Bad Hop to the Forehead!

[rkbenn]

I was at practice last night and my son's coach was hitting ground balls to the players when the coach hit a sharp ground ball to my son at short, when the ball hit a rock and the ball jumped up 3 feet and hit him in the forehead. I was scared to death because how hard it hit him. I had a tough time sleeping last night because of it.

He cried a bit and I told him I wanted to take him home, and to his credit he shook it off, took 10 min, and went back to short. He was a little gun shy, and handled the ground balls pretty good after that. He earned the respect of everyone there.

I told him that it was a rock that the ball hit, and it could have been prevented by clearing the ground in front of him. I also told him how many times that has happen, which was never. I've hit 1000's of grounders to him and it only happen once.

I was going to get him back out there like nothing happened. Is there any other advice you can give a 10 year old to get him to feel comfortable out there again?

[Coach C]

Back on the saddle. Dont make a big deal out of it when it happens, I know its tough. My 9 got clocked dead on the forearm 1st at bat in kid pitch. He was laying on the ground holding his arm. I shouted to get to first base. He hopped up and trotted down. I could see the seam marks across the feild. It did not effect his next at bat.

I grew up playing on dirt infields, so it was routine to do some landscaping every time. I instruct my players to do the same.

[HYP]

I was at practice last night and my son's coach was hitting ground balls to the players when the coach hit a sharp ground ball to my son at short, when the ball hit a rock and the ball jumped up 3 feet and hit him in the forehead. I was scared to death because how hard it hit him. I had a tough time sleeping last night because of it.

He cried a bit and I told him I wanted to take him home, and to his credit he shook it off, took 10 min, and went back to short. He was a little gun shy, and handled the ground balls pretty good after that. He earned the respect of everyone there.

I told him that it was a rock that the ball hit, and it could have been prevented by clearing the ground in front of him. I also told him how many times that has happen, which was never. I've hit 1000's of grounders to him and it only happen once.

I was going to get him back out there like nothing happened. Is there any other advice you can give a 10 year old to get him to feel comfortable out there again?

You may already do this drill but if not it is a good one. I call them "Ozzies".

Put him on his knees, you get on your knees about 15' to 20' away and throw him short hops. Get him to just use his glove and to get the ball out front, do not let the ball get back to his body.

As he gets older and more confident you can move back and start hitting grounders at him.

What this will do is teach him to trust his glove and have a quick glove hand. Keep stressing to him to trust his glove. Once he gets good at this, the bad hops will not be as bad. He will learn to trust the glove and be able to make adjustments to the bad hop.

The other drill you can do is get him in the ground ball fielding position. Stand about 3' to 4' away, with the ball in your hand on the ground. Flip the ball up starting with it traveling over his glove side shoulder and then move to his back hand side shoulder. Eventually you will be able to mix it up. This simulates a bad hop but it is under control. He will gain confidence and learn to adjust to the bad hop.

I don't know any magical cue that will not make him worried about a bad hop but the knowledge of knowing that he can deal with a bad hop, IMO is the best way to deal with the fear.

HYP

[soceric]

Back on the saddle. Dont make a big deal out of it when it happens, I know its tough. My 9 got clocked dead on the forearm 1st at bat in kid pitch. He was laying on the ground holding his arm. I shouted to get to first base. He hopped up and trotted down. I could see the seam marks across the feild. It did not effect his next at bat.

I grew up playing on dirt infields, so it was routine to do some landscaping every time. I instruct my players to do the same.

Put him in the company of Big Leaguers every time something bad happens on the baseball field.

If you get plunked in the forehead... Find a story about how Jeter took one off the chops as a kid, and how he handled it.

If your on a new team, and stuck in the outfield... Tell him about the greats who played outfield.

Etc.. Etc..

Take license with the stories, and if you really want to get fancy, tell another coach to relay the story. Works like a charm ;)

[AltaLomaStorm]

With the crappy conditions of some fields and most practice fields, a mouth piece (if he will wear it) might be a good place to start. Maybe an exaggerated "alligator" fielding position...glove hand out in front and his throwing hand above his glove hand in a position to somewhat protect his face.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/dpedroia15.jpg
Maybe get him "back on the horse" by practicing this technique by rolling the ball to him, gradually increasing the speed of the ball up to hitting him grounders. Barry Larkin was talking on MLB network about how he would field balls to the glove side of his "center," which is what it looks like Pedroia is doing, as opposed to glove at 6 o'clock and free hand at 12 o'clock. Both hands off-set somewhat, maybe closer to a 5 and 1 o'clock positioning.

