Questions on teaching lessons

Hi Chad. I have seen you throw many times, great stuff. I think you will provide some great insight here. We are all here to learn from each other. Its like picking up a dictionary everyday and learning a new word.
I have played as a high schooler, played amateur ball against and with former pro players, have coached them as well. Volunteered at a Juco, coach 8 years of high school, taught at a credible academy (Doyle) and now instruct on my own. I saw a need for it as many young people are seeking instructon, but not finding it in my area. There is no substitution for experience. I can only give to a young player what I have to offer. Thats why learning is so important. I too have seen pro's who are not good teachers and amateur's who are very good. One former pro told me once that just because you graduated from college, that doesn't make you a professor/teacher. But those great experiences you have learned can only be learned where you got your training, so if you can apply it, then thats the ultimate.

IMHO, pitching lessons are most needed when the kids are younger. Mine started a 10YO. Getting him started with a great PC at that age was probably the best thing I did for him in baseball. The older they are, the harder the bad habits are to break. The less time they have to refine their mechanics.

I am not so concerned about whether a PC threw in the majors. Sometimes coaches who were really good at something are not the best teachers. They had a lot of natural ability, and may not realize what exactly what it was they did that made them good.

Personally, I would lean toward an adult who was a student of the game. Who had studied the intricacies. Who studied the appropriate aspects of physics & biomechanics. Whose teachings make sense when analyzed in that light.

I don't think that a HS player or the average college player has been far enough down the road, in terms of being a student of the game or the other factors.

JMHO

There are lots of attributes that would make up a great instructor. One that can communicate well with his pupil is a must. That doesn't happen because of being a pro, studying the game, or whatever. Generally it is a natural thing. With that being said, ideally the instructor needs to know how to identify proper mechanics etc... but when the child has all that down, I like someone who can discuss the mental parts of pitching. Someone who has done it and be successful is one I would choose. Their ain't no substitute for experience. I'd start them around 10 to be they are mechanically sound and that they don't start bad habits. Then, as they progress, work on mental. Remember, there are lots of throwers, but you are trying to cultivate a pitcher.

BBfan, I always felt that teaching mental toughness was primarily my job. Yes, my son's PC did talk about it regularly. But mental toughness isn't developed in a half hour lesson each week. It is developed in the thick of the game, after the game. The next morning. And the PC isn't around at all those times.

You are absolutely right on the need to communicate and form a rapport. I didn't list that, but it shouldn't be taken for granted.

You don't think a high school player or player with some college player has been far enough down the road?
What about Dad's that read internet pitching sites, are they qualified enough?
How about or what is a Student of the game?
It is very individual.
I met an old college coach in the northeast that had coached for over 40 years, taught several players well, sent a few to the pro's, was highly respected in his field and it turned out he never went to high school. He was an accomplished sandlot player. He has passed on now, but many had said that he was as knowledgeable as anyone in college baseball.
Some will say, that was in the old days, because they feel that now that we've learned new terms and seen fancy video's, we know more than coaches that have been around the game for 30 years.
As I said, there is no substitution for experience.

GREAT!! Thanks for the replies! I agree with all of your comments. The ability to comminicate with the child is of the utmost importance. Self-confidence being built in that child because of the positive reinforcement of what the child is doing RIGHT is even more important because it supercedes baseball and is injected into a quality of life. My specific objective with a child I'm giving a pitching lesson to is helping the child understand how to analyze himself and make adjustments on his own. Growth in baseball is made through experience...the last thing anyone needs to think about while playing a sport is his/her mechanics. Mechanics are for practice. So, if a child can be taught the game, which is a game of adjustments, and understand application of his experiences....I've succeeded. Parents of children that I give lessons tend to see an improvement in behavior/grades and performance...because baseball is just a game and children with a growing appreciation for values, work ethics and the ability to control their emotions is more than improving play, it's improving lives. Thanks again, hope to hear from everyone again.

So Eloquently stated Chad. Thank you for the insight.

Texan--I agree with you on the mental toughness. We discuss that with my son all the time. But, it is good to hear it from a different perspective, especially if that perspective has actually been through these situations. We had a friend/semi-pro/college player work with my son. Since his mechanics were sound, a lot of what he did was work/talk about mental things. It was amazing what that did. Besides, sometimes it seems to him we just blow hot air, but the same thing said by someone else--that's just the way it is.