There are many valuable youth baseball conditioning techniques to increase your players’ abilities by maximizing their strength, range of motion, and flexibility. Just as a car can only travel as fast as its engine will allow, in like manner, baseball players can only perform to the degree that their bodies will allow. If coaches, parents and mentors ensure that their players are involved in recommended youth baseball conditioning training, they will be increasing their players’ chances to fulfil their maximum potential.

Here are some advised youth baseball conditioning techniques that are recommended for youth baseball coaches for the development of their players:

• Pitching Better through Swimming - Swimming can actually strengthen the shoulder muscles and enable pitchers to throw the baseball harder while protecting pitchers from devastating shoulder injuries. It is recommended that pitchers swim in free style for two minutes with a series of 4 repetitions. If the player can not swim, then the pitcher can stand waist deep in water under adult supervision and push the water away from the body with a hard thrust and fingers spread apart. This should be repeated for 2 minutes at a time.

• Sprint to Success - One of the traditional youth baseball training programs remains the best. Players need to build up their endurance in order to play the entire game with strength and energy. Wind sprints are the best way for youth baseball players to build up their endurance and, at the same time, bond with their teammates. If your players run wind sprints as a team or in bunches, such as pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders, you will be building up their endurance and the team will become closer as a unit. Ten 60 yard sprints are a good way to start, and you can lengthen the distance and repetitions over time.

• Squeeze that Ball - Another simple youth baseball conditioning exercise can be done everywhere from the ball field to the schoolyard and even to bed. Baseball players can increase their wrist strength by squeezing a rubber Spalding ball. Yes, these pink balls are still of infinite value to baseball players – pitchers, to increase the speed of their pitch; hitters by increasing their bat speed and, therefore, the distance of their drives; and fielders by increasing the strength of their throws.

• Stretch Before Games – Stretching and warm-ups are a key element of baseball conditioning training protocols to prevent injuries. Prior to every game and practice, baseball coaches should lead their team in a regular series of stretching and warm-up exercises for at least 10-12 minutes. Before the players begin playing baseball, make sure to cover all major muscle groups including shoulders, legs, arms, hips, and back.

Of course these are just a few, simple youth baseball conditioning exercises among many. Baseball coaches should be familiar with a wide variety of exercises and should weave these into a more holistic conditioning training plan that is appropriate to the age of their players.

Combined with a variety of baseball drills that make the game fun and build the fundamental skills needed to play, a strong baseball conditioning training regimen will ensure that players reach the top of their game and avoid unnecessary injury.

Watch the video related to youth mentoring

Now in its fourth year, the Red Sox Mentoring Challenge is an initiative designed to recruit more mentors in MA and refer them to official campaign partner mentoring programs in the Mass Mentoring Partnership network.

Help answer the question about youth mentoring

About Author

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

Coaching youth softball requires talent, patience, understanding, and, above all, a commitment to those players entrusted to your care. Coaching youth softball is so much more than giving signs from the third base coaching box, or making decisions on personnel. 

Today, youth sports demand that the youth softball coach possess qualities that are essential to the position. It won’t guarantee a winning season, or even that all players and their parents will be grateful for your efforts on their behalf. However, if you don’t possess these qualities and fulfill certain roles, you will not succeed in your mission – to help the youngsters continue their development into mature and responsible adults. 

Coaching youth softball requires that your play these five key roles:

• Mentor – Coaching youth softball requires you to understand two things – the game and rules of youth softball as well as the goal of your job, which is to help the youngsters grow as individuals. You’ll never be able to be effective in your position if you are not clear yourself on these issues. If you’re not clear on your responsibilities to the team you will not convey the message that your players need to receive. 

• Manager – You must be able to manage a number of variables and multi-task, as well. Your team will have players with different personalities and different needs, and your task as a softball coach is to take the best elements and talents of each of your players and to mold them into one functioning unit for the benefit of the team. 

• Teacher – Coaching youth softball involves teaching your players a number of lessons – how to work together and perform as a team; how to sublimate personal goals for the team’s goals; how to improve their softball acumen, teach them age appropriate softball drills, and help them become better players. In this manner, your team will also improve. 

• Motivator – You can not overestimate the importance of the mental aspects of the game. Coaching youth softball is just not teaching hitting, fielding and throwing skills. It involves raising the level of your team’s play though inspiration and your personal example. Don’t hesitate to draw on examples that your players can relate to for support and inspiration, especially from pros they admire. 

• Role Model – Coaching youth softball means that you serve as a positive example for your players to emulate. This includes rendering fair and equitable treatment for all players, regardless of talent. 

If you hone these qualities, you will be able to fulfill your goal of coaching youth softball in a manner that both improves the lives of your athletes, parents and families, and also ultimately enriches your own coaching experience.

Watch the video related to youth mentoring

Mass Mentoring Partnership, the umbrella organization for youth mentoring in Massachusetts, has partnered with the Boston Red Sox for the Red Sox Mentoring Challenge. Each year, MMP stages Mentoring Night at Fenway in which 700 mentors and mentees from across the state enjoy a Sox game. The mentors and mentees are also invited to participate in the pregame ceremonies. In this clip, the Raytheon/Stand & Deliver Octet from Lawrence sings the National Anthem; mentees from Childrens Friend …

Help answer the question about youth mentoring

About Author

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