Kids are tougher than we think and tend to bounce back pretty quick. Good luck.

[Ursa Major]

Coach, the first issue is safety. Make sure the kid isn't injured seriously. If you tell a kid to shake it off without even determining the extent of the injury, you look like a jerk. Of course, experience often tells you when a ball has struck a vulnerable spot. HBP's in arms are tough, because their matchstick bones are easy to break.

Plus, you gotta know your kid. Some kids are brittle, and some will shake it off, especially during games.

If you know the kid's okay, sometimes it's best to let his teammates carry the water for you and give him a little goad. One of the best local anesthetics after a HBP is a shout from a teammate -- "Don't rub it!" That way, you come across as responsible but get the kid moving again.

Fortunately, you'll rarely see a kid as affected by being hit by a ground ball as he is after a bad HBP. (I've seen kids lose their swing for half a season after a plunking.) But don't remind him of it unless necessary -- it'll fade. Or you can use it as a learing device for charging the ball so as to not let it "play you."

Oh, and make sure the field gets dragged -- at least the area in front of the infield positions -- before practice starts. It's good exercise for out-of-shape dads. (And are there any other kind?)

[HYP]

Coach, the first issue is safety. Make sure the kid isn't injured seriously. If you tell a kid to shake it off without even determining the extent of the injury, you look like a jerk. Of course, experience often tells you when a ball has struck a vulnerable spot. HBP's in arms are tough, because their matchstick bones are easy to break.

Plus, you gotta know your kid. Some kids are brittle, and some will shake it off, especially during games.

If you know the kid's okay, sometimes it's best to let his teammates carry the water for you and give him a little goad. One of the best local anesthetics after a HBP is a shout from a teammate -- "Don't rub it!" That way, you come across as responsible but get the kid moving again.

Fortunately, you'll rarely see a kid as affected by being hit by a ground ball as he is after a bad HBP. (I've seen kids lose their swing for half a season after a plunking.) But don't remind him of it unless necessary -- it'll fade. Or you can use it as a learing device for charging the ball so as to not let it "play you."

Oh, and make sure the field gets dragged -- at least the area in front of the infield positions -- before practice starts. It's good exercise for out-of-shape dads. (And are there any other kind?)

Been there and will never dismiss an injury again.

My son had a ground ball, that I hit, to his back hand. The ball jumped up and hit him in the eye. He was complaining about the pain and I told him to shake it off. he did and about 15 min later he was complaining about it again. Luckily we had a optometrists son on the team. He suggested we go to his office right then. Ended up having a scratch acrossed his eye and the Dr. informed me how painful that must have been. I felt like an ASS.

[rkbenn]

You may already do this drill but if not it is a good one. I call them "Ozzies".

Put him on his knees, you get on your knees about 15' to 20' away and throw him short hops. Get him to just use his glove and to get the ball out front, do not let the ball get back to his body.

As he gets older and more confident you can move back and start hitting grounders at him.

What this will do is teach him to trust his glove and have a quick glove hand. Keep stressing to him to trust his glove. Once he gets good at this, the bad hops will not be as bad. He will learn to trust the glove and be able to make adjustments to the bad hop.

The other drill you can do is get him in the ground ball fielding position. Stand about 3' to 4' away, with the ball in your hand on the ground. Flip the ball up starting with it traveling over his glove side shoulder and then move to his back hand side shoulder. Eventually you will be able to mix it up. This simulates a bad hop but it is under control. He will gain confidence and learn to adjust to the bad hop.

I don't know any magical cue that will not make him worried about a bad hop but the knowledge of knowing that he can deal with a bad hop, IMO is the best way to deal with the fear.

HYP

HYP,

We've done the Ozzie drill, it's a good one. He's got a great glove and does trust it. There was nothing more he could have done. I was skimming on the ground, when it ht the rock about 4 ft in front of him, and jumped up 3ft. It was one of the worst hops I've seen.

