Featured courses
- Two Drills to Improve Outfield Movement and Communication by Grant Young
- The Ultimate Resource For Coaching Youth Baseball by Jackson Chlebowy
- Become a Master at Bunting by Brandon Ogle
- 5 Reasons Why There Is More To Good Base Running Than Just Speed by Brandon Ogle
- Three Injury-Prevention Tips For Your Offseason Pitching Program by Grant Young
- How to Teach Hitting to the Next Generation by Grant Young
- Developing Defensive-Minded Baseball Catchers by Grant Young
- 3 Baserunning Tips to Score More Runs in Baseball by Grant Young
- 5 Outfield Drills to Work on in Season by Alec Burris
- Keys For Scoring More With Runners on First and Third Base by Grant Young
- How to Develop Your Game to Become a Five-Tool Player by Brandon Ogle
- 3 Coaches Share the Keys to Running Baseball Practice the Right Way by Grant Young
- Four Drills to Sharpen a Baseball Hitter’s Vision at the Plate by Grant Young
- Four Quotes to Hit Better With Two-Strikes by Grant Young
- Four of Former MLB Pitcher Juan Nieves’ Movement-Based Pitching Drills by Grant Young
- Two Tips For Developing an Elite Baseball Bullpen by Grant Young
- Overcoming the Four Challenges of Indoor Baseball Practices Because of Weather by Grant Young
- Three Tips to Make Your Baseball Team Mentally Tougher by Grant Young
- Three Priceless Philosophies to Motivate Your Baseball Team by Grant Young
- Three Offseason Baseball Drills to Simulate Competition by Grant Young
- Three Baseball Offseason Strength and Conditioning Essentials by Grant Young
- Important Ways to Improve Your Baseball Team’s Baserunning by Grant Young
- Three Ways to Perfect Hitting Mechanics From an MLB Icon by Grant Young
- Catchers can influence pitchers...for bad or good by Drew Johnson
- Throwing Strikes and Playing Good Defense Equals Wins by Jose Ortiz
- Legendary Indiana Head Baseball Coach Bob Morgan’s Offensive Theory by Grant Young
- Tennessee Head Baseball Coach Tony Vitello on How to Practice Baserunning by Grant Young
- Three Great T-Ball Drills For Youth Baseball Players by Grant Young
- How to Manage a Baseball Pitching Staff by Grant Young
- Three Uncommon Tips to Become a Better Hitter by Grant Young
- How a Baseball Coach Can Develop Strike Throwers by Grant Young
- Drills to Develop Elite Baseball Outfielders by Grant Young
- Baseball Training Exercises to Strengthen Arm and Bat Speed by Grant Young
- How to Use Bunting to Score More Runs by Grant Young
- How To Build An Elite Baseball Infielder by Grant Young
- Three Drills to Improve Your Baseball Team's Infield Play by Grant Young
- Three Keys to Curating a Pitching Staff’s Success by Grant Young
- 3 Techniques to Develop a Baseball Player’s Hitting Approach by Grant Young
- How to Cultivate Confidence Within Your Pitchers by Grant Young
- 5 Every Day Drills To Help You Become A Better Catcher by tyler Linderman
- How to Throw A Curveball by Brandon Ogle
- How to Assemble a Lock-Down Bullpen by Brandon Ogle
- How to Throw a Sinker by Brandon Ogle
- How to be a Smart Baserunner by Brandon Ogle
- Improving a player's slugging average by Phillip Woolgar
- The 8 Fundamentals of Pitching by Drew Johnson
- How to Throw a Deceiving Changeup by Brandon Ogle
- Step Up Your Outfield Defense With These Three Drills by Jose Ortiz
- 8 Baseball Drills Every Player Should Practice by Drew Johnson
- How To Become An Elite Defensive Outfielder by Tyler Linderman
- 5 Tips For Crushing A Curveball by Johnny Grassi
- LEGENDS FOR YOUTH INCLUSION BASEBALL CLINIC by Phil
- Fourteen Ways To Turn A .300 Hitter Into A .210 Hitter by Jay P. Granat, Ph.D.
- How To Become The Ideal Leadoff Man by Brandon Ogle
- Understanding The Shift by Brandon Ogle
The Ultimate Resource For Coaching Youth Baseball
Introduction
Anyone who has coached youth baseball can tell you it’s a LOT harder than it looks. From the top of the bleachers, sure it looks simple enough. Sub in kids. Give them some beginner-level advice. Maybe yell at the umpire "a few times".
