Who Are We? March 14
“Angels!”
This year I’m coaching T-Ball again. I forget where I read it, but one of the baseball books I read during my first year of coaching reported that 5- and 6-year olds have a three minute attention span. This is important to remember during the slow parts of games. Here’s an easy trick I adopted to bring them back to baseball.
Before every practice and game, and at the end of every practice and game, I ask the team “Who are we?” And the kids shout the name of our team. After a few times, they grow accustomed to the question and know what to do what I say “Who are we?”
So now during the games, when I want to keep the kids from catching bugs or building dirt castles in the infield, I ask the question “Who are we?” It’s better than shouting instructions or reminding them to pay attention.
ShadesOfGrey Mar 4
I just stumbled across your blog and I an really enjoyed the posts.
My comment though is more of a question. How do you get your own child to listen during games and practice. This will be the 2nd season of t-ball for my son and he is improving nicely in running, hitting, & fielding. But boy does he like to dig in the dirt. All the time.
He is a good kid and we normally don’t have many issues with him, but there is something about the ball park dirt that he just can’t seem to leave be. I know he is just 5, but he in the only one on the team that does this.
Any suggestions for dealing with your own child in a situation like this?
admin Mar 4
It’s hard, Shades. It’s a very common concern. In practices, when you or the coach are in control, it’s easier. Keep the practices moving as quickly as possible: keep all your coaches and players involved in a fast-paced practice and they won’t have time to dig.
In games, opposing coaches will try to do some teaching at the plate, sometimes taking forever to get through a single batter, and in those cases I try to talk to the opposing coach and see how we can speed things up. And I try to lead by example when my kids are batting. I also try to talk to kids during long at bats, and when I see someone digging, I say “Daniel, this one’s coming to you!” (which is better, I think, than “Daniel, stop digging.” :-).
Just do whatever you can to keep things moving. Fast at bats and lots of chatter from the coaches about “where’s the ball going with a runner on first?” and “this one’s coming to you” and “who are we.”
Hope that helps! Let me know how the season goes!
Bret
ShadesOfGrey Mar 4
Bret,
Thanks for the quick response. I will keep you posted!
I like the idea of the different questions to ask them, rather than “stop digging”.
-Shades
ShadesOfGrey Mar 18
I wanted to post a follow up to this. The last practice we had was much better. I think that I was expecting way too much from my son, and that my frustration with it all was not helping. Yesterday, I really focused on treating him like the other kids on his team. I was running a station on throwing the ball in from the outfield instead of the kids trying to run the ball in, and a few times my son was checking for dirt under the grass and I called out to him twice as I do the other kids when they are not watching and then I sent the ground ball past him and he looked up and had to go run it down. 3rd time up he was watching I think they were getting tired of running after it.
Best part was neither he or I got upset about it. After the practice he was all smiles. Best I’ve felt after a game/practice all season.
I’ll keep you posted on his (and my) progress. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that he is only 5 years old.
ShadesOfGrey May 19
Bret,
This has ended up being a great season and I’ve been inspired to begin a bit of blogging about youth baseball myself. Only 2 posts so far, but it is shaping up.
http://insidethebasepath.wordpress.com/
-Shades