[HYP]

HYP,

We've done the Ozzie drill, it's a good one. He's got a great glove and does trust it. There was nothing more he could have done. I was skimming on the ground, when it ht the rock about 4 ft in front of him, and jumped up 3ft. It was one of the worst hops I've seen.

since he trusts his glove and as you say, there was nothing else he could have done.

I would just remind him how that was 1 in a 1000 and if he loves the game. His love will out way any fear.

If he still plays with a little fear. The thing to remind him is that playing tenative is when you will get hit again. Being aggressive on grounders and playing with confidence deminishes the chances of being hurt.

HYP

[rkbenn]

With the crappy conditions of some fields and most practice fields, a mouth piece (if he will wear it) might be a good place to start. Maybe an exaggerated "alligator" fielding position...glove hand out in front and his throwing hand above his glove hand in a position to somewhat protect his face.
http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/dpedroia15.jpg
Maybe get him "back on the horse" by practicing this technique by rolling the ball to him, gradually increasing the speed of the ball up to hitting him grounders. Barry Larkin was talking on MLB network about how he would field balls to the glove side of his "center," which is what it looks like Pedroia is doing, as opposed to glove at 6 o'clock and free hand at 12 o'clock. Both hands off-set somewhat, maybe closer to a 5 and 1 o'clock positioning.

Kids are tougher than we think and tend to bounce back pretty quick. Good luck.

Thanks. You brought up 2 more points I can share with him. We do practice fielding balls left of center, buut he didn't on that play, and him alligator hands were too close together, not like Pedroia in that pic. I sell sports equipment and asked me to get him a mask that he seen in our catalog. I tried to steer him away from that.

[HYP]

Thanks. You brought up 2 more points I can share with him. We do practice fielding balls left of center, buut he didn't on that play, and him alligator hands were too close together, not like Pedroia in that pic. I sell sports equipment and asked me to get him a mask that he seen in our catalog. I tried to steer him away from that.

Good point (bold)

Look at Predroias hands. Out front and glove at 7 and free hand at 1 oclock. Not 6 and 12.

HYP

[rkbenn]

since he trusts his glove and as you say, there was nothing else he could have done.

I would just remind him how that was 1 in a 1000 and if he loves the game. His love will out way any fear.

If he still plays with a little fear. The thing to remind him is that playing tenative is when you will get hit again. Being aggressive on grounders and playing with confidence deminishes the chances of being hurt.

HYP

Very good point.

[Jake Patterson]

Put him on his knees, you get on your knees about 15' to 20' away and throw him short hops. Get him to just use his glove and to get the ball out front, do not let the ball get back to his body.
Hmm... respectfully disagree...
Taking any infield on the knees is, IMO, bad for youngsters. Most current infield clinicians try to get the glove out front and as perpendicular to the ground as possible, positioning their bodies such that they are able to move through the ball in the direction of the target. Having a child on his knees reduces the child's ability to move their upper body relative to the ball position and it reduces his chances to get his GS fingers down. This will create a situation where the glove is tilted at such an angle that the ball will kick off the heel of the glove INCREASING his chances to take another ball off the forehead. One-bounce drills are, in and of themselves, not bad and should be part of a daily infield drill and skill routine.

[HYP]

Hmm... respectfully disagree...
Taking any infield on the knees is, IMO, bad for youngsters. Most current infield clinicians try to get the glove out front and as perpendicular to the ground as possible, positioning their bodies such that they are able to move through the ball in the direction of the target. Having a child on his knees reduces the child's ability to move their upper body relative to the ball position and it reduces his chances to get his GS fingers down. This will create a situation where the glove is tilted at such an angle that the ball will kick off the heel of the glove INCREASING his chances to take another ball off the forehead. One-bounce drills are, in and of themselves, not bad and should be part of a daily infield drill and skill routine.

It is a glove drill. Not a foot work drill. It has been done by every MLB infielder I have ever worked with.

You are right the body can't move to the ball. That is the point. Trust the glove.

The glove can still be out front. The GS fingers can still be down. In this drill you do not recieve the ball like a normal grounder. It is more of a picking drill.

