Little League dad scares team throwing BP

Hey, I wasnt that bad!!!

My son had a LL coach who threw like that (OK, no 3 hoppers) when my son was 11. He insisted on throwing BP even though I could throw about 90% strikes at that distance and those speeds. Didn't help the kids one bit and in fact hurt them in more ways than one.

This is why God inspired man to invent the L screen.

quote:

Hokieone quote:
This is why God inspired man to invent the L screen.

Absolutely

I would have led the world in hit batters in my bp days. After we moved to the L-screen mode it I was much better and I could then teach the hitters to go up the middle because they had a great target there. I would taunt them into putting the ball through the net and before you knew it all my guys were driving the ball up the middle.

I never understood why coaches would put the L screen up and then in scrimages call balls that hit the L screen "foul". Best place to hit the ball - should have been an automatic single.

Years ago (dinosaurs roamed the earth) I was coaching 10-11 year old little leaguers. One day I wanted to teach the kids the proper what of turning away from an inside pitch. I brought a bunch of tennis balls, put the kids in batting helmets and then started with what I called "butts and backs."

I would toss the ball at the kid making sure that he learned to turn the proper way. I then offered a reward (gift certificate for ice cream) for the kid that executed it properly in a game.

About a week latter, I received a written reprimand from the little league BOD because a mother complained that I was "throwing balls at the kids."

It this point I knew that coaching little league was a big mistake.

Latter that season a kid on another team lost 2 teeth because he turned into a pitch. At the same time, my kids found greater confidence in their ability and joy for the game.

The BOD instinctively ordered the league to use "softy" balls and put a face guard on each helmet.

No wonder parents are abandoning LL in favor of competitive travel teams.