How to Teach Kids Baseball

Teaching kids to play baseball is a big responsibility. Not only should you teach the basics of the sport, but you should teach good sportsmanship and show the kids how to have fun while playing.

Instructions

    • 1

      Help the players on your team get to know each other. Have the players introduce themselves, announce who their favorite baseball team is and then tell the name of their favorite TV show.

    • 2

      Teach the players proper techniques for catching ground balls and fly balls. Teach the alligator technique for catching grounders. When the ground ball comes to your fielder, teach him to put his gloved hand on the ground and his bare hand must come down quickly on the ball to keep it in the glove, as if he was an alligator chomping down his jaw. On a fly ball, teach the player to have the fingers of his glove point up toward the sky if the ball is coming at waist level or above. If the ball is coming down below the waist, the fingers of the glove should be pointing down.

    • 3

      Teach players how to throw the baseball. Emphasize the proper grip with the first and second fingers going across the seams and the thumb directly underneath. Many young players will push the ball once they get it to shoulder level. Have them bring it up to ear height and then snap the ball as they throw it to a teammate. This basic tip will increase throwing distance and speed.

    • 4

      Work on batting technique. Pitch batting practice and concentrate on teaching the batter how to get the bat into the hitting zone and then follow through. The first movement is called loading the swing, or negative movement, and it helps the batter overcome inertia and get the bat moving forward. Have the batter think about getting his hands in front of the plate when contact with the ball is made. This will lead to a strong follow through after impact.

    • 5

      Teach the basic rules of the game to your players. Take a few minutes to learn that the visitor bats first and the home team bats last. They almost certainly know that three strikes are an out and four balls are a walk, but let them know the dimensions of the strike zone so they know what pitch to look for when it's time to swing. Teach them how to tag up on a fly ball with less than two outs and teach them to run no matter what when there are two outs. Many youngsters struggle mightily with the concept of base running.

      Make the game fun for your players. Competing and wanting to win is a fine, but encouraging your team to have fun while learning the game is more important and will have longer lasting results.