[soceric]

Hmm... respectfully disagree...
Taking any infield on the knees is, IMO, bad for youngsters. Most current infield clinicians try to get the glove out front and as perpendicular to the ground as possible, positioning their bodies such that they are able to move through the ball in the direction of the target. Having a child on his knees reduces the child's ability to move their upper body relative to the ball position and it reduces his chances to get his GS fingers down. This will create a situation where the glove is tilted at such an angle that the ball will kick off the heel of the glove INCREASING his chances to take another ball off the forehead. One-bounce drills are, in and of themselves, not bad and should be part of a daily infield drill and skill routine.

Hmm.. I guess there is more than one way to skin a cat, but warming up the hands, and taking grounders while on the knees is excellent IMO. I would be interested in hearing more about coaches telling their players to get their gloves perpindicular to the ground as a rule also. Seems like it's an easy way to lose the ball in the web.

[skipper5]

Here's my 2 cents, kind of extreme

1. Playing the infield on the small diamond has changed incredibly in the past 20 years. The bats are much hotter. The sweetspots are much bigger. And kids are being taught better swings. The result is a greater volume of hotter ground-balls. That greatly increases the odds of getting one in the face.

2. No human being likes getting hit in the face. I don't know why. But a tweak to the face is much worse than a slug to the gut. Think about the last time you were limbing a downed-tree and got whip-sawed by a branch. How far did you throw your brand-new chain-saw?

3. Proper infielding technique requires the player to get low and expose his mug to the ball.

4. The players most in need of a perfectly groomed field are the kids we're training on imperfect small diamonds that place infielders closer to the batter as compared to the seasoned infielders on the large diamond.

5. For player development (not for safety), consider doing the following to inculcate proper fielding technique in spite of the hotter grounders:

(a) insist that your son wear a mouth-guard to protect his teeth from injury
(b) tell him that if he gets a bloody lip, it's painful but not injury
(c) if he gets a broken nose, it's temporarily painful, but it's not an injury, and his face will look cool for a week
(d) if he gets hit in the eye, usually it will not be injury, and will look cool for a week

This isn't the wood bat era and, believe me, swings are getting better and better every year. What hasn't changed are the field dimensions and the ungroomed conditions of the infield. Adjust.

Mouthguard. It's rational to not want to get hit in the teeth--it causes injury. Promote proper fielding technique. Distinguish between pain and injury.

If I were coaching 10 yr olds today, I'd be saying two things. "Wear your mouthguard." and "We've got ice."

[azmatsfan]

Put him in the company of Big Leaguers every time something bad happens on the baseball field.

If you get plunked in the forehead... Find a story about how Jeter took one off the chops as a kid, and how he handled it.

If your on a new team, and stuck in the outfield... Tell him about the greats who played outfield.

Etc.. Etc..

Take license with the stories, and if you really want to get fancy, tell another coach to relay the story. Works like a charm ;)

Great advice. When my son had his first machine pitch game (after being a star in t-ball) he struck out in both ABs. When we got home we got out the Baseball Almanac and turned to the All-Time Strikeout leaders in MLB history and I pointed out all the guys on the list that were in the Hall of Fame. He immediately felt better about his first game of the season.

[Ursa Major]

Actually, Soceric had one of the best pieces of advice for all aspects of coaching, "Take license with the stories..." You betcha! :clapping:clapping


What's the point of being a teacher if you're limited by the truth of what happened??!! By the time the kid gets a chance to look the story up and prove you wrong (which is one reason that your stories should be vague enough that they cannot be researched and debunked) he'll have either learned your lesson or moved on.

[jacksimpk]

If you want to practice handling hops use tennis balls on asfault. You can vary the bounce in nicely and you don't need to worry over much about the ball doing damage if it gets through. Most people I know that work with catchers start with tennis balls for blocking practice - I think the same concept applys.

[skipper5]

If you want to promote good infielding with 10 yr olds, do not hit game-speed grounders in practice.

10 yr olds hate pain. One hard practice grounder to the mouth, and he may be flinching for the rest of the year. From a developmental standpoint, ideally, they'd be 14 yr old and testosterone-filled before they take their first hard grounder to the mouth. That should be your goal anyway.

If they play every inning of all 20 spring games at SS, they might see 30 hard-hit ground balls right at them where they've got to present their face to the ball.

Don't drastically increase the odds by hitting 500 game-speed grounders in practice.

