman’s primary job is to field throws from the other infielders and help his team record outs. If the first baseman isn’t skilled around the bag – if he doesn’t have good footwork and good hands – some throws that should result in outs are going to end up landing in the dugout or out of play. At the younger levels and even into high school a first baseman who fields his position well can save his team countless runs during the course of a season.

Keeping all of that in mind, let’s look at the primary defensive responsibilities for the first baseman. In doing this we must go back to the fact that probably fewer balls are hit in the direction of first base than any other position. That means the most important job for the first baseman is to field throws on all of the balls hit to the other infielders.

One thing that I always come back to when I talk about team defense is this: The better we play catch, the better we play baseball. Unlike a quarterback, baseball players are used to throwing to stationary targets. When we are playing catch to warm up before a game or practice our partner is facing us and standing still. Almost all of the throws we make on a baseball field in game situations are to teammates who are standing still and waiting for the ball. Our muscles and our minds are not trained to throw the ball to someone who is moving. That means the first baseman’s number one priority is to make sure that he can get to the bag in time to set up as a stationary target when a ball is hit hard at one of the other infielders. If he can’t get there quickly enough to be stationary, his teammate is likely to throw the ball to the spot where he last saw the first baseman. Also, if the first baseman is moving when the ball is thrown, it is much harder for him to execute the proper footwork and catch even a good throw. Finally, if the first baseman is moving when the ball is released, it will be that much more difficult for him to bail his teammate out if the throw is not right on target.

So, when it comes to positioning I would argue – especially in the younger age groups – that the first baseman should not be worried as much about covering balls hit to his part of the field. I would rather see the first baseman set up close enough to the bag that he is sure he can be a stationary target any time a ball is hit to one of his teammates. Remember, a lot more ball are hit toward second, short and third then are hit toward first, and the first baseman’s most important responsibility is to receive throws on balls hit to his teammates. There also is a concern when a first baseman plays deep, especially on a field with 60-foot bases, about putting more pressure on the pitcher to cover first base on a ground ball to right side. This is a difficult skill for young players to master, especially with shorter base paths, creating another argument for the first baseman to position himself closer to the bag.

The other golden rule of playing first base, in addition to getting to the bag early enough to be a stationary target, is to not stretch too soon. When the ball is hit the first baseman must get to the bag as quickly as possible, setting up with the heel of the throwing-side foot (the right foot for right-handers and the left foot for left-handers) on the center of the inside part of the base and the body square toward the person making the throw. By getting there early and placing the throwing side heel on the bag, the first baseman can slide that foot up and down along the base to adjust to throws that are up or down the line. It also is important to be as big of a target as possible for the fielder. While a slight knee bend is important for agility purposes, the first baseman should never crouch down and create a smaller target for the infielder. It is important for the first baseman to expect a bad throw – to be in a good, athletic position that allows him to move quickly from side to side if necessary. Keep in mind that there is a big difference between an athletic position and a crouch, however.

A lot times young first basemen – and older, professional first basemen, for that matter! – will stretch before the throw is made. When this happens the first baseman must bring the foot he is stretching with back to its original position or “retool” in order to stretch toward the ball. Many times the player will stretch too soon and get locked in that position, which substantially limits the amount of ground that he can cover side to side. Often when this occurs a throw that should have been routine for the first baseman to handle ends up in the dugout, up against the fence or in the crowd.

In summary, the key components of good fundamental first base play are as follows:

• Be able to get to the bag quickly to be a stationary target for the infielder who will be making the throw.
• Do not crouch down; set up in an athletic position square to the fielder with a slight knee bend, but be a big target.
• Put the throwing-side heel on the base and take the glove-side foot and glove toward the ball.
• Don’t stretch too soon; see the ball travel and step toward the path of the throw.

A Note About Positioning

There will be times at all levels when a hitter who everyone knows well comes to the plate. At times there will be a need to shift fielders in one direction or another. When this happens, it is important for the first baseman to always remain the same distance from the bag so that he can still be a stationary target if the ball is hit on the ground to one of his teammates. To accomplish this the first baseman must think about more than just moving to the right. For example, let’s say that a right-handed dead pull hitter is at the plate, and we want to shift our infielders two steps to their right. Well, if the first baseman moves only to his right, he actually will be farther from the bag then he was in his normal positioning, making it more difficult for him to get to the bag in time to be a stationary target for his teammates. Therefore, the first baseman really should move two steps over and about two steps toward the batter. To simplify, no matter where the first baseman plays he should always be the same distance from the bag. If you were to draw lines connecting the spot where the first baseman normally plays, where he plays for a dead pull hitter and the bag, an isosceles triangle should be formed. The lines from the base to the spots where the first baseman sets up should be the exact same length no matter the situation. Likewise, as the first baseman moves closer to the line he sets up deeper. This will allow him to cover more ground but still get to the bag to set up as quickly as he normally would.

