Forest Hill Baseball Coaches Clinic

1. Forest Hill Baseball Coaches Clinic

2. Responsibilities • Provide a safe physical environment. • Be an effective and positive communicator. • Teach the skills, strategies, and rules of baseball. • Direct the players in competition. • Be a role model.

3. Five Tools of and Effective Coach • Comprehension • Know the basic rules, strategies, and skills • Outlook • What are you seeking as a coach? • Affection • Concern for the kids you coach • Character • Be a model of appropriate behavior • Humor • Ability to laugh at ourselves & with the players

4. Communicating as a Coach Sending Effective Messages • Verbal Messages • Be positive & honest • State it clearly & simply • Say it loud and say it again • Be consistent • Non-Verbal Messages • Facial Expressions • Body Language

5. Communicating as a Coach Receiving Skills • Attention! • Want to hear what others are saying to you • Focus on verbal & non-verbal clues • Listen Carefully

6. Communicating as a Coach Other You Will Communicate With • Parents • Team Meeting • Ask for volunteers • Spectators • Do not respond to negative comments from the stands • Umpires • Treat with respect • Don’t shout or make nasty remarks • Opposing Coach • Get to know the other coach • Don’t get into personal feud! This is about the kids not you.

7. Player Safety • Pre-Game Warm-Up • Equipment and Facility Inspection • Use Appropriate Bats and Balls • Introduce a Protective Cup • Designate an Area for Warm-Up • Assign a Coach/Parent to Bench Duty • Keep Their Heads in the Game • Teach the Proper Fundamentals

8. Player Safety • Heat • Provide plenty of water breaks • Severe Weather • Lighting Policy • Be Prepared • First Aid Kit Located in field box and concession stand • Buy one for yourself

9. First Aid Kit

10. Emergency Steps

11. Minor InjuriesScrapes and Cuts • Stop bleeding by applying pressure with clean dressing & elevate it • Cleanse wound • Protect the wound with gauze or bandage • If bleeding is not controlled, contact medical personnel

12. Minor InjuriesBloody Nose • Have player sit and lean slightly forward • Pinch nostrils shut • If bleeding continues after several minutes, seek medical attention

13. Minor InjuriesStrains and Sprains

14. Serious InjuriesHeat Exhaustion & Heat Stroke

15. Serious InjuriesHeat Exhaustion & Heat Stroke • Treatment for Heat Exhaustion • Rest in cool, shaded area • Drink cool water • Apply ice to neck, back or stomach • Treatment for Heatstroke • Send for emergency help immediately • Rest in cool area • Apply cool, wet towels • Ice packs to armpits, neck, back, stomach and legs

16. Setting Reasonable Expectations • Goals for All Ages • Are the kids having fun? • Are the kids improving? • Are the kids learning?

17. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 5-6 Age Group Goals • Learn the basics • Which direction to run • Runners must touch the bases • How to record outs • Catch ball in air; throw to 1st, or tag runners • Running past 1st base • Scoring a run • 3 outs constitute an inning

18. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 5-6 Age Group Goals • Throwing Mechanics • Turn body; point front shoulder toward target • Keep elbow above shoulder • Step toward target • Release the ball

19. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 5-6 Age Group Goals • Tracking • Follow ball with eyes to glove • Use two hands to catch and field • Try and catch ball out in front of the body

20. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 5-6 Age Group Goals • Hitting • How to hold and swing bat • Batting Safety • When not to swing bats; wearing batting helmets • Hitting off tee • Hitting softly tossed balls

21. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 5-6 Age Group Goals • Learning Positional Play • What happens if ball is hit to your buddy • Let him field it

22. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 7-8 Age Group Goals • Learn the basic rules • Force outs • Tagging up • Baserunning • When you don’t have to run • Not running into or past teammates • Balls & Strikes

23. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 7-8 Age Group Goals • Throwing Mechanics • 4-seam grip • Point the front shoulder, step, throw • Introduce concept of generating momentum toward the target & follow the throw

24. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 7-8 Age Group Goals • Catching & Fielding • Thrown and hit balls • Fingers up vs. Fingers down • See the glove and the ball • Use two hands • Forehands & Backhands • Underhand flip • 1st Base Fundamentals • Crossover & Drop Steps

25. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 7-8 Age Group Goals • Hitting • Choosing the right bat • Proper grip • Hitting pitched balls • Introduce drill work • Tee work • Soft Toss • Short Toss

26. Setting Reasonable ExpectationsAge Specific Goals • 7-8 Age Group • Learning Positional Play • Learn the positions and areas each player should cover • Cover a base when the ball is not hit to you • Basics of cutoffs & relays

27. Teaching Baseball Skills at Practice • Small groups • Use buzzwords • Demonstrate the skill • Explain why it is important • Observe your players • Note when they do well • Bring the players together to talk about what they learned • Ask players to demonstrate what they learned at the end of the drill • Add competition

28. Sample Practice Plan for 7-8

29. Skills – HittingGrip • Loose grip in fingers with middle knuckles aligned.

30. Skills – HittingStance • Must be comfortable • Feet shoulder width apart; slight bend in knees • Bat head can reach outside portion of plate

31. Skills – HittingWeight Shift & Stride • “Go back to go forward” • Short soft stride toward pitcher

32. Skills – HittingFollow-Through • Can be one or two-handed • If other aspects are in place, occurs automatically

33. Drills – HittingTee Drill

34. Drills – HittingSoft Toss

35. Hitting DrillsFront Toss

36. Hitting DrillsFree Hitting

37. Skills - Baserunning • Run through 1st touching front part of bag on infield hits. • Think double on all outfield hits. • Use inside portion of bag when rounding 1st.

38. Skills – SlidingBent-Knee • Start 10-12’ from bag • Slide straight to bag • Extend one leg toward the bag & bend the other • Slide on rear, not your side • Tuck your chin to chest • Keep hand up

39. Skills – ThrowingGrip (Four Seam) • Index & Middle finger next to “horseshoe” across the four seams • Thumb under the ball

40. Skills - Throwing • Throwing side parallel to target • Step toward target • Point glove elbow at target as throwing arm moves back and up • Ball is away from target

41. Skill - Throwing • Elbow stays at or above shoulder • Keep glove in front of the body

42. Skills - Throwing • As shoulders rotate & the arm starts towards the target, keep the fingers “behind the ball” • Reach out towards the target • Follow-through to opposite knees

43. Drills – Throwing21

44. Drills – ThrowingOne-Knee

45. Skills – Pitching“Five Links of the Chain” • Feet • Pitch from the stretch – simple

46. Skills – Pitching“Five Links of the Chain” • Balance Position • Lift leg to about waist high • Butt slightly pointed to catcher • Drive toward the plate

47. Skills – Pitching“Five Links of the Chain” • Power Position • Ball is taken down, out, and up. • Hand on top of the ball • Front shoulder pointed at catcher • Stride to home

48. Skills – Pitching“Five Links of the Chain” • Rotation • Occurs when arm and weight come forward • Hand shift from being on top of the ball to behind it • Elbow above shoulder in “L” shape • Back foot comes forward after ball is released

49. Skills – Pitching“Five Links of the Chain” • Follow-Through • Should take care of itself if previous links occur • Should finish in good fielding position

50. Pitching DrillsPower Position Drill