One hard grounder to the mouth of a 10 yr old cancels out 10 hrs. of practice.

[rkbenn]

You guys bring up some very good points.

I got another question. Skipper brings up a good point about how fast the game is. The coach was mentioning that he would like to see my son backing up the SS when the starter pitches. I don't think he should be there because of the power of a number of the kids. I was thinking about talking to the coach about that. He just turned 10 in Nov and I can see him playing SS next year, but not this year. He is one of the pitchers, so, maybe it makes no difference. Maybe he shouldn't be pitching either. My son said he wants to play SS or 3rd. I think it's a bad idea...I don't know.

[g-mac]

If you want to practice handling hops use tennis balls on asfault. You can vary the bounce in nicely and you don't need to worry over much about the ball doing damage if it gets through. Most people I know that work with catchers start with tennis balls for blocking practice - I think the same concept applys.
Great advice! As a kid, I always had a tennis ball at the ready. One of the best things kids can do is simply bounce a tennis ball off a wall...or despite what my wife says, off the garage door. :D

[soceric]

Actually, Soceric had one of the best pieces of advice for all aspects of coaching, "Take license with the stories..." You betcha! :clapping:clapping


What's the point of being a teacher if you're limited by the truth of what happened??!! By the time the kid gets a chance to look the story up and prove you wrong (which is one reason that your stories should be vague enough that they cannot be researched and debunked) he'll have either learned your lesson or moved on.

A little embellishment never hurt anyone is what I figure :D A good story in the right situation goes a long way... lol

[Ursa Major]

I got another question. Skipper brings up a good point about how fast the game is. The coach was mentioning that he would like to see my son backing up the SS when the starter pitches. I don't think he should be there because of the power of a number of the kids. I was thinking about talking to the coach about that. He just turned 10 in Nov and I can see him playing SS next year, but not this year. He is one of the pitchers, so, maybe it makes no difference. Maybe he shouldn't be pitching either. My son said he wants to play SS or 3rd. I think it's a bad idea...I don't know.If he says he's ready, I think you do more damage to him by telling him he's not then by letting him try and perhaps have a few rough spots. Better to get those spots out of the way now. What's the old saying? "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or else what's a heaven for?"

The problem with using tennis balls is that they're so light that they'll kick off the glove as often as not, so kids are just learning to the try to catch the ball deep in the webbing, which is not the best form. I've kept from days of yore our collection of "softstrike" t-balls, which are still pretty bouncy but they are at least heavier. They have two primary purposes:

(a) working with catchers in blocking drills, and
(b) throwing to young hitters who have problems with flinching or stepping in the bucket.

Those balls also should work for these drills.

[jcwilb]

When my son was 9 (now 11) he took a fly ball to the mouth from about 150' and it never hit leather, just lip. Needless to say we took him to the E-Room and had his teeth straightened back out. He went back to practice to let his buddies know he was okay.

I was unsure about when he would be ready to go again. He took about a week off, and was then ready. He wore a facemask on batting helmet for a few tourneys after that but has never really flinched on a ball since.

I really believe that you need to get back on the horse and let them know it was a accident that will probably never happen again in their lifetime, and not make too big a deal about it if you can. All kids respond to this stuff differently, but that my experience.

It still surprises me to this day. It could easily just have ended his BB career if he decided to let it.

[rkbenn]

If he says he's ready, I think you do more damage to him by telling him he's not then by letting him try and perhaps have a few rough spots. Better to get those spots out of the way now. What's the old saying? "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or else what's a heaven for?"

The problem with using tennis balls is that they're so light that they'll kick off the glove as often as not, so kids are just learning to the try to catch the ball deep in the webbing, which is not the best form. I've kept from days of yore our collection of "softstrike" t-balls, which are still pretty bouncy but they are at least heavier. They have two primary purposes:

(a) working with catchers in blocking drills, and
(b) throwing to young hitters who have problems with flinching or stepping in the bucket.

Those balls also should work for these drills.

I've never told him he couldn't. I've only seen on kid that could handle SS or 3rd at 10 in our league the other 10's I've seen play those postions were Coaches sons and they were horrible. Maybe I nee to just let him got at his own pace.

PS: I wanted to post his swing, but with all this I didn't do it last night. I'll get one up next week.

