Make it fun! I always love that statement when I hear it. If we made it fun way more kids would want to play. Is it fun to spend a hour in the cage going from drill to drill working on your swing? For some it is. For others it is not. Is it fun to work your core until you feel like your going to throw up? Is is fun to block baseballs off your body , forearms , biceps and then catch three bull pens? Is it fun to do what it takes to make you a better player? To the players that love the game and want to work to be the best they can be , yes that is fun. Not at the time they are doing it. But when they finish and the see the results of their hard work. Is it fun for the ones that just want to have fun? No.
Is it fun to get up and go to work everyday? Is it fun to have to sacrifice to earn some rewards? You see everyone wants a paycheck. But everyone is not willing to put in the work to actually earn that paycheck. Is it fun to get that paycheck? Is is fun to earn that paycheck? I think of baseball just like a bank account. When your working to get better , everytime you invest in your game you are putting money in your baseball bank account. The goal is to one day make a baseball withdrawal. Others want to make a withdrawal without every makeing a deposit in their account. It just doesnt work that way. Alot of kids are having fun playing the game until they get to the point where it takes some work to continue to play the game. Now its not any fun anymore.
Make it fun! Hey guess what. It is fun to those that love the game and want to actually invest in something. Its not going to be fun if you are looking for a pay day without ever going to work. When a player wants to get better and understands they have to work to get better they are having fun by working at the game.
As a hs coach your job is to teach them the game to the best of your ability. Your job is to prepare them for the next level. Your job is to push them , challenge them, help them become the best player they can possibly be. This in turn will help your team be the best it can be. I am not going to coddle kids in an attempt to make it fun for those not willing to work. I am going to do everything in my power to give those that want it and are willing to work for it the best opportunity to be the best they can be. For them that is fun.
If baseball is on the decline then it is on the decline because there are less kids out there actually willing to work for something. The college coaches I know want players that not only have talent but also have a strong work ethic in the game. Guys that enjoy working to get better. Having fun means different things to different people. Some kids are having fun at the same time other kids are miserable doing the exact same thing. Some kids can play left field and be absolutely bored to death the entire game unless a ball is actually hit to them. While another kid is having a blast regardless if he gets a single ball hit to him. He is reading every pitch , running scenarios through his mind on every pitch on every situation. Backing up bases , moving on every pitch. Totally into the game. One is having fun the other wants to have fun.