Note: Below is an example of the type of individualized assessments we will be providing to our kids, all of which will be accompanied by instructional content curated specifically for them. Every player on our team will have a private, personalized page like this one on the website providing them with actionable things they can work on at home on their own or with a parent.
Every kid on every 11U team will have literally dozens of things they can do better. But kids do not respond well to over coaching. Too often coaches, parents, and other well-meaning people will try to correct every single thing a player is “doing wrong.” This results in overload: the player freezes up, shuts down, gets frustrated.
My approach is to identify the areas that will drive the biggest improvements in the player’s performance and focusing in on those things. This way they experience the connection between the work they put in and the improvement. That connection makes them want to do more. As they master one area of focus, we deprioritize that and move on to something else.
1.
Swing Mechanics: using hips to generate more power in his swing
David’s areas of focus
2.
Throwing mechanics: getting on top and behind the baseball when throwing
3.
Running form: refining movements to back-and-forth motion
1.
Using Hips in a Baseball Swing
David’s hand-eye coordination is good, but his lower half mechanics need some fine-tuning. Review this video with David, then check out the drills I’ve linked below that should help, in particular with him needing to get his hips into his swing
Great tutorial explaining the importance of using your hips to generate power and also practical recommendations on how to help a hitter do it.
Three simple drills you can do at home with a tee and a net to emphasize incorporating hip rotation propertly into your swing mechanics
2.
Getting on top and behind the baseball
David has a strong arm, but he tends to drop down to a sidearm throw, and when he does get more over the top he tends to come off the side of the baseball, rather than getting his hand behind the ball. Getting on top results in much more accurate throws and getting behind the ball will greatly improve his velocity. Check out this video on throwing mechanics and then review the videos below for more specifics and some drills.
Great video explaining the body movements we want to see in order for the player to get on top of the throw. Note how much of this is about the lower body, as opposed to the arm.
Another video demonstrating strong throwing mechanics.
3.
refining running mechanics
All 10 and 11-year old kids have developing bodies, and for some this can make kinesthetics and athleticism a challenge. When running, David has a tendency to make movements (particularly with his arms) that are more side to side than they are back and forth. Side to side movement wastes energy and slows the runner down. Here is a general video about good sprinting form followed by a number of drills selected to help him refine his movements.
Seated Arm Drill -- simple drill to emphasize the motion we want to see with a runner's arms. From their ear to their hip.
Standing Arm Drill -- next step in the progression.
Not specifically about the forward and backward motion, but a great drill to introduce after doing some work on those first two drills.