Youth Softball Coaching Tips

One of your responsibilities as a coach is to give your players all the tools they need to play the game to the best of their ability.

The game of softball requires mental and physical agility, and youth softball coaching tips can help you impart needed tips to your players to give them the wherewithal to maximize their abilities.

Here are a few youth softball coaching tips that will improve your team's play:

•Swing a Weighted Bat - One of the helpful youth softball coaching tips concerns itself with the feel of the bat in the hands of your players. In competitive fast pitch competition, it is helpful if your players can swing their softball bats through the hitting zone with speed. In order to do this, they must be able to handle the bat's weight. One of the top youth softball coaching tips is to advise your players to swing a bat heavier than the one they use in a game in preparation for their time at bat. In this way, their bat will feel lighter, and they will be able to handle it better, and swing it more quickly through the hitting zone.

•Test Your Players - One of the more beneficial youth softball coaching tips has to do with imparting the rules of the game of softball. It stands to reason that the better your players understand the rules of softball, the better they will be able to make the plays that will maximize their abilities. You can impart this knowledge by holding skill sessions after practice or when adverse weather has prevented your normal weather routine. You can teach this by asking about game situations as you practice such as "if there is a pop fly, are you going to start running to second base?" As a coach, teaching your team the fundamentals of the game involves teaching your team the rules of the game.

•Teaching Bunting - One of the most needed youth softball coaching tips is to teach your players the art and science of bunting the ball, and having fun while you do it. The fundamentals of the bunt are simple: Batters move their top hand up near the trademark, and the object is to "catch the ball with the bat." The batter adjusts the bat to push the softball pitch up the first base line or the thirds base line. You can introduce fun into the exercise by rewarding any player who bunts 5 consecutive pitches into fair ground. In this way, your players are practicing an important, but long-overlooked part of the game while having fun doing it.

•Don't Forget the Fun - As a coach, teaching youth softball can be difficult. You should always consider the age of your players and consequently their attention spans and rigor in learning the basics. Often the most effective ways to coach about softball rules or teach technique mean adding a dimension of fun into the softball drills you practice. Turn drills into games, or make drills more fun by showing them how the pros do it such as this interactive youth softball drill library.

Trevor Sumner

By Trevor Sumner who works for Weplay.com, a youth softball community dedicated to providing parents coaches and athletes the tools and information to celebrate the love of the game. Weplay has one of the most comprehensive softball drill libraries in its active softball community.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/trevor-sumner/164153

Softball Tips on 3 Common Mistakes Softball Players Make

Youth Softball Coaching Tips

By Marc Dagenais

Every player has a bad habit that prevents her from taking her game to the next level. These bad habits include playing the game with poor mechanics, and not caring about how some things that she does affect her game.

But these habits can be corrected, of course. If you see any of the common mistakes that softball players make in the list below, I'll show you how to get it right once and for all. That way, you'll be able to perform better than ever before.

Mistake #1: Poor Diet

Almost everyone is prone to making this mistake. However, the effects of poor diet on the body are more apparent in an athlete. That's because athletes have more stringent requirements when it comes to the food that they eat.

One of the mistakes that players commit when it comes to diet is that they're not eating enough. Elite athletes typically have higher calorie requirements than normal people. That's because they need more fuel to perform better and higher content of nutrients that will help them recover from stress and fatigue.

Another one is eating unhealthy food. Softball players are often dragged into temptation into doing this, especially during road games where healthy food might be hard to find. So, what players do is stuff themselves with fatty foods like fries, burgers and hotdogs.

Mistake #2: Not Performing Warm-Ups, Cool Downs

Warming up and cooling down are part of every athlete's life. However, there are times when you get too excited to play the game, or too stoked after winning a game that you miss doing these things.

When you miss warming up or cooling down, it could take a toll on your body. Failing to warm-up could cause injuries such as stretched muscles and sprain. Meanwhile, not cooling down after a game could end up with sore muscles the following day.

So, make sure you spend around 10-15 minutes each for warm-ups and cool downs before and after a game or training.

Mistake #3: Not Mentally Preparing for the Game

Softball is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. Mentally tough players are those who strike fear in their opponents' hearts simply by the way they walk on the field. Also, being mentally tough means you're not afraid to step on the field at every game.

So, how do you become mentally prepared to play the game? One thing is by imagining yourself playing the game even before you step on the field. Imagine yourself on the batter's box, eye-to-eye with the pitcher.

Also, it would help if you take an aggressive and confident stance once you're on the field. It's called putting on your game face. Having an air of confidence tells your opponents that you're not someone they want to mess with.

Now if you really want to be a good softball player, the ones I showed you above are some common mistakes you have to start avoiding from now on.

So, always remember to eat right, give yourself enough time for warm ups and cool downs, and finally, mentally prepare yourself before every game. It's a winning combination that always works.

Apply these softball tips so you wont get the same mistakes other softball players make.

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

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