[Jake Patterson]

here's what I teach:
63508
The above is part of five defensive GB drills we do every practice. We train the players to get their glove - fingers down - in order to provide maximum ball exposure. We do not teach flipping or sucking the ball into the chest. We leave the glove out front and track the ball setting the body up such that it is moving toward the target when we catch the ball. The larger the target the more opportunity you have to catch the ball and/or knock it down.

Below is D.P.
Because of his skill level he can get away with his glove at a more of an angle. We have found this glove angle for a youth player to be problematic.

63507


IF SOMEONE COULD RESIZE THE ABOVE I'D APPRECIATE IT.

[TG Coach]

My son took one right between the eyes on a bad hop routine grounder when he was eight. It knocked him out for about twenty seconds. Do you know how long twenty seconds is when it's your kid? When he came to I didn't make a big deal about it. I asked him if he saw stars he responded in a positive manner. I yanked him from the game. The next inning he begged to go back in. I let him return after one more inning. Before reentering I had him walk a straight line with his eyes closed and walk a straight line backwards. I wanted to know he had his balance back before another ball came his way.

I believe the best way to deal with this and hit by pitches is don't overreact and discern hurt from injury. An injured little kid doesn't need to return to the game. A hurt kid needs to get back on the horse and ride.

Note: On the very first pitch he faced in 9/10 kid pitch he was drilled in the rear by the hardest throwing ten year old on a 30 degree wind chill evening. With his eyes welling up, he grumbled, "I'm OK" and slowly jogged to first. He was in complete recovery by the time he stoled second. The best reaction is none unless there's injury. By 13U the kids were screaming "Don't rub it" when players got dinged by grounders or pitches.

Straying a bit: Speaking of don't rub it, one of our players last year squared to bunt on a squeeze and took a fastball in the nuts. He wasn't wearing a cup. Picture a bench full of unsympathetic fifteen year olds. They were hysterical. To add insult to injury the way he attempted to jump out of the way was determined to be offering at the pitch for a strike.

[g-mac]

The problem with using tennis balls is that they're so light that they'll kick off the glove as often as not, so kids are just learning to the try to catch the ball deep in the webbing, which is not the best form. I've kept from days of yore our collection of "softstrike" t-balls, which are still pretty bouncy but they are at least heavier. They have two primary purposes:

(a) working with catchers in blocking drills, and
(b) throwing to young hitters who have problems with flinching or stepping in the bucket.

Those balls also should work for these drills.
I understand what you're getting at, we use tennis balls with no glove on. Helps with reaction times and promotes soft hands.

[Ursa Major]

I've never told him he couldn't. I've only seen on kid that could handle SS or 3rd at 10 in our league the other 10's I've seen play those postions were Coaches sons and they were horrible. Maybe I nee to just let him got at his own pace. I don't know what you mean by "handle". Someone to play those positions, so if the others don't play them well, why not let him give it a shot? He doesn't need to be Omar Vizquel. Even if he never successfully makes a play to first, he'll be a lot more comfortable out there next time. And, heck, just trotting out to the position and taking grounders there kinda makes you feel like you're king of the diamond. That's gotta be worth something.

And the issue isn't whether you told him he wasn't able to play shortstop, but if he asks to go out there and kids who aren't any better go out and play there, he's going to wonder what's up. The only reason not to put a kid out there is (a) if his reflexes and skills are so bad that he can't defend himself on a hard hit ball, or (b) he's so sensitive and self-critical that he'll go into his shell if he makes an error.

[rkbenn]

I don't know what you mean by "handle". Someone to play those positions, so if the others don't play them well, why not let him give it a shot? He doesn't need to be Omar Vizquel. Even if he never successfully makes a play to first, he'll be a lot more comfortable out there next time. And, heck, just trotting out to the position and taking grounders there kinda makes you feel like you're king of the diamond. That's gotta be worth something.

And the issue isn't whether you told him he wasn't able to play shortstop, but if he asks to go out there and kids who aren't any better go out and play there, he's going to wonder what's up. The only reason not to put a kid out there is (a) if his reflexes and skills are so bad that he can't defend himself on a hard hit ball, or (b) he's so sensitive and self-critical that he'll go into his shell if he makes an error.

