A former baseball player, Darren Stumberger is a volunteer coach with a strong finance background having worked for numerous organizations. A resident of Atlantic Highlands, NJ, Darren Stumberger works as a volunteer baseball coach in charge of 1,500 kids of varying ages in the tri-state area of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
Coaching a youth baseball team is an exciting experience but requires a good training and bonding strategy. When you meet new kids, you need to quickly discover where they will best fit on the baseball field as your ultimate goal is to bring out their talents and make them better players. The first baseball practice session should cover the basics which include reviewing rules that apply to specific leagues or groups.
If you have kids who have never played baseball before, you need to cover the responsibilities associated with each position. To get the best results, consider beginning practice with light stretching sessions which teaches young players the importance of getting loose. Also, share the schedule of the day’s practice so that kids know what is planned for the day to avoid them getting confused and asking questions about what they should do next.
Finally, some warm-up drills such as running the bases are ideal as they can both be used when beginning and ending practice sessions. The Tire Drill is a good drill where you set up a tire somewhere in the field using bungee cords or hang it from the fence. Use cones to establish throwing stations to simulate infield positions and allow kids to attempt to throw the ball through the tire. You can use this drill to find out the abilities of each player and where you need to focus on going forward.
