Pray for Rain

For the last few days, my kids and I have been playing with something called the “Solohitter.” It’s simply an amazing tool. (We have the Solohitter Tournament 3000.) It solves a problem that every backyard baseball player discovers soon after developing a love of the game: how do you practice hitting when you’re by yourself? It’s pricey, but probably on par with the costs of putting a basketball goal at the end of your driveway. I’ve enjoyed playing with it as much as my kids have.

As practices start for the new Little League season, I typically explain to parents those things I can teach their children in our weekly practices and those things I can’t. After several years of coaching, I know I can teach hitting, base-running, fielding ground balls, and the rules of the game. The thing I can’t teach in my one hour each week is catching. The only way to learn how to catch a ball consistently, whether it’s a gentle toss from a nearby teammate or a high fly ball to the outfield, is practice, practice, practice.

The nice thing about practice is that it’s a wonderful time for parent and child to play together. I tell my parents that if they didn’t buy a baseball glove for themselves too, they should go back to the store and find one they like. New Little League parents are usually surprised at how quickly their child learns how to throw and catch by just a week of daily play together. And the parents will enjoy the time too.