Advanced Hitting Drills
Ripken Newsletter (2nd Issue)
January 31, 2005

By Bill & Cal Ripken

With most of the country dealing with cold and icy winter weather, we thought it would be a good time to devote a good portion of this edition of Coach’s Clipboard to hitting drills. The off-season is the best time of year to work on the fundamental drills that assist in the development of a good swing. The great thing about many hitting drills is that you don’t need a field or a batting cage. Hitting drills can be done with any type of balls, and many of the drills don’t require too much space. If you have access to a gym, a warehouse, a basement or even a garage as well as some plastic Quickballs (www.amazon.com/ripken) or Jugs Lite Flite balls (www.amazon.com/ripken) you should be all set to hit until your hands bleed (that’s just a figure of speech; please don’t take it literally!).

As most of you know, one of our teaching philosophies is to keep things simple. Because of this it seems as though we got a lot of letters asking for more advanced drills and instructional lessons. While this is understandable, and we really enjoy passing on our knowledge of the game to all levels of players and coaches, please keep in mind that baseball is a simple game. Our dad used to break down baseball into its simplest form, calling it “a game played with a ball, a bat and people.” To elaborate a bit, even the most complex aspects of the game can be broken down into simple parts. A double play, for instance, is nothing more than a catch, a throw, a catch, a throw and a catch. We break pitching mechanics down into five simple links of the chain. Similarly, hitting is a series of simple fundamental movements working in combination to form a complete swing.

We appreciate that coaches are always looking for drills and teachings to make their players better. But we always stress that Derek Jeter catches a ground ball and throws it to first the same way that a 10-year-old should. Likewise, there are certain mechanical checkpoints that pitchers of all ages and levels must get to during their deliveries to throw strikes on a consistent basis, and no matter how crazy some big league stances are, most successful hitters at all levels are very similar mechanically once the ball is delivered and the actual swing has begun. If you ever are fortunate enough to stop by a big league batting cage before a game you are going to see guys getting in as many repetitions as possible – hitting off tees, doing soft toss and short toss and taking live batting practice. These are the same drills we have our campers do all summer. There really are no gimmicks, tricks or shortcuts. You become a better hitter by training your muscles over and over again to perform in a certain manner during drill work. Then, after enough repetitions, hopefully everything comes together during batting practice and game situations.

Remember, hitting probably is the most difficult skill to master in all of sports. It’s hard enough to hit when a hard ball is flying at you at a high speed and may dip or dart at any time. Don’t make hitting too complicated or technical, especially during games and batting practice. Observe your hitters in those situations and then figure out what drills they need to work on to correct any flaws. Save the teaching for practice and one-on-one situations.

With that said, we know that coaches continually are searching for drills that are productive and exciting – drills that will help their players get better and at the same time maintain their interest. We would argue that the vast majority of players at all ages enjoy hitting more than anything else. So, there really is no need to get too crazy with hitting drills. Hitting, by nature, is fun and exciting. If you feel like your players aren’t getting enough out of the basic tee and soft toss drills, turn those drills into contests. Develop point-scoring systems for executing the drills correctly. Kids of all ages enjoy competition and tend to focus a little better when they are competing. This type of creativity during drill work can develop an atmosphere where players are learning and getting a lot of reps, which is what hitters need to be successful.

Still, there are a couple of drills that we do with all of our campers that we consider to be more advanced. They are the one-arm drill and the lob toss drill. These drills are great because they are challenging and different. They can be done with younger kids to help them develop a better awareness of their bodies and how to control their bodies to hit effectively. For older players the drills can be used to correct problems and help develop the short, quick swing that we promote.

One-Arm Drill

The guide or bottom hand is very important to developing a swing that is quick and takes the bat head directly to the baseball. Most of us hit with our stronger hand on top, so we naturally are going to generate bat speed and power through the strength of that hand and arm. If the bottom hand is neglected – if it is not developed and trained – the end result can be a long, looping swing with a lot of holes that pitchers can exploit as they get older and smarter. The one-arm drill removes the top hand from the bat and allows the hitter to figure out how to get the bat head to the baseball as quickly as possible. The goal is to create a direct path to the baseball using the lead arm.

We have used this drill with 7- and 8-year-olds at our camps with some pretty good success. Coaches often have younger players use a smaller bat than they are accustomed to for this drill to help them realize more success. We would encourage you to make your players use their game bats, however. This should feel a little bit awkward. The younger batters will have to really work to get the bat head to the ball and will start to get their muscles used to the movements necessary to do so. The only way to get the bat to the ball with the lack of strength created by the one-handed grip is to take a direct path toward it. When they put two hands back on the bat, the swing naturally will be more compact.

