Gunshy...

I wouldn't do anything like throwing behind him, seems likely it would just confuse and frighten him more. I would acknowledge the fear, teach him the proper way to avoid being hurt when hit, then let him grow out of his fear. Use whiffle balls or even foam balls to teach him to react at a pitch coming for him. Tuck hands and elbows toward center, turn back toward ball, tuck ear to shoulder, then bail back foot first. It will be very important to teach him to not bail front foot first as this would allow him to get hit in the face and possibly end his baseball playing days. Best way I know to get kids over their fear of the ball is to play lots and lots of catch. Usually this fear comes out when kid pitch begins and nobody knows where the next pitch is going I do think beginning slowly and building trust in the coach pitching will be helpful, starting with underhand from close range if necessary. Also be sure to let him know he isn't alone, this is one of the first major hurdles for any ballplayer.

This may sound wierd but it worked for one kid I know and he is now a switch hitter. He is a righty and batted right and would bail big time. His dad changed him to a lefty - cant tell you exactly why but he stopped jumping out of the box. Batted left until he was about 12 or so and now bats L/R. Who knows????

Thanks for the feedback. I feel for the kid. No, I'm not gonna throw behind him. That was something his father said that caught me off guard. It probably has something to do with why is so scared of the ball though.

Wiffle balls are a great idea. I do think it's important to teach him how to properly turn away, but at this point he is not staying in long enough to need to. We'll take it very slowly an dsee if he comes around. And you're right, it could be something he just has to grow out of with time. He seems to enjoy other areas of the game so I want to give him the attention any kid who wants to play is due.

I may just try turning him around 09. You never know. I had a parent tell me the other day to put him in the back corner of the box. Said their boy was like this and it seemed to help. Something about being farther away to begin with and changing the way the ball looked coming in. Starting slowly I guess this could help as he will have to step forward if he hopes to make any contact at all.

Explain to him that it is okay to have fear of the ball. That no one ever completely eliminates fear of the ball. But that he can master his fear of the ball. Mastering his fear of the ball doesn't mean that the fear is gone, but rather that he doesn't let that fear affect what he does.

I coached a couple of kids like that in years past. One overcame the fear, although it took the entire season. The other never did and quit baseball at the end of the season.

IMHO, this is one of the problems of starting baseball before 9YO & player pitch. With tee ball and machine pitch, they don't get hit with a pitch. And in their mind there is no risk of that happening.

Now they may get hit by a ball in the field, or in warm throwing. And at the early ages with lower pain thresholds, that really hurts and leaves a strong, lasting impression.

So now they finally move up to coach pitch or player pitch. Suddenly, they realize they might get hit by a pitch. Maybe not so much with coach pitch, but certainly with player pitch. And burned in their memory is how bad it hurts to get hit.

Thus, a strong fear of the ball.

Not that this happens with every kid. But I have seen far more problems with fear of the ball from kids who played before 9YO. In fact, of the kids who started with player pitch at 9YO, I don't recall seeing a single problem with fear of HBP.

JMHO

Thanks Texan. That's an important point that i am sure myself and others have overlooked here. A kid normally hears someone just saying, "don't be scared of the ball!!" In reality that doesn't make a lot of sense.

Tim

The kids on your team are fortunate to have a coach who is putting so much effort into coaching, and who is a student of the game.

Take'em to the batting cages and stick'em in there for 30min low speed and let him work the fear out.

JMO.

Texan, I'm not coaching, just helping out, but thanks. It's probably good that I'm there. I know the coach has his hands full with all the boys and I'm sure he doesn'y mind the help with this one. My kid wasn't always at the top of his class and isn't now for that matter. But he gets better all the time because of the time given by many.

Cleanup, "cage" would be the word here. It would have to be a pretty sturdy one to keep this young guy in there. I'm going at lunch to get some much needed wiffle balls. I have the golf ball sized ones for my boy, but that could probably compound things at this point.

I'll be at practice this evening and should be able to spend some time with the boy then. Get his dad involved and send him home with a bucket of wiffle balls. That's the plan anyway.

I've seen this with a few kids, most got over it but one didn't (he turned out to be a mighty fine s****r player though).