But what you don’t see from the bleachers is 90% of what it takes to run a youth baseball team. You don’t see the administration, the dealing with parents, the practice planning, the dealing with parents, the offseason workouts, or the dealing with parents.
Okay, dealing with the parents isn’t THAT bad (ignorance is such sweet, sweet bliss).
For those of you either currently involved or anticipating involvement as a youth baseball coach, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to help you not only survive, but excel with your kids this season. Whether you’re a fresh-faced newbie or a seasoned veteran, you’ll find something of value in this guide, as we cover every single facet of running a youth baseball team. Scroll down to start at the beginning or skip to a chapter of your choice using the table of contents menu in the navigation bar. Every link in this guide is to freely available content, but since there are some incredible resources out there for less than $50, we made sure to link you to a few premium options we highly recommend as well – for those looking to dig even deeper.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 1:
How To Administrate A Youth Baseball Team
Some people choose to be youth baseball coaches. Others have that responsibility thrust upon them. Either way, your first thought after the team is officially placed in your hands is probably something along the lines of... HELP ME! There is so much to do before the season even starts, from creating practice plans to setting player expectations. Perhaps you even need to learn the official rules of your specific baseball league. Every little detail is important. And what about volunteers? You’ll almost definitely want some official parent help along the way. How do you make that happen? There’s a lot that goes into administering a youth baseball team. Here are a set of ready-to-go resources that break the whole process down, step by step.
Resources:
5 Keys Every Youth Baseball Coach Should Remember
Official Little League Rules, Regulations, & Policies
10 Important Baseball Rules for Beginners
Coaching Youth Baseball: Tips for the Parent-Coach
5 Ways to Grow Volunteer Participation
Think Like a Parent: Tips for Better Coach-Parent Relationships
5 Tips To Be a Great Youth Baseball Coach
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 2:
The Essentials To Running a Great Baseball Practice
So you’ve survived the admin and parents (thus far) and it’s finally time for your first practice! Nothing is better than that first day out in the sun, finally practicing the sport itself. That is... if you know what you’re doing. A great baseball practice really just comes down to understanding where your team is at and what they need to work on. Depending on the age group, you’ll also want to keep it as fun as possible while still helping the athletes improve their skills. Finding the right mix between disciplined skills development and simple fun is the goal for any youth practice. With a bit of practice and an unavoidable bit of trial-and-error, you’ll figure it out, no problem. These resources will help you get there as quickly as possible.
Resources:
Drill Rotation – The Basic Framework For Efficient Baseball Practices
Fundamentals -- An MLB Coaching Clinic
3 Coaches Share the Keys to Running Baseball Practice the Right Way
How to Develop Well-Rounded Youth Baseball Players
How To Run A Highly Productive Youth Baseball Practice
Recommended Premium Options:
Coaching Youth Baseball for Ages 5-8
Coaching Youth Baseball for Ages 9-12
How To Run A Complete Baseball Practice Baseball Fundamentals with Tony Gwynn
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 3:
Everything You Need to Know About Baseball Equipment
Like any modern sport, you need some equipment to play baseball. And you need some extra equipment for certain practice drills as well. Hopefully, you aren’t starting from scratch in this department, but if you are, we have you covered. We’ve even thrown in some fundraising tips (we got your back dawg). But even if you have a wide selection of equipment already available, it’s good to be knowledgeable on what you’re using, what needs to be replaced, and what everything is for. And for the love of all that is good and lovely, we hope your uniform style comes pre-selected for your team. You do NOT want control over that, trust us. You. Do. Not. Want. That. Power. But if it is forced upon you by the hand of fate, see the "How To Handle Parents" guide in Chapter #1.
Resources: Baseball Equipment List: Essential Baseball Gear Checklist
How To Choose Youth Baseball Equipment
Beginner’s Guide: How to Choose a Glove
How To Pick Out the Perfect Pair of Cleats
25 Unique Youth Sports Fundraising Ideas
Top 10 Youth Sports Fundraising Ideas That Will Score Big
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 4:
Offseason Workouts For Dummies
It’s said that championship teams are built in the offseason. While this won’t apply to teams at every level, for older, more competitive teams, offseason workouts are an integral part of in-season performance. We’ve included some great resources for both in-season and offseason workouts in this section. Always remember that safety is your number one concern, especially when working with young athletes. It’s also important that young athletes aren’t pushed too hard until they are both physically and emotionally mature enough to handle it.
Resources:
13 Lesson Baseball Workouts Video Course From A Division 1 Coach
Baseball Training Tips For The Off-Season
Three Baseball Offseason Strength and Conditioning Essentials
Five Crucial Arm Strength Exercises for Baseball Players & Pitchers
Optimizing Your Offseason: A Guide for Adolescent and Teen Baseball Players
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 5:
Pre-Game Warmups and Post-Game Cool Downs Your Kids Will Love
Injuries are the worst part of sports. At higher levels, they are somewhat unavoidable, even with proper care, but at the youth sports level, most injuries can be avoided with a solid pre-game warmup routine. Warmups and cool downs help athletes keep their muscles in optimal condition. If done correctly, they can also be an enjoyable part of your kids’ game-day routine. Create a collection of warmup exercises your team will love using the following resources.
Resources:
8 Baseball Warmups Your Youth Team Will Love
Why Does The Body Have To Cool Down After Exercise?
The Only 3 Questions You Should Ask Your Player After A Game
How To Cool Down After A Baseball Match
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 6:
Batting Drills & Techniques That Get Results
At the end of the day, coaching is all about helping kids improve their game. And that means helping them master the essential baseball skills. Batting is one of the primary skills every young player needs, and the best way to help them improve is through teaching proper batting technique and running them through effective batting drills. Batting is a full-body movement. From head to toe, every muscle contributes to a successful swing. These resources will help you teach your kids to drastically improve their batting game and maybe even master the art of the swing.
Resources:
The Best Way To Learn How To Hit a Baseball
How To Develop Explosive Bat Speed
Youth Baseball Instruction: Advancing from T-Ball to Live Pitching
ProSwing`s Fundamentals to America`s Past Time
How to Properly Bunt in Baseball
Recommended Premium Options:
Coaching Baseball - Power Hitting
The Complete Guide To Hitting For Beginners
Coaching Youth Baseball: Power Hitting
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 7:
How to Teach Your Kids to Pitch Like Paul Skenes
Pitching, like hitting, requires good technique, practice and body control. It’s important that you, as the coach, teach your kids the correct way to pitch and the correct way to rest the arm after pitching. It’s also good to keep in mind that pitching is one of the more difficult skills for young athletes to learn, which is why tee-ball is preferred for younger ages. Be patient and prioritize proper form over immediate results.
Resources:
Pitch Like The Pros – Video Course by Pittsburg Pirates Pitching Coach
Developing a Youth Baseball Pitcher
How to Cultivate Confidence Within Your Pitchers
Understanding The Different Types of Pitches Pitching from the Stretch with Mike Scott
Little League University - Pitching Drills
Tips for Young Baseball Pitchers to Avoid Injury
Recommended Premium Options:
Pitching To Win With Your Fastball – 76 Lessons From Rockies’ Coach Jerry Weinstein
Pitching Mechanics & Drills – Mastering The Delivery How To Throw More Strikes With Sport Psychology
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 8:
Baseball Fielding Techniques That Will Carry Your Season
For youth baseball, fielding is the most important part of your team’s defensive effort. If your kids can’t field the ball, your team won’t go anywhere. The single best way to coach up a winning youth baseball team is to minimize errors on game-day. Like batting and pitching, training your kids to field well consists of demonstrating the proper technique and then drills, drills, drills, drills, and more drills! Teach fielding to your team first and practice it as often as possible. You can use any of the fantastic drills and strategies outlined in the below resources. Whatever you do, trust us when we say that it’s impossible to over-practice fielding.
Resources:
How To Field A Ball Like A Pro
How Baseball Works: Fielding By Position
The 6 F`s of Fielding with MLB Coach Perry Hill
Backing Up Play From the Outfield
Footwork For Fielding Grounders
Recommended Premium Options: The Basics of Fielding for Youth Baseball
Ultimate Infield with Perry Hill
Baseball Infield Drills With Chaz Lytle
George Horton’s Guide To Infield Play
Outfield Play: The Defense’s Secondary
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 9:
The Non-Vicarious Way To Manage a Youth Baseball Game
It all comes down to this. You’ve practiced. You’ve prepared. You’ve maybe even cried a little (this is a judgement-free zone). It’s GAME DAY! As head coach, you are responsible for managing every aspect of this game, from pre-game warmups to post-game snacks. Whatever you do, DON’T FORGET THE SNACKS! You’re in charge of an entire team. The key is to stay organized and have fun. Simply understanding the basic framework is half the battle, and if you completely screw up game #1, you’ll be a seasoned veteran by game #2.
Resources:
Game Day Advice for Youth Baseball Coaches
Top 10 Mistakes Every Youth Baseball Coach Should Avoid
Using Signs with Youth Baseball Players