For those of you out there starting up in the younger age groups with tournement teams (AAU USSSA SELECT BALL ETC) I would like to share something with you some of you might already know. Everyone will work on hitting and fielding etc. Teaching your team to be outstanding in all the little phases of the game will give you and edge that will win for you (alot). And it will help your players understand the finer points of the game at a young age. Spend at least half of all your practice time on the following with a huge emphasis on its importance. First and third defense and offense. Bunt defense and bunt offense. Cut plays , pick off plays , holding runners , constantly changeing speed on the fastball and always working on location location location. If you are equal in talent with the other team and you are outstanding in these areas you will destroy them. If you are better in talent you will short game them. And if they are better in talent you will be right there with them and find a way to win most of the time. I won state championships and top five finishes in D-1 AAU using this simple approach. Spend a ton of time teaching your kids solid fielding and hitting mechanics and spend the rest of your time on these team building principles. Emphasize to them the importance of the little things that others do not. They will take immense pride in the fact that they know what bunt call to make and cut call to make before the ball is pitched. They will have confidence that they can manufacture a run whenever they have to have it. They will intimidate the opposing unprepared team and coaches. They will learn to coach themselves on the field and chance cut calls as needed and redirect the ball as needed. They will learn to think on their own and gain valuable confidence from this.
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