Handle meaning, in the game, way too any errors, and bad throws. Practice is another story. You're not going to send out a kid to pitch if he can't pitch.

[rkbenn]

My son took one right between the eyes on a bad hop routine grounder when he was eight. It knocked him out for about twenty seconds. Do you know how long twenty seconds is when it's your kid? When he came to I didn't make a big deal about it. I asked him if he saw stars he responded in a positive manner. I yanked him from the game. The next inning he begged to go back in. I let him return after one more inning. Before reentering I had him walk a straight line with his eyes closed and walk a straight line backwards. I wanted to know he had his balance back before another ball came his way.

I believe the best way to deal with this and hit by pitches is don't overreact and discern hurt from injury. An injured little kid doesn't need to return to the game. A hurt kid needs to get back on the horse and ride.

Note: On the very first pitch he faced in 9/10 kid pitch he was drilled in the rear by the hardest throwing ten year old on a 30 degree wind chill evening. With his eyes welling up, he grumbled, "I'm OK" and slowly jogged to first. He was in complete recovery by the time he stoled second. The best reaction is none unless there's injury. By 13U the kids were screaming "Don't rub it" when players got dinged by grounders or pitches.

Straying a bit: Speaking of don't rub it, one of our players last year squared to bunt on a squeeze and took a fastball in the nuts. He wasn't wearing a cup. Picture a bench full of unsympathetic fifteen year olds. They were hysterical. To add insult to injury the way he attempted to jump out of the way was determined to be offering at the pitch for a strike.

I know how I felt, I can only imagine.

[LAball]

[QUOTE=AltaLomaStorm;1442045]http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/dpedroia15.jpg/QUOTE]

Thats beautiful man, Im taking it to my next 10U practice.

[Ursa Major]

Handle meaning, in the game, way too any errors, and bad throws. Practice is another story. You're not going to send out a kid to pitch if he can't pitch.But you said, "The coach was mentioning that he would like to see my son backing up the SS when the starter pitches. I don't think he should be there because of the power of a number of the kids."

Hmm, the coach says he's ready, and the kid says he's ready -- but Dad says??? Heck, go to a high school JV baseball game and you'll still see a lot of errors and bad throws.

Remember, at that age it's the good plays they'll remember, not the mess-ups. I recall that, as a 10 year old, Ursa Minor was an adequate third baseman, nothing better. But I still remember five years later like it was yesterday one play where, with a man on second, the batter hit a grounder into the hole. UM went to his left and scooped it cleanly, took a crowhop toward first while starting the runner down, glanced toward first then took another crowhop while glaring back at the runner, then firing a strike to first to nail the batter by a half step. The runner stayed on second base. That was when he knew he had it in him to be a quality infielder.

You'll have those moments. Enjoy those and shrug off the rest.

[Harley]

All kids are different. My older son was hitting well until he got nailed between the legs. He was never the same batter after that.

My younger son had a foul tip go right in his eye. We put ice on it but it swelled up anyway. Before the next game I got him a mask for the helmut, but he wouldn't use it. He still went up to bat as if nothing had happened. He's a tough guy. As a catcher he gets hurt all the time. I guess he's used to it.

[rkbenn]

But you said, "The coach was mentioning that he would like to see my son backing up the SS when the starter pitches. I don't think he should be there because of the power of a number of the kids."

Hmm, the coach says he's ready, and the kid says he's ready -- but Dad says??? Heck, go to a high school JV baseball game and you'll still see a lot of errors and bad throws.

Remember, at that age it's the good plays they'll remember, not the mess-ups. I recall that, as a 10 year old, Ursa Minor was an adequate third baseman, nothing better. But I still remember five years later like it was yesterday one play where, with a man on second, the batter hit a grounder into the hole. UM went to his left and scooped it cleanly, took a crowhop toward first while starting the runner down, glanced toward first then took another crowhop while glaring back at the runner, then firing a strike to first to nail the batter by a half step. The runner stayed on second base. That was when he knew he had it in him to be a quality infielder.

You'll have those moments. Enjoy those and shrug off the rest.

