MASON DISTRICT LITTLE LEAGUE

1. MASON DISTRICT LITTLE LEAGUE Coaches Clinic Majors, AAA & AA Spring 2012 Barry Leopold bleopold@cox.net 703-402-6145

2. MASON DISTRICT LITTLE LEAGUE CORE VALUES Have fun!! Build character Improve baseball skills Gain a better appreciation and understanding of the game Teach and enforce good sportsmanship and safety at all times

3. Topics of Discussion • Standards of Achievement • Team Organization and Practice Tips • Skills • Basic Throwing and Catching • Infield • Outfield • Batting • Base Running and Sliding • Playing Catcher • Pitching

4. Standards of Achievement • Standards of Achievement • Performance Goals Specific to each Division • Goals for players to achieve by season’s end • Use to identify areas needing work in practices • - Share with parents and kids at start and end of season

5. Team Organization • Hold a Players and Parents Meeting • Insist on Volunteers !!! • Assistant Coaches • Team Parents • Establish Team Goals and Expectations

6. Practice Organization • Plan practice before getting to field!! • Know (approximately) how many helpers you can expect • - Helpers = stations…Keep them moving! • Make sure they warm up correctly - Warm ups can be part of team building • Teach players to take practice seriously • - It is more fun that way • - Teams really do play the way they practice

7. Practice Organization (2) • Correct bad throwing mechanics every time • Use competitions to liven up drills! • Keep it FUN! • End practices with something fun, then a wrap up/review • Understand your age group – but don’t underestimate • their abilities.

8. Basic Throwing and Catching • STRESS THROWING MECHANICS! • Teaching Throwing • ALWAYS grip the ball with a 4 seam grip* • Line player up sideways to the target (glove side toward the target) • Bring hands together at the letters in the center of the chest • Step 1 (Down) - Hands break apart and go straight down to player's sides • Step 2 (Out) - Hands go straight out to each side, glove hand pointing toward target. • Step 3 (Up) - Throwing hand goes up to throwing position** • (stop and have players check that they are in the proper position) • Step 4 (Throw) - Step toward the target with glove side foot, hips rotate toward target, glove pulls in to the chest, throwing hand above ear, elbow above shoulder when ball is released, throwing hand follows hips to the target, release the ball, follow through with throwing hand to the glove side knee

9. Basic Throwing and Catching • (Continued) • Four Seam Grip: Players should see a "C" or backwards "C" when they look at the ball in their hand. Two fingers on top of the ball across the wide part of the seams (seam should touch the player's fingers at the last knuckle), thumb directly under the ball, remaining two fingers off the side of the ball. There should be a gap between the player's palm and the ball. For players under 7 years old, three finger grip is OK. A four seam grip will create consistent air resistance on the ball while it is in the air and thus yield a straighter throw. • During practice, make sure all players are throwing with the 4 seam grip on every throw. Allow time to readjust their grip before throwing the ball. Eventually, they will naturally find the 4 seam grip every time they pull the ball from their glove without having to think about it. • Throwing Position: Elbow somewhere between 45 and 90 degrees and above shoulder, hand and ball facing directly away from the target, hand must be away from the ear. Break players from short arming their throws!

10. Basic Throwing and Catching • Teaching How to Catch A Baseball • Stress catch and cover • Fingers up for balls above the waist, fingers down for balls at or below the waist. Tell players to use the "catch and cover" technique (NOT "2 hands"). After catching the ball in the glove, cover it with the throwing hand. Two basic reasons: (1) Helps ensure the ball is secured in the glove, and (2) the next action will be to throw the ball somewhere, having the hand there makes that faster and easier. • Proper ready position to receive a throw

11. Infield • Start with the ready position - Slight squat on the balls of the feet, hands out in front below the belt with the fingers pointed down. • Players must be taught to get in front of a ball and field the ball in front of them between their knees (it's a natural instinct to move away from something that may hurt you). Teach them to hurry to the spot where they can field the ball (“Sprint to the Spot”). • 3. Feet should be shoulder width apart and body squared up to the ball. • Player should squat down keeping their rear-end low. • Glove should be placed on the ground, palm up, in front of their feet (not between) - feet and glove should make a 60 degree triangle.

