Little League Baseball Managing Tips

Major League Baseball is a business with several goals: win as much as possible, make money for the owners, who pass some of it to the players, who want their time in the limelight. Some coaches in Little League baseball talk to their players the same way big league coaches act with professional players. It is important to remember that Little League baseball is different. It is an education in how to play the sport.

  1. The Balance

    • That is not to say that there should be no emphasis on winning. Children enjoy the competition. Both you and the kids will enjoy it more if you are winning games. There is a balance that has to be found because although wins make it more enjoyable, at the end of the day you are there to teach the kids how to play.

      As they are children, their sense of who they are and what self-worth they have is changing all the time. It is important to understand that their self-esteem can be fragile and easily crushed. Keep in mind that hitting a baseball is one of the hardest things to do in sports. Two factors are very important for batters: poise and self-confidence. You will get neither from screaming at a young kid. It's important to be patient and to ease the pressure on the child or he will become anxious. Anxiety kills hitting.

    Unnatural Players

    • Naturally gifted players are an obvious advantage, but chances are not every kid is going to be like this. Some will have poor coordination. Do not discount or ignore them. A lot of leagues will have a system in place where every child is to participate and cannot sit on the bench for longer than two innings at a time. If you write these kids off and ignore them, they are going to hurt the team's chances of winning when you are forced to put them in the game. These kids should be encouraged to improve through more practice. In the end, practice can't make them naturally gifted, but it can certainly help them improve and avoid the wrath of teasing teammates and over-zealous parents.

    Short or Fat

    • Don't discount overweight or shorter kids. Smaller children will mean the opposing pitcher will have to aim for a smaller strike zone. This could lead to more walks or easier pitches to hit. While there is no shortage of major league stars--Babe Ruth is the best example--who were what you could describe as "chubby." Extra weight on these kids could mean more weight behind the bat, which could enable them to hit the ball farther than some of the other children.

    Lefties

    • Teaching left-handed players can be awkward unless you are left-handed yourself. It's difficult to show them exactly how to perform the moves required to play the game. As a result, a lot of young left-handed players quit in frustration. One tip is to ask the player to pretend she is looking in a mirror and copy the action you do as you stand in front of her.