Okay, I'll but out. He does work hard and enjoys it. He sees me working my butt off in my business and he does the same. I only coach him in Basketball where he is very good, and I know where he is at because I played the game at a pretty high level. Baseball, I've read as much as a could, got the vids, and took him to camps and he's kicked butt but in baseball according to everyone around him. He does do things once in awhile that leaves me scratching my head. I don't think I'm holding him back in baseball. I know I may in football, because I don't want him to play football.

[HYP]

here's what I teach:

The above is part of five defensive GB drills we do every practice. We train the players to get their glove - fingers down - in order to provide maximum ball exposure. We do not teach flipping or sucking the ball into the chest. We leave the glove out front and track the ball setting the body up such that it is moving toward the target when we catch the ball. The larger the target the more opportunity you have to catch the ball and/or knock it down.

Below is D.P.
Because of his skill level he can get away with his glove at a more of an angle. We have found this glove angle for a youth player to be problematic.

63507

IF SOMEONE COULD RESIZE THE ABOVE I'D APPRECIATE IT.

Jake,

I couldn't resize your picture but I did want to respond to it.

Nothing wrong with what you teach.

Look at your players glove and then look at Pedroias glove. Do you notice a difference?

Pedroia has his glove closer to his left side. Your players is more in the middle of his body. His thumb on his glove hand is pointing at the ball so the glove itself is somewhat closed off to the ball.

Get in your fielding stance and put your glove hand down relaxed. As you move your hand from left to right across your body the hand naturally turns, closing the glove off to the ball.

This is why I teach to field off of the left side, still between the legs, and not in the middle of the body.

[Jake Patterson]

Jake,

I couldn't resize your picture but I did want to respond to it.

Nothing wrong with what you teach.

Look at your players glove and then look at Pedroias glove. Do you notice a difference?

Pedroia has his glove closer to his left side. Your players is more in the middle of his body. His thumb on his glove hand is pointing at the ball so the glove itself is somewhat closed off to the ball.

Get in your fielding stance and put your glove hand down relaxed. As you move your hand from left to right across your body the hand naturally turns, closing the glove off to the ball.

This is why I teach to field off of the left side, still between the legs, and not in the middle of the body.
Agree - we teach GS of middle.

[shake-n-bake]

I was going to get him back out there like nothing happened. Is there any other advice you can give a 10 year old to get him to feel comfortable out there again?

We use a 3 universal rule system that works (there's a 4th rule that pertains to football only).

1. Pain is only temporary, no matter how long it lasts.

2. Fear: That's the other guy's problem.

3. No excuses. Do the work!

4. Run through the play, not to the play.

Per these rules....nothing did happen and feeling comfortable is secondary to giving fear the finger and driving on. Not PC and I get crushed every time I post this here, but it works.

[AgentX]

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm114/cbrcanyoncrver/dpedroia15.jpg

That's what I teach to beginning players.

I make it a point to explain how the top hand is there to protect their chin from bad hops. This is also a great way to get them to use both hands.

As they get older and their skill level increases, they tend to abandon the exaggerated alligator and keep their hands closer. But they have to learn to trust their glove first.

Pedroia's glove angle is low because he is. You're not going to get that kind of low squat from younger players.

[skipper5]

I was going to get him back out there like nothing happened. Is there any other advice you can give a 10 year old to get him to feel comfortable out there again?

We use a 3 universal rule system that works (there's a 4th rule that pertains to football only).

1. Pain is only temporary, no matter how long it lasts.

2. Fear: That's the other guy's problem.

3. No excuses. Do the work!

4. Run through the play, not to the play.

Per these rules....nothing did happen and feeling comfortable is secondary to giving fear the finger and driving on. Not PC and I get crushed every time I post this here, but it works.

Back when our majors division included 10 yr olds (only the twelve best), I crossed my fingers at the beginning of the season that the 10's would get a hit before they got hit (by a 12 yo fastball).

First game of the year, one of the top 10 yo's got hit on the hand by a pitch off the fastest 12yo. He was cooked for the entire spring. Four yrs. later he made Varsity as a freshman at his large high school. He was a blue-chip athlete.

Some are tough at 10. By age 15, they're all tough.

But John Madden won't fly in airplanes. Why can't he master his fear?

[g-mac]

But John Madden won't fly in airplanes. Why can't he master his fear?

Because turkey juice has negative effects on the body at higher altitudes.

[rkbenn]

This whole experience has helped him realize the importance of technique.