How To Coach Little League Baseball

There are several aids which can be helpful in theplate to complete the strike zone.
training of your baseball team.Practice pitching mounds should be erected the
Sliding Area.proper pitching distance from the strike zones,
The time to teach sliding is when a boy begins toand again practice pitching slabs can be built from
play baseball. He is closer to the ground and eagerscrap lumber, painted white, and anchored to the
to learn. Let the grass grow 6 or 8 inches high inground with wooden pegs.
foul territory at the end of a bullpen or outsideWhen pitchers warm up, using the strike zone for
the outfield fence. This is all the cushion the playera target, this practice can be made more realistic
needs.by having a batter stand in the batter's box. In
Place a loose (detached) base in the center of thethis way the batter has a chance to judge strikes
sliding area. Every boy who is physically fit shouldand balls and become familiar with the pitched ball,
practice sliding every time he goes to the field,and the pitcher gets used to pitching to a batter.
sliding three or four times to the right and threeAfter a few sessions, the batter can start his
or four times to the left so that he forms theswing and then pull back to get the practice of
correct habit pattern and has no fear of sliding. Hechecking his swing when the pitch is bad. This is a
should wear sliding pads, basketball trunks, orgood drill for the batter, but he should never go
heavy swimming shorts to avoid skin burns.through with the swing because it would break
Pitching Targetthe strings and might injure someone working out
The pitching strings, introduced to professionalelsewhere.
baseball by Branch Rickey, provide a target for aBatting Range
pitcher. Two strike zones are recommended.If there is space near your playing field, develop a
They are erected over home plates in the bullpen.batting tee range. A net or canvas can be strung
(The bullpens, incidentally, should face in the samebetween poles or buildings. The size of the area is
direction as the pitcher's mound and home plate.)not too important, but an area from 8 to 10 feet
They can be built of scrap lumber, painted white,high and 30 feet wide is recommended. This
and anchored to the ground with wooden pegswould take care of three batting tees and batters
for this purpose.at one time.
Poles 2 by 4 inches can be stuck into the groundBy using a woolen practice ball, the batting tee
approximately 10 feet apart with the 4-inch sidesarea could be set up beside a building or any
parallel to the pitcher's mounds. The poles shouldother barrier which would eliminate the necessity
be lined up so that cords strung between themof going a long distance to retrieve the batted ball.
will be directly above the front of each homeA woolen practice ball will carry far enough in flight
plate. One string should be at the averageto determine whether the batter is hitting line
knee-high height of Little League batters and thedrives, grounders, or high flies, and will eliminate
other string at the average armpit height of athe breaking of windows and other hazards of
majority of batters in each league.that nature. Again if no area is available, tees can
The strings, which can be obtained in hardwarebe set up behind the regular field backstop and
stores, should be of strong white cord similar to aballs can be hit against the backstop. Use a
carpenter's marking line. Once the cross-stringsrubber-covered baseball, plastic ball, or tennis ball if
have been stretched, vertical strings at the widthwoolen balls are not available.
of each home plate should be strung between theWith these few aids, training your team can
cross-strings directly above the sides of a homebecome much more effective.