Ways to Make Practice And Games More Fun

Tips for parents and coaches as they work with young ballplayers to help them develop their game. From coaches and baseball professionals with decades of coaching experience...

A POPULAR REFRAIN AMONG PARENTS and youth baseball coaches these days laments the loss of fun in the game of baseball in general and in youth baseball in particular. Too many coaches, many of us worry, think only about winning. They exert too much pressure on players to perform beyond unreasonable standards.

But what can be done? Well, for one thing, how about putting the experiences of players before the desires of adults?

Perhaps you've heard of a few ways to spice up the game: play more pickup games, have a home run derby, hit opposite-handed, organize a throwing competition, use water balloons occasionally in batting practice, conduct sliding practice on a slip-and-slide with water from a hose running on it, bunt into specified areas away from home plate that have $1 bills placed there for players who hit the mark, eat watermelon after practice, have players pull their baseball pant legs up to their knees for that old-timey look, or have them roll up their sleeves.

Not all such ideas involve antics. Some involve thoughtfully organizing and conducting practices. Others are about working hard and working on correct mechanics. But all of them can help enrich a player's experience in the sport. Here's a list of ideas you may want to consider.

BE POSITIVE AND LET EVERY PLAYER PLAY

1. Have many short practices as opposed to a few long ones.
2. Organize practice so there's no downtime. Don't let kids stand around watching for long periods of time.
3. Break into small groups of four or five when teaching new skills. This allows the players more "hands-on" time, which is what makes baseball fun.
4. Make "games" out of practice. When practicing bunting, place various targets near home plate that are worth different amounts of points. When a player bunts a ball that hits the target, he gets points. Keep track of each player's points and declare the bunting champion of the day. This type of activity can be incorporated into the practice of almost any skill.
5. Bring drinks for after practice as a surprise.
6. In games, give each player that is not in the starting lineup a certain responsibility, such as keeping track of the balls and strikes thrown by his team's pitcher (or the opponent's) or where each of his teammates (or the opposing team) hits the ball. This will allow players to feel like part of the team even when not playing.
7. Stay positive during games. Practice is the place to work out problems.
8. Let every kid play in each game. If this is not possible, let those kids that didn't get into a game play more than usual in the next one.
9. Sit on the bench during the game and talk baseball with the players. They'll love it!