Youth Baseball Coaching Discussion http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:03:14 +0000 35 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1869 www.chilly-billy.com]]> Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:03:14 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1869 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1864 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:18:53 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1864 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1715 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:07:06 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1715 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1684
New to this forum and to coaching youth baseball. My own baseball playing career took me up through Division I NCAA and I was fortunate to work with many, many excellent coaches in my career. Because of these, I learned a lot about teaching the physical side of baseball, and I'm having a lot of fun passing that on to a great group of youngsters.

However, what I need help with is the mental side. I was fortunate that I always had a pretty upbeat attitude during my career and rarely got into mental slumps. So, I don't have much experience in how to coach kids out of psyching themselves out.

The biggest issue I have right now is that the "best" player on our team is not hitting in games. He's a really exceptional athlete - I've heard he plays up one age level in travel soccer and hockey, and he's far and away the most physically gifted kid on our team. He's our #1 pitcher and has a 0.00 ERA and a 0.50 WHIP. He fields like Scott Rolen. He crushes the ball in practice. But, in games, he's gotten ONE HIT so far this year - an infield single that he legged out on a pretty weak ground ball to third.

Clearly, his stumbling block is mental. He puts so much pressure on himself to carry the team and perform in games that he's stiff and frozen at the plate. There's nothing wrong with his fundamentals. More practice won't help - he does everything as perfectly in practice as any 10-year-old can can be expected to do.

Even though our team is winning and he's pitching well, my heart breaks for him every game because he so badly wants to hit and show what he can do. The harder he tries, the worse it gets.

Those of you who have been coaching kids for a long time, I'm sure you've seen this before. What tips and techniques do you have for kids who can't relax in games, whose minds won't let their bodies do what they know how to do?

Many thanks in advance!]]> Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:46:02 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1684 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1326 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:29:40 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1326 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1744 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:23:06 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1744 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1734 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:05:24 +0000 http://www.y-coach.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1734