Common Mistakes

I'd like to start a thread to identify some of the common mistakes that the kids are making along with discussion on how to correct them. Please add items as you see them. Thanks!!!

Catching

What is the best way to teach 5 & 6 year old kids how to catch the ball? What do you think about tennis balls? How about tee-balls? Is it best to avoid throwing with teammates for a while and only use parents, or should you just jump in and have them throw with their teammates? I am thinking that we will start with the tee-balls thrown by parents and see how it goes. After a week or two we might graduate some of the kids to throwing with teammates and let those whose skills are less developed continue working with the parents.

Fall Instructional League

Here is a proposed schedule for the Tuesday night sessions which begin 9/11/07:

6:20 Early Batting Practice Begins
6:40 Baserunning Drills
6:50 Explanation of drill station activities (all players)
6:55 Three groups form and rotate between drill stations
7:20 Mini game
7:40 Practice ends with informal late batting practice

Drills will be conducted in the following categories

Throwing & Catching
Hitting
Fielding (infield)

Parents will help run the drill stations.

2-hour Practice Schedule - here's one approach

PRE-PRACTICE

- 0:10
Practice Leader arrives with equipment bag

- 0:05
Early Batting Practice begins
(10 swings each batter, next in line goes, each new arrival joins end of line)

ZERO HOUR
(on the hour or half-hour)
All coaches, players and Assigned Parents* expected to have arrived
["Assigned Parents" is a concept explained below*.]

+ 0:09
Early Batting Practice ends

+ 0:10 Form circle @ pitcher's mound
FULL TEAM WARMUPS


* "Assigned Parents" are parents whose turn it is to help the coaches run practice. Each player's family should contribute one parent every other practice to carry out assignments and assist coaches; if a family has two players on the same team, one of their parents should help at every practice. Assigned Parents need not be knowledgeable about baseball, nor need they help coach: they are there to help make practice run more efficiently, squeeze more reps in for the players, e.g., by shagging balls, helping with equipment, organizing rotations, etc. -- whatever needs doing to help keep coaches and players from wasting valuable practice time.