12. Infield • (Continued) • Throwing hand should be held over the mitt to execute the catch and cover technique. Also, the player's hand will protect his face from a ball that pops out of the glove. • 7. Teach proper technique for picking up slow rollers (alligator) and stopped balls (twist the ball ¼ rotation against the ground). • Base coverage responsibilities (Middle infielders “Move toward the ball!”) • “Go get the ball” instead of stretching at 1B • Every infielder moves somewhere (has a job to do) on every ball hit into play!

13. Outfield • Teach ready position - Slight squat on the balls of the feet, hands out in front above the belt with the fingers pointed up. • Stress the "catch and cover" technique (NOT "2 hands") • Teach the “drop step” • “Sprint to the spot.” (beat the ball to the spot – don’t meet it) • Set up behind the ball with hands above and in front of head • Stress backing up all plays! Every outfielder moves somewhere (has a job to do) on every ball hit into play! … And on every pitch when runners are on base!

14. Batting The Grip: • The bat should be gripped in the fingers, not the palms of the hands, the "door knocking knuckles" (middle knuckles) should be aligned. • Note: Most people tend to want to grip a bat with their "punching knuckles" (first knuckles) aligned. This tends to slow the bat speed by hindering the follow-through motion.

15. Batting ROTATIONAL HITTING! • The Stance: • Feet at least shoulder width apart and equally distanced from the plate • Batter's weight shifted toward back foot • Hands off the shoulder at or above the shoulder height • (hands should be within 8 inches of the shoulder – not above the ear) • Bat held at a 45 degree angle • Back elbow at a comfortable position DOWN at the batter's side • (NEVER tell a batter to keep the back elbow up!)

16. Batting ROTATIONAL HITTING! The Swing: Load: (Step 1) Twist torso away from the pitcher and pull hands slightly back as if coiling a spring. Pivot: (Step 2) Just as with the throwing motion, start to rotate the hips toward the pitcher before starting the hands (“hips, then hands”). All 10 toes should pivot toward the pitcher (Squish the bug!”. The hitters weight should stay back, with the front leg straight (the “L” position) and the back leg bent (the L position). The hitters upper body should be centered over the back knee. Hands should stay back in the load position! Contact: (Step 3) Establish the swing plane to equal the plane of the pitch. Both elbows should still be bent at contact (front elbow high, back elbow low and tight to ribs). Maintain that “Box”. Extension and Follow Through: (Step 4) After contact, extend arms through the swing plane. Finish high – only now are wrists rolled over.

17. Stance “Hips then Hands” Extension Contact

19. Base Running and Sliding Base Running: Infield Hit – Run through 1st base – look right – break it down. Outfield Hit – Banana turns for rounding bases to take shortest route to next base Ready position on bases Sliding: Slide in Hard One leg out, other leg tucked, hands up (signaling “touchdown”) On BOTH cheeks No head first slides except going back to a base

20. Playing Catcher • Proper Stance • Nobody on Base • Feet flat, toes pointed down baselines • Glove up, elbow in, thumb toward 3 o’clock • Bare hand behind back, fists clenched, thumb inside fist • Don’t sit on knee savers • Runners on Base • Bare hand in fist behind catcher’s mitt • Slightly higher stance

21. Playing Catcher • Blocking • Block, don’t catch balls in dirt • First move is to bring glove between legs with bare fist behind glove • Collapse knees down into footprints, not forward • Tuck chin, hunch shoulders to deaden bounceback • Move sideways by starting with hands, then kick out with leg moving outside glove, slide trailing leg, angle body toward home plate

22. Playing Catcher • Receiving • Don’t lunge for ball- “invisible wall of glass” • Beat ball to the spot • Catch and freeze • Keep shoulders level while shifting side-to-side

23. Pitching Mechanics: All pitchers learn to pitch from the stretch (no wind-up) Stance Balance Point Linear movements Equal and Opposite Power generation through core muscles The Steps Glove positioning – leads to proper follow-thru Pitching from the wind-up for experienced pitchers What pitches should little league players throw?