Agree with what's already been said about showing him how to bail out, I'd toss some wiffle balls at him while he bails a few times, tell him you're going to do it first. Then on to hitting with wiffle balls.

One other idea - get a thin piece of plywood maybe 2 ft by 3 ft to sit on the ground behind him. Nothing major that he's going to trip over, just enough so that he can feel it with his feet when he steps out.

I would work with all the team's players to work on proper method of rolling out to miss the pitch, using tennis balls. Too many young ones simply "scootch back" with both feet, and it is something that in my opinion should be standard drills every year at the younger ages. That way the one boy won't feel he is the only one needing the teaching. In reality he isn't.

trainscout, you are very correct in that he is not the only one needing this training. It is something I have not spent enough time on with my own son. These conversations have shown me that I need to attend to this sooner rather than later.

I'm sure I am no the only one who gives this a backseat at the coach pith level. We're not throwing very hard an dwe should be good enough at that short distance not to plunk many of them. This fact does not however outwiegh the fact that in the next level up they will be dealing with pitchers who will certanly have control issues to say the least. Knowing that you can get out of the way of that pitch in a controlled manner must do a lot for the kids confidence.

I plan to give this the attention it's due in the very near future. Thanks to all.

Tim

I don't know if this will work,
But put the player in the batters box with his glove on.
And pitch the ball.
Tell the player to catch the thrown ball in his mitt.
Make sure he stays in his batting stanch and backhand the ball with his mitt.
After awhile of getting used to a pitched ball and catching it with his glove.
Tell him now catch the ball with your bat.
EH

I have had to deal with this as well. It bascially boils down to repition. If you have access to a pitching machine (wheel) that would certainly help. Then you control when the ball comes out. And u can make it interactive. Also what might help is, take an older kid from a higher league say like 12 yrs old. Have the little guy watch him hit off the machine and then hit live pitching.

My son after being hit by a ball at a young age was terrified to stand in the box. I knew if I pressured him too much to stand in the box he would quit.I also knew with patience, re-inforcement and just getting older he would in time out grow it and he did a little at a time, really over a period of 1 1/2 seasons, but who really cares at 8 and 9 years old. He is a pretty good ball player now and still loves the game.

Welcome nuts4bb.
nothing matters at 8 or 9 except Fun.
And the love of the game.
EH

We're getting there!! The young man made contact three or four times last night in a game. Fouled them off and eventually sat down, but went through all six pitches both times. Two were very close to fair and he ran them both out. He's got some wheels now. When he does get it dialed in he'll be deadly.

I especially enjoyed it as I was pitching and I could see his face when he felt the ball hit the bat. I have promised him that I will not hit him. I always walk away and say "hard" after making that promise. he gets kind of a kick out of that. My routine is usually pitch two way outside to him. He'll reach over and try and hit at least one of them. When he does that I lay the next one right over the plate he will put the bat on it. He'll get there.

When he was walking back to the dugout after the last pitch on the second at bat last night I ran in and gave him a high five. He looked right up at me and said "I hit that one didn't I?" You sure did kid. feels pretty good doesn't it.

At this age, at any age, I think it's a great thing when both teams and both sides of the stands can jump on board and cheer for a young man trying his best.

Glad to hear of progress.

Cool story - you will never forget his first hit when it comes (and it sounds like it will) - you wont sleep for a week!

Second inning of tonights game. Second pitch. Roller between first and pitcher and he ran it out for his first base hit!! I have never been more happy for a young man. I was coaching first base when it happened. That was cool!! He made contact on a few others during the game. At one point fouled off 4 or 5 before finally missing. Awesome!! Hit one more back at the pitcher who threw him out this time. But that's two hits in my book. On base once and ended up scoring a run. Like I said, the kids got wheels. I don't let them hit him behind my boy for fear he may catch him.

The kids were all so happy for him. I can't wait until tomorrow night now an dwhat really cool is that he is looking forward to it too. He's still timid in there, but he knows he can do it an dnow he knows what it feels like to make contact and leg one out. I think that will carry him as far as he needs to go this season.

We have all seen it before - get a couple of hits and things seem to work out!