Coach May.... I like the way you think. I had another coach on here send me a PM asking about how we use our middle infield to call how many looks the pitcher takes.... I had to stop and think for a minute. I told him I told the MI guys what I wanted and they made it their own. I explained what they were doing and how they did it, but it was of their own design.
As for the topic of keep it fun for the little ones.... I have the unique opportunity to have coached HS ball for 20 years, and I now have a little one playing machine pitch youth baseball. I have often pondered what happened to those kids that love playing the game as 7 year olds to the kids that show up as teenagers on our field that seem to think that it is no longer that game they once loved. I am seeing that the fire was never lit or it went out. The hows and whys that happens are long, but hopefully I can use that to keep my son's love of the game burning bright.
I know exactly what you mean. I do our MIF picks same way - a called one and one they can create. Amazing what they can come up with.
As for the little kids I agree as well. I got to watch my 5 year old nephew play coach pitch / Tee ball last week. It's amazing how so wrapped up in the "games" the adults get. You're not going to truly teach them anything that will last longer than practice. Keep teaching in practice but relate the baseball field to a place where they go to have fun. If you do that then they will keep coming back. As they get older and mature then the seriousness of the sport can grow as well. I saw a dad get mad at his 6 year old son for not catching a ground ball. One dad complaining about the score. Another mom yelling out to do well so they can win. I truly enjoyed watching them do circles in the dirt then take off running after the ball when it was hit. They were having a great time there.
Adults can screw up youth sports.