How to help with kids with fear of getting hit by a baseball?
El Matador asked:
What is the best way to encourage kids when they fear baseball. I have a team of kids 9-10 that seems to be affraid of being hit, again, with a baseball. How can I help them to cope with this?
What is the best way to encourage kids when they fear baseball. I have a team of kids 9-10 that seems to be affraid of being hit, again, with a baseball. How can I help them to cope with this?
Thats the first rule of hitting, as you probably know. There is really no way to make them not be affraid except hit them until there not scared.
the best thing is to build their confidence in their abilities to catch the ball. You can start with the tennis ball drills, they catch the ball with no glove on. They will play toss and also roll the ball to each other until they are confident and then switch them back over to hard balls and gloves.
Its tough to teach to have no fear, some kids are fearless and some are not.When i started little league many years ago they didnt have pitching machines like they do now. I would say build up their confidence in their ability over time and they will over come the fear.The better you coach and praise the fear will go away.
When the kid walks away, hit him in the back with the ball. Not too hard, but hit him. When he turns away, say to him “see, that did not hurt, so don’t be afraid”. That should do the job.
Show them tapes of Craig Biggio’s career at the plate.
I was scarred when I was young. I took one on the hnd and it broke several fingers. It was from my coach and not another youngster. When I came back I was taught how to properly turn in and take it on the back side. My coach also started using white tennis balls everyso often and he would hit me. I soon realized that it didn’t hurt that bad. Ya, they were tennis balls! By the time I got into high school I had adjusted and it didn’t matter if I got hit. I developed the Lenny Dykstra method. To get on base no matter what the price. I’m that old. And, I’m sure your kids won’t know who he is. Thy the tennis ball thing. Then let them know it may hurt to get hit, but it feels good to get on base.
Do what my dad did. Hit them with the ball and show them that it only hurts for a little while.
Throw balls at them and show them that it’s not as bad as it looks. It may hurt like hell, but it’ll probably only hurt like hell for a few minutes.