To execute this drill the batter starts with his bottom hand on the knob, in its normal position. The top hand is removed. The tosser is stationed in front of the batter (on a stool or bucket or on one knee) behind a Jugs protective screen (www.amazon.com/ripken). Start the drill by tossing the ball softly to the batter, who should take five swings in the traditional manner with two hands on the bat. The top hand is removed for the next five swings before the batter finishes up with five more traditional swings. If the batter still is struggling with the one-handed swing after a few tries it is okay to have him tuck the elbow into his side for increased stability. Choking up a little bit is permitted as well after a few tries with a normal grip. Again, the drill is designed to feel awkward and to force the batter to figure out how to get the bat head directly to the baseball. Keep with this five-five-five pattern even if the hitter swings and misses five times during the one-arm phase. As the player gets stronger the sets can be increased to 10 or even 15. This will help the batter continue to develop the strength necessary for a short, quick swing that utilizes the wrists, hands and forearms.

Some players will be able to hit the ball pretty well with one arm, while others will struggle. Either way the hitters should notice a shorter, more compact swing with two hands back on the bat.

Lob Toss

Many hitters have a tendency to shift their weight to the front foot too soon. There are many reasons for this. Sometimes, especially with young hitters, there is a fear that they will not be able to catch up with a good fastball if they don’t start their stride almost as the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. Other times it seems that hitters who spend a lot of time hitting off of pitching machines fall into the trap of timing their strides as the ball is placed into the machine rather when seeing the ball first and then striding. Since a lot of players spend their winters at local batting cages, this seems to be more of a problem early in the spring when players start hitting outside off of live pitching for the first time. Hitters who try to time pitching machines often tend to get out in front too soon when facing live pitching, which means that most of their energy is spent by the time the ball crosses the plate. This leads to a swing where all of the bat speed is generated by the hands without any assistance from the trunk, the hips or lower body.

To be successful, hitters need to develop the ability to keep their weight back as long as possible and trust that their hands will be quick enough to catch up with a fastball. This allows them to determine what type of pitch is coming and adjust accordingly so that the swing all comes together at the right time. The lob toss drill can help players be more patient at the plate, teaching them to let the ball get as deep as possible before exploding forward and driving it.

To execute this drill the hitter assumes a normal stance in the batter’s box. The tosser sets up with a bucket of balls (any type of balls is fine) about 15 feet in front of home plate, sitting on a chair or bucket behind a protective screen. Each toss should be thrown with an arc, much like slow-pitch softball. The batter must wait as long as possible before striding forward and hitting the ball. This drill can be done until the batter is tired if desired. We would suggest letting each hitter take at least 10 swings to really get the feel for waiting as long as possible before exploding. Almost any player should be able to pull these pitches, so we recommend having the hitter let the ball travel or get deep before exploding forward and trying to hit a line drive up the middle or to the right side. Most hitters will be way out in front on the first several tosses, which will most likely cause them to roll over and pull ground balls. This provides the coach with an opportunity to point out to the batter how it feels to be out in front too early and what the end result is when the hitter does not weight long enough before shifting the weight forward.

How Much is Too Much
Ripken Newsletter (1st Issue)
January 21, 2005

By Cal Ripken Jr.

As we prepare to begin the new year, the time is fast approaching for youth baseball travel teams to get started with their tryouts and preseason practices. For many kids as young as 8- and 9-years-old baseball has become a year-round sport. In some ways it is exciting to me as a life-long baseball player to see so many young people taking the sport seriously. As a parent, however, I have unanswered questions about whether or not the game is becoming too serious too fast.

My son, Ryan, has been playing travel baseball for the last two years. During that time I purposely have limited his games. Still, despite my personal limits and family vacations during the summer, he probably has played in about 35 games each of the past two years. Ryan turned 11 in July, and as I look at his team’s proposed schedule for the coming year, it seems as though his team could play as many as 70 games during the spring and summer.

 

As a dad I’m wrestling with the question of how much is too much. On the developmental side there is sentiment that the more a kid plays the better he will get. While this may be true in terms of preparation, when it comes to kids there are other factors that determine how well they play the game. First, some kids mature faster than others. They become bigger and stronger and are dominant players at a certain age no matter how much they play. Often times these players come back to the pack as they get older and the other players catch up to them physically.

Another thing that worries me about kids playing so many games is the proper development of fundamental skills. When there are so many games there isn’t much time to practice. When placed in so many different game situations kids naturally adapt to the size of the field as well as the speed of the game. Through trial and error they quickly figure out how to be successful at the level in which they are playing. For example, an infielder might be able to avoid backhanding balls that are hit to the left and right and still throw the runner out at first, because the players at their level are not that fast yet.

As the player grows older, however, that same infielder might try to get in front of a ball to his right and then have to take a few extra steps to set up and make a strong throw. The extra time needed to make the play might allow a faster runner to reach base safely. If the player had learned how to properly backhand a ball earlier in his baseball career he may have been able to make the play correctly and throw the runner out at first. The backhand is a skill that should be taught and practiced at the youngest ages. It is hard to develop a fundamental skill without practicing it over and over. Game situations do not provide enough opportunities to develop the muscle memory necessary to perfect certain fundamentals.

Remember, even though these kids are playing in a lot of games, they still are in the developmental stages. Practice is an essential tool for developing fundamentals. Kids get all wound up when they are getting ready to play games and while the games are being played. They are nervous and excited. There is pressure to succeed that doesn’t exist in practice. Sure, you can work on certain things during batting practice and pre-game infield, but there is only so much time to prepare for games. Many times there is another game going on and a team’s pre-game preparation takes place in an open field somewhere – not on a baseball field.

Teaching fundamentals – both from a team and an individual standpoint – also is difficult during games. When a player makes a mistake you don’t want to correct him on the field in front of everyone. That can be embarrassing, which can be a very negative experience. The best time to try to talk to a player about something that occurred during the game is between innings, but even then it is hard to communicate effectively. Coaches have other responsibilities they must tend to such as serving as base coaches. Parents are cheering, making noise and trying to talk to their children. The player is worried about his next at-bat, whether his girlfriend saw him make a mistake or what his parents are thinking. The excitement and pressure surrounding an organized game just is not an environment conducive to teaching successfully.

So, practice is extremely important for developing the fundamental skills necessary for players to be successful as they continue climbing the youth baseball ladder. Practice also is essential for teaching team fundamentals and allowing players to learn about the nuances of the game. Baseball is the most cerebral team sport. Team strategies and individual responsibilities can change with each pitch. There is no way that all of these team fundamentals and strategies can be communicated and corrected in a hectic game environment.

Another issue when it comes to young players playing in so many games has to do with their enjoyment of the sport. At the developmental stages it is important for us to grow and nurture the seed. If a kid is playing baseball he obviously is interested and excited by the sport. Games can be fun, but they also can be pressure-packed – especially in a tournament environment. We have to be extremely careful not to zap the passion and fun from the game for the kids. Baseball is a sport with a lot of ups and downs. It is emotionally and mentally challenging, There is a danger, especially when things are not going so well, that baseball can become too much like work when there are so many games. This can lead to burnout and cause players to stop playing the sport, which is the exact opposite of what we as youth coaches should be trying to accomplish.

In spite of my concerns I still have not determined how much is too much. As a parent and a coach I’m still in the learning stages when it comes to this issue. I recently communicated my concerns about the length of the schedule to Ryan’s coach, and he had a pretty good counter. He asked me how many games I played as a kid. I told him that I couldn’t remember playing anywhere near as many games as Ryan’s team had played until I got much older. He then asked me how many times a week that I played baseball of some sort in the summer – pick-up games or some other fun variation of baseball. Honestly, I can’t remember a day in the summer when I didn’t have a glove on my hand. For many reasons kids just don’t play nearly as much baseball on their own as we did, so his argument was very interesting to me. But, I still am concerned about the amount of pressure that can develop during organized games as opposed to the neighborhood sandlot games we used to play.

There are other positives that can come out of playing so many games. To succeed in most tournaments, especially when they come in the middle of the regular-season schedule, teams need to develop pitching depth. This means that more kids will get the opportunity to pitch. The same can hold true for other positions. When you are playing so many games you have to make sure to spread the innings around or players will get tired and their production – and ultimately their enjoyment of the sport – will tail off.

Ultimately, the coach of a travel team playing an extensive schedule is going to have to shoulder the responsibility of making the experience as positive as possible. How the season is framed or presented to the kids is incredibly important. The coach must be in tune to the needs and desires of the kids to make sure they are not burning out. He must determine if they still are having fun and looking forward to the games. He must go out of his way to make the game experiences enjoyable and foster an environment where everyone contributes. He must avoid the win-at-all-costs mentality and not rely on the same players over and over again. He must maintain a stable disposition, not getting too high or too low. And most important, he must monitor the situation closely at all times, watching for signs of physical and mental fatigue. In theory, more games – if handled correctly – can be a good thing, but a lot is riding on the coach.

I’ve presented arguments for both sides of this issue. As a dad – and as a coach – I’m still trying to figure out what is best. This is going to be a learning experience for me, and I would like to include all of you in my learning process. From time to time I will communicate my experiences with you as Ryan’s season progresses right here in this newsletter.

Some of the things I will be trying to understand are: What is the proper disposition for a coach when a team is playing so many games? Is it better to play 75 games during the summer or to spread them out so that there are 25 games in the spring, 25 in the summer and 25 in the fall? Does spreading the season and practice time out into different seasons hurt the overall development of young athletes who could be playing other sports at different times of the year?

I hope that all of you are enjoying a safe and relaxing holiday season. Baseball is right around the corner!