5 Tips For A Legendary Start To The Season

With the start of the Little League season upon us, getting off to a great start will only increase confidence and help players build some positive momentum! Here are a couple of helpful tips and suggestions which may help players get their season off to a legendary start!

1. Play catch 2-3 days per week:
   
   In order to contribute to the team, the ability to play catch is imperative! The more you play catch the stronger and more accurate your arm will be. In addition to your child’s practices, we recommend playing catch at least 2-3 times per week. Throwing the ball long and far (long toss) will improve stamina and arm strength! Have fun with these throwing sessions too – count how many successful throws back and forth. Throw really high pop ups. Pitch against imaginary hitters… Get creative!
2. Have your child ask their coach what he/she needs to do to improve and how he/she can better help the team:
   
   Not only will this teach your child how to advocate for himself, it will tell his coach he is invested into his own growth and his team’s success. Additionally his coach will hopefully offer some quality feedback and maybe even some drills/exercises which can be done at home to improve.
3. Invest in 2-3 private lessons:
   
   Bad habits are difficult to break as kids’ neuromuscular pathways are developing. We highly suggest getting a couple of private lessons at the start of the season simply to break any bad habits and to instill some foundational elements which will set them up for continued development over time. In our experience, top instructors should be able to make noticeable and lasting improvements in 2-3 (1 hr) sessions.
4. Make sure you have the proper equipment:
   
   We see many kids show up to the field with the wrong equipment. Most often it’s the plastic or drastically undersized glove. This is setting our kids up for failure! Bigger, floppier gloves which are broken in are highly recommended. We recommend going to Goetz Bros or another local sporting goods store and asking them if their current equipment is the correct size.
5. Set small goals, praise process and HAVE FUN!:
   
   Youth baseball should 100% be focused on having fun! That said, showing kids they have the ability to work hard, improve their skills and in turn, will win games is even more fun, and assists with the learning and development process. Set some small, attainable goals for your players/team or your children, and have them self-assess after practices and games. For example: Make contact in 2 of 3 at bats. Have only 1 or less walks/inning while pitching. Have zero mental errors… Lastly, a great thing to remind your kids when dropping them off: “Have fun, be the hardest worker out there and thank your coach!”

We hope you have a legendary start to the season and feel free to reach out if we can ever be of assistance on your baseball journey!