Seven Aspects of Successful Youth Coaching

The Beginning Hitting Series

Baseball and Fastpitch Softball

 

In this blog article, Building Rome Series offers seven important concepts for successful youth coaching.

Click the link to view our video version of Seven Aspects of Successful Youth Coaching (please like our video and subscribe to our YouTube channel – thank you!).

 

Youth Coaching Concept 1 – “Gamify” at All Ages

 

“Gamifying” creates an element of fun. Moreover, youth players will look forward to the challenge of practice. Click on our Team Games Blog for ideas.

Teach kids in a manner incorporating games and challenges. And, be sure to keep the pure instruction period short.

Coaches and parents, use your imagination to turn any skill practice into a competition!

The competition can be with themselves, trying to beat their own record, or between teammates.

 

Youth Coaching Concept 2 – Utilize Step by Step Goals

 

The reason kids often drop out of sports is not necessarily one of motivation or talent. Rather, in the execution of their learning.

Crucially, goals should be ordered step by step, without overloading, and comprise a logical, functional training plan.

 

Youth Coaching Concept 3 – Develop a Sense of Ownership

 

Ask the youth athlete to understand the why of every fundamental they are taught.

Try to encourage the habit of ownership during both practice and games. This requires young athletes to develop the habit of observing and coaching themselves.

Not surprisingly, taking ownership will be a new idea for many kids. They are used to coaches telling them exactly what to do and when.

But, significantly, when youth athletes take ownership, quick improvement is promoted. Confidence grows dramatically.

 

Youth Coaching Concept 4 – Accurately Identify High-Level Fundamentals, Techniques, and Strategies

 

To become a great player, the first task is to figure out what expert performers do that makes them so good.

We have analyzed, in precise detail, hundreds of slow-motion videos of college and professional players. The often intricate, interrelated, and varying movement patterns have been broken down, frame by frame to determine what, truly, is critical for maximizing performance (click the link for details about our new series of hitting books containing over 100 fundamentals and techniques and over 140 functional drills).

 

Youth Coaching Concept 5 – Establish Intent for Productive Concepts

 

Fundamental concepts must drive the athlete’s intention in practice and performance. As scientists continue to uncover, the mind and body have an amazing ability to adapt and accomplish the desired goal.

For example, Building Rome Series defines a core group of 45 hitting fundamentals (click the link for a step-by-step list of fundamentals that can be used to make your training plan for the upcoming season) that nearly all expert performers execute. Furthermore, to a large degree, this is what makes them so good.

As pertains to these 45 universal hitting fundamentals, all hitters should do it the one absolute way to reach their potential.

It may take some time, but intent rules!

 

Youth Coaching Concept 6 – Techniques and Styles Customized to the Individual Player

As with all types of abilities, there are many styles and techniques which lie outside core fundamentals. In sports, rarely do two successful athletes look exactly alike. This is true even though both athletes are fundamentally sound.

The real “art” of coaching is to know when to let things be (style). When to experiment with a change (techniques). And when to insist on a change (fundamentals).

For example, apart from the 45 core hitting fundamentals, additional techniques must be developed. Moreover, these intricate techniques should be a good match for the abilities of the specific hitter.

For sure, a technique that works for one hitter can be ineffective for another.

Building Rome Series provides 57 hitting techniques (click the link for a step-by-step list of techniques that can be used to make your training plan for the upcoming season) that should be customized. Each technique should be fit to the player based on the type of hitter and degree of athleticism. Not all hitters execute these techniques the same way, nor should they.

 

Youth Coaching Concept 7 – Utilize Revolutionary Learning Methods

 

Modern science has a lot to teach us about how athletes can most efficiently and effectively reach a high-level of abilities.

Building Rome Series emphasizes how to get the most out of practice. Training methods are backed by the science of motor learning, brain function, and sports psychology.

 

 