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"Woo hoo! You can do it!" A
clapping parent yells out their encouragement to the
awkward seven-year old standing art home plate. His
stance looks uncomfortable, his arms crooked and
bent, tongue sticking out displaying his complete
concentration. The bat is ready, he swings and hits
the ball. "Go! Go! Go!" come the cheers from a group
of enthusiastic parents.
So why do we play baseball anyway?
Because it's America's favorite pastime? Partly.
But more importantly, we include this sport in our
children's lives in order to teach teamwork,
sportsmanship and to encourage fair play. But most
of all, so they can have some fun. After all, it's a
game, right?
Encourage them. Children need
encouragement in everything they do, sports are
certainly no exception. It can be very damaging to
chastise a child for not hitting a pitch or for
being tagged out. Whether your child is at bat, in
the outfield or playing catcher, an occasional "You
can do it!" can make a world of difference.
Especially to a child who feels like the whole world
is watching!
Being tagged "out" can be rough on
a child, especially boys it seems. Do your best to
make them feel better. A clapping, smiling parent can
often be all it takes to bring the smiles back.
Explain it.
The batter hits the ball and it sails out toward
third base. The first baseman, shortstop and all the
infielders run after it! Two players fight over who
gets it and the batter is safe on second. This is
commonplace when players don't understand why they
have a position to play.
Tell your kids how the game works:
draw it out on paper, walk the bases on the field
before the game starts, use rocks and sticks on the
grass the map out the field if you need to. But
teach them why they have a position in the game so
they understand why the first baseman is not
supposed to run to third to get the ball. Helping
your child this way will turn frustration into fun.
Sportsmanship.
This is one of the most important aspects of playing
the game. Children can easily become angry at one
another for a number of reasons. Teaching kids to be
a good sport can be very challenging. Put the
emphasis on fun and remind your kids that everyone
is still learning and that anger won't solve the
problem. Encourage your children to cheer for
his/her teammates and to congratulate the other team
on a good game.
Have fun.
Baseball is a game. Games are meant to be fun. It
can be very easy to get caught up in the
competition, just be very careful not to say
anything damaging that the kids may hear. It is a
child's nature to enjoy games and activities. It is
from the influential people in their lives that they
learn whether to enjoy the game or not. There is
plenty of time for competition when your child gets
older. For now, baseball should be something your
child say "Yeah!" to.
Tips For Those Who Are Interested In Coaching
These excellent tips were provided by Betsy, a
PR/Marketing/ Technical Writer for http://www.bushcom.com
1) Accept the fact early on that
every parent on the team will have some
complaint/criticism of your techniques, rules,
decisions. It's the just the nature of the beast. I
find it helpful to open up the discussion to let
them voice their opinions, (pretend to) consider it
all, then say that you've tried to incorporate all
their ideas in a compromise, because there was a
something helpful in every suggestion. I find that
that instantly lowers their hackles!
2) Try to keep your coaching and
instruction to practices. Focus on encouragement and
minimal guidance at the games. If someone's
constantly yelling from the dugout at every play,
they turn it off and it detracts from their
enjoyment.
3) Don't get anxious/discouraged
about their abilities. You'll find that with each
game, each practice, you'll see major improvements.
4) As far as snacks, assign a game
to the roster and let the parent have the option of
either providing a $1 to each kid in snack shack
tickets or to provide the snack. That way you
consider those who are busy as well as those who are
more health conscious.
5) Focus on the very basic
fundamentals at first. Don't assume that they know
why the ball has to beat the runner!
6) Obviously, don't criticize,
guide. Frame instruction positively, i.e., "When the
ball comes near you, picture it landing in your
glove, know you can get it. If you try and it passes
by you, your teammates will be ready to get it.
You're part of a team and that's what a team does."
7) Anything to build team spirit
is great -- devise a team cheer for the parents,
another for the kids to cheer from the dugout; team
scrunchies/sweat bands, specially decorated hats (we
did their visors with names and logo with puffy
paint).
8) At first try them at different
positions, let them tell you their top 3 picks where
they feel comfortable, then try to meet their
preferences. Don't be locked into positions for the
entire season. A new pitcher might appear halfway
through.
9) Bring a small chalkboard to
keep inside the dugout to show the kids the batting
order and the innings (though not the score!). I
found the players were always asking who was up next
(even though they sat in order on the bench) and how
many more innings were in the game. The blackboard
seemed to answer their questions and settle the
confusion. I don't keep track of the score because
they're beginners and winning still isn't important
to them. Having fun is!
Little League Survival Kit For
Parents
Below is a list of items I have found to be very
helpful when at a game. With a little planning we as
parents can be comfortable in any conditions! Put
these items in a duffle or gym bag. Keep the bag in
the closet or in the car, specify this bag just for
games. These items should be kept in the bag when
not at a game so that you are not missing anything
when it comes time to leave.
Blanket
Sunglasses
Baseball cap (of course!)
Extra hair tie for each girl in the family cheering
section
Sunscreen
Kleenex
Water bottle
Bag of chips or popcorn
Light jacket
Small bag for garbage (plastic grocery bags work
great)
Small toy(s) for younger children
Small pad & box of crayons
Obviously some of these items will
have to be replenished after each game, but you get
the idea. You can make baseball, or any other sport,
an enjoyable experience for your child and the whole
family.
By Amanda Formaro
Contributed by
www.thefamilycorner.com
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