So we're three games in (10U).
First game was a loss to the team who traditionally beats up on everybody, mainly because they have the best hitter in the area. Lost 16-0 when aforementioned hitter went 3 for 4, with three HR and 9 RBI. Our team was clearly pressing, and got discouraged/gave up once that kid hit his second HR blowing open the game in the 4th.
Turned it around in the next two games against two teams from the next town over who just didn't have much to offer. Won 11-1 and 10-2.
Here's my current issue. I have really three tiers of kids:
- The three kids who play on the town travel team, plus my son and one other kid. They know their stuff and are pretty good all-round players, capable of playing any position and making smart decisions whether in the field or on the bases. Can all hit.
- Two kids who want to get better but are less athletically inclined than the top-tier and/or have less experience than the top tier. I don't really worry about them, and we are tying to get them more experience playing more positions around the diamond.
- Four kids who are some mix of inexperienced, unskilled, unmotivated, scattered, and/or scared. Some times, they strike out. OK, that happens to everyone, but these kids tend to not know that three strikes means your'e out and you go sit down. Similarly, they don't know that 4 balls, means take your base. One of the kids got hit by pitch yesterday and had no idea he could take a base. This is the group I want to see get better, but how to do so?
For example, yesterday, we had a man on third and one of these Tier 3 kids at the plate (RHH). Wild pitch and our kid on 3rd takes off. Batter stands unmoving in batters box. Close play at the plate. Runner called out for batter interference. So we take the kid aside afterwards, and explain what happened and what he has to do differently. We reiterate this to all the team. Sure enough, next time this kid comes up, same situation set up. I'm coaching 1st so I call down to him "if there's a wild pitch, you have to get out of the way." Wild pitch happens, and the kid steps about 6" back from his stance. So I tell him again "you need to get all the way out of the way, like back to the fence." Next wild pitch, he moves about 2'. Sigh.
Same kid, different game. He's playing RF. Soft liner hit about 3' to his left. He sticks the glove up and it deflects off his glove. He picks it up and tries to throw it to first (we've had practice drills where OFers practice hitting the cutoff man and how their first play is always toward second). Then he sees the first baseman yelling and pointing to throw it to second, so he promptly fires it over the 2B cutoff man, over the SS, and somewhere between the 3B bag and LF. When he comes to the sideline, his grandfather says to him "I thought you were going to catch that, it was hit right to you." Kid answers "It wasn't hit right to me, it was out here" (and indicates a spot about 6" beyond his glove).
Same kid last night. One of our batters walks. Kid isn't in the on deck circle. Kid isn't on the bench. Kid is was down the line talking to his parents with his sweatshirt on. Everyone yelling to him to bat. "Huh? What?" "You're up, grab your bat, let's go!" He wanders over to his spot on the bench to get his helmet. Strolls up to get his bat. Walks up to the plate. All of him in encapsulated in one 30 second block: Unaware of the situation, unmotivated to hustle, unconcerned about the rest of the team.
Another kid is super-afraid of the ball, whether at bat or in the field. I spent some time with him in the field, telling him how his glove was his shield and he could protect himself by using the glove to protect himself. Great progress is made. He starts calling his glove "his magic shield." Before the game on Monday during BP, I remind him of that. He says "but I don't have my glove when I bat." So I tell him his bat is his lightsaber like Luke Skywalker deflecting those robotic dart/bolts during "New Hope." So he says very uncertainly "May the Force Be With Me." In that game, he makes contact to put the ball in play for the first time in 28 PAs (over two seasons). A grounder to the pitcher. He manages to get to first safely. Much rejoicing all around! I give him the game ball after the game. He's sky-high. Game last night, he's staying in the box, not stepping out on every pitch. Taking (for him) aggressive swings. Strikes out. Walks. Third time up, softest pitcher on the mound. And he's back to stepping out every time.
Third kid was a late addition to the team. Made it to one practice before the first game. Asks me in the middle of this game (the blowout loss), "When am I pitching?" (This less an hour after he says during throwing warmups, playing catch "Im not good at aiming.") Every inning, he comes up to me and asks "Am I up?" (We have a lineup card on the fence showing the batting order.). So we get word from one of the assistant coaches who is friends with his mom about the lineup card and about following the lead of the older players. Still he comes up to me or one of the coaches every time to ask when he is batting, where he is playing. Last night pre-game, he tells us "I can hit with either hand." So I tell him if he wants, he can bat lefty his first time up and then bat righty the next time. He never switches. Lots of talk, no self-awareness.
We have a game again tomorrow, and we've asked these bottom tier 4 to come early for some extra work. But I'm not sure how to get across to them all the rules and nuances of baseball, not to mention the norms of things like look at the lineup card to see when you are batting.