3B Coaching

"Here we go, buddy" is OK. Similar meaningless chatter is OK.

Instructional comments from the 3B coach while they're in the box is not OK.

Telling them to "relax" is not OK.

When my wife tells me to "relax", my blood pressure goes up, not down.

Mostly, the reason 3B coaches chatter is to occupy themselves--a tension reliever--give their mouths something to do. I coach a lot of 3B. I chatter. But I'm not under any illusions.

Mostly, the batters can't hear you anyways, since they've got a helmet on, and they're focusing on the task.

I always found that the best thing you can do is tell them to totally ignore you once you give your signs. Totally ignore the fans, parents, opponent, everything. There is only one thing they need to be concerned about and that is having a quality at bat.

Facial expressions and body language are way more important. Make sure that you present positive body language to your player at all times when they are in the box. If they swing at a bad pitch, or watch a good one dont allow yourself to show it to the hitter. Believe me that says more than anything you can say or not say.

Coach them up in practice. Let them play the games. Give them signals if needed and then let them do their thing. Players will have confidence if they believe you have confidence in them. So present body language that shows them you have confidence in them. And coach them up at the next practice not after every ab.

Maybe a little tip in the dugout. Or "Hey dont worry about it your fine." I have always felt kids put enough pressure on themselves they dont need anyone else putting more on them.

So I dont say anything from the box. I make sure they make eye contact and then give a signal if needed then clap to end the sequence and they get in the box. If no signal is in order then I simply clap and they know to get in the box. "Whats the worse thing that can happen to you son?" "Yet get out?" "You strike out." "So what." "Have some fun."

I do my talking to the baserunner at 2b or 3b. I totally ignore the hitter. If no one is on I totally ignore the hitter and make sure I present positive body language at all times regardless of how ticked I might be at the pitch they just swung at. LOL

the biggest mistake I see new 3B coaches do is watching the play at the plate and not picking up the next base runner coming from second. Once you've sent a runner home there's nothing else you can do to help him. Look to the next base runner and keep coaching, don't get cought watching the game. Many runners stay at second when they could be at third if the coach had sent him. There are alot of ways to score from third that you can't from second, Balk, Passball, etc.

In many cases, I think a lot of players depend too much on the 3B coach when running the bases. The biggest times are going 1st to 3rd. I think the runner is on his own if the ball is basically anywhere but RF. Same thing on picks or passed balls for runners at 2nd or 3rd. This is the pre high school board, but even at the high school level we get guys who look to the 3B coach in every situation. I don't know how many times I've had to tell kids that if you're waiting on me to tell you what to do (on passed balls or picks especially) then it's too late.

I totally agree Coach. I teach my players "your coming unless I stop you." In other words do not look for me to tell you to go to 3b. Your coming to 3b unless I stop you. The best coaches have coached their players how to run the bases and allow them to run the bases. When players have to look to you to make decisions that they should and can be making it slows down the ability to actually run the bases properly,

For instance if a runner on first has a ball hit behind him he instantly is thinking 3rd. He is coming unless you stop him. If he is waiting for you to bring him he will hesitate on his approach to 2nd or his exit out of 2nd looking to you to make that decision for him. That is just enough for him to get hosed or not be capable of taking that bag.

When a ball is hit in front of him he can make that read all on his own. If he is looking 3rd because he already knows he has 2nd he can concentrate of making his decision instead of looking to you to make that call. As he is looking at you , you are looking at the ball to see if it is cut off , bobbled , etc- by the time you make your decision and then relay it to him there is a delay in all of that. A hesitation in the process. The runner can make that read himself. You can always stop a runner. You should not have to bring him.

Over coaching kills the agressiveness of your base runners and takes away from their ability to be good baserunners. Its takes away from their ability to learn how to make those decisions. If they are constantly looking to you to make decisions for them they will never learn how to properly run the bases and it will hurt your teams ability to properly run the bases.

There are calls you have to make. Tag at 3b - go or stay. Tag at 2b go or stay. And a few more. But by and large if you coach your players properly how to run the bases properly your need to make decisions in game situations is diminished greatly. And it should be imo.

quote:

Originally posted by Coach_May:
Over coaching kills the agressiveness of your base runners and takes away from their ability to be good baserunners. Its takes away from their ability to learn how to make those decisions. If they are constantly looking to you to make decisions for them they will never learn how to properly run the bases and it will hurt your teams ability to properly run the bases.

One other thing- if you coach your kids to be aggressive on the bases, aggressive with dirt balls, aggressive with leads, etc. then you can't go crazy on a kid who makes a mistake being aggressive. If a kid gets a good lead, a good secondary, then takes off on a dirt ball and the catcher recovers quickly and nails him, tip your cap. Now, you also gotta coach your kids so that they know when to dial it back a little. If that same play happens when you're down two in the last inning, now we have an issue. But if you teach them properly and make aggression part of your game as a team, then the times you get caught will probably be miniscule compared to the times you are successful.

One of my favorite coaching clinic topics was Gary Gilmore a few years back talking about base running. Coastal Carolina guys run like their a$$ is on fire. It was fun to hear him talking about their mentality on the bases.