We can give our kids a glove, a ball and a bat, take them to a ball field and talk about baseball until we are blue in the face, but this is no guarantee that our kids will be thinking baseball the whole time they are at the park. Kids Will Find Interests Other Than Baseball While On the Field The most important that we go into our tenure as Tee-Ball coaches with an understanding of the developmental limitations of kids in this age group. As the spring progresses the kids hey will improve and they will begin to catch the ball more often. In addition to the lack of brain development needed to track and catch a flying ball the fact is that most have very little experience or practice in this skill. Missing a thrown ball at this age has little to do with a lack of athletic talent. It is important recognize that, short of a few exceptions, the brains in kids this age have not developed to the point where they can catch a flying ball with much proficiency. Until both eyes learn to work together we humans lack a keen sense of depth perception, which plays a big role in catching a flying baseball. Scientific research has determined that the human brain, on average, does not develop the capability to coordinate both eyes in what is called ‘binocular vision’ until around age 7 or 8. However, given the information in this section, over time, we can be help our kids begin to learn the basics of baseball and develop some baseball skills. We want to see the activity from a kid’s perspective and teach and manage them within their perspective and recognize that the activities at the park are not always going to look like baseball. If we approach the season for what it is, spending time with our child and their friends, watching them run around, laugh while they work to develop skills to catch, throw and hit that little ball, then we can have a great time as coaches.Īs adults we are going to the park thinking ‘baseball’, while the kids are going to the park thinking ‘I get to see my friends and run around a lot’. If, as a Tee-Ball coach, we go into the season thinking we are going to experience baseball we are setting ourselves up for a lot of frustration and disappointment. Accepting these points as the realities that they are, and being prepared to deal with them, will enable us to better enjoy the time we spend on the field with our kids. Please do not view these statements as negatives. Kids will find interests other than baseball during practice (and games) Then, to make matters worse, we add the concept of tagging a base as an option for getting a runner out.Īnd we are trying to teach these concepts in an environment where simply being the one who comes up from the bottom of the pile with the ball is plenty to call it a successful day. For our kids this game of tag is a little more complicated because throwing and catching that darn ball doesn't always work out real well. The defensive side of the ball is where the majority of our teaching challenges lie. Some kids, because of the fact that when they are running between bases they are not 'safe', will be reluctant to leave a base even when play forces them to the next base, especially when it is clear they are vulnerable to being tagged out (or put out at the next base). They are not particularly conscious of the times when they are going to get to the next base without a play being made on them. On offense, when the ball is in play, the kids' experience is a mad dash of anxiety in hopes of getting to the next base safely. (see the Coaches page – ‘Aren’t We Playing Tag?’) As we get into teaching skills and the basics to our kids, we must keep in mind that elements of 'tag' and being 'safe' will drive much of how the kids respond to activities on the field. Throwing skills, fielding skills, catching a throw at a base for a force out and even batting skills are secondary to the concept of 'safe' versus 'tagged out'. The central thought for these kids is the runner being safe at a base or being tagged out. Playing tag is almost a daily rite at recess for kids ages 5-7. Running the bases and while on defense, Tee-Ball is just another version of tag. We face the challenge of helping them understand that their legs do most of the work when swinging the bat. Before we start working with Tee-Ballers we need to understand their perspective of the game.īatting, as far as their logic goes, is done with the arms.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |