When is a player behind?

In all honesty, learn to HIT!! GED10DaD

I truly think the parents worry more than the players---if a kid can "play" all is A-OK

My son is in college now, but when he was in HS, the coaches had said that many of the little leagues are not teaching proper fundamentals.How to bunt,leading off, what to do in certain situations.I think that a HS plaer needs to know how to play the game correctly.
Also to be in the best physical and baseball shape they can possibly be in.Good mechanics with their swing.As an example my son when he was a freshmen, the coach asked him during tryouts, while he was in the cages,"What would you try to do with a pitch on the outside of the plate"?. My son said try to drive it to right field.( Many kids may not know this)
The little things like that are important to know, and to just be as strong as possible.

Quantify your baseball tools: Arm strength, speed, defense, hitting for average, and hitting for power. Get an honest assessment from a respected baseball guy on how your tools stack up. What are your weaknesses? Get them up to par and beyond.

Believe. Plan. Do.

There are alot of things I see lacking in the kids that come into high school baseball. But I would be willing to bet the same could be said of every sport. I dont worry about the things I can teach. What I do worry about is the attitude of the player. His make up so to speak. We can not recruit we are what we get and what we do with what we get. If a kid loves the game , works really hard , is a good person , is willing to be coached , takes care of business in the classroom , he will be just fine. All he really needs is a little bit of talent.

Baserunning
Throwing and catching mechanics
Basic hitting fundementals
Basic fielding mechanics

Most kids coming into HS have never thrown everyday or practiced 6 days a week. They have never had conditioning 6 days a week. They are not used to constantly being on the move working hard at the game for 3 straight hours after being in class all day. They have never competed against players 3 or 4 years older than them. Be prepared to work hard. Want to be coached.

I agree with a lot of what Coach May said - especially the part about not worrying about what I can teach. I love teaching the game and if I have to teach everything then so be it. It's just great to watch a kid who has no clue coming leave as a productive player.

What I do want from kids coming into high school is the mental make up. Nothing frustrates me more when I'm trying to teach a concept and the guys are goofing off because all they have heard in their short life is - it has to be fun. Nobody ever teaches them exactly what fun is and when it gets time for the team to get to work they have no idea about discipline and work ethic. I understand young kids are going to do dumb things but that doesn't mean we can't teach them discipline and work ethic when they are in the younger grades / ages. It was done many moons ago and we can do it now if we stick to higher standards.

Coach May, you have a PM...

Here's a "deep thought" moment...

Every young player is "behind", it is the degree of that "behindness" that has relevance. As soon as a player feels he is the "head of the class" he has run out of goals and will soon fall further behind.

Some kids have "field sense"... they see what's going on and pick it up instantly. Some kids are really behind in this area, even after considerably practicing things like backing up bases, etc. it just doesn't click in their minds.
That is where I see kids being 'behind'

quote:

Originally posted by fanofgame:
My son is in college now, but when he was in HS, the coaches had said that many of the little leagues are not teaching proper fundamentals.How to bunt,leading off, what to do in certain situations.I think that a HS plaer needs to know how to play the game correctly.

In watching most all my sons games his first 3 years of High School and a Ton of others Photographing them for the local newspapers. It amazes me how many of these players have no clue on proper SAC bunting techniques not to mention bunting for a base hit. So many times I have seen either a tie game or a 1 run game in late innings and no batters are trying to drop down a bunt or if a kid has some speed especially a drag bunt. If you have speed is there not a better weapon that you can have to help you team, not to mention if you can do it successfully you'll have the scouts talking.

You always see players in BP dropping bunts down on the first two pitches with no technique at all and nothing being said by the coaches.

When is a player behind?

When he can't figure out which one should be the base!

quote:

Originally posted by Coach May:
I dont worry about the things I can teach. What I do worry about is the attitude of the player. His make up so to speak. We can not recruit we are what we get and what we do with what we get. If a kid loves the game , works really hard , is a good person , is willing to be coached , takes care of business in the classroom , he will be just fine.... Be prepared to work hard. Want to be coached.

WOW, Ain't that the truth. Spoken as a man who has been there and "gets it".

There two things I need as a coach, at least a basic idea of how to think like an athlete, and a SELF driven desire to compete and achieve.

IMO, what you know today about baseball technique is not near as important in the long term as the mental and desire and ability to add and perfect skills and compete. The more I coach, and the more I watch players all the way up through college the more I believe that being able to think like an athlete drives everything. It begins at home and it begins early.

I would like a player who really wants to be there and knows why he is there. To many kids with an inability to take on a task, work hard through the pain to achieve it, and take pride in both the effort and the results. We are raising far too many kids who expect a parent to block for them, a trick, a scheme, an easy way, a set of cheat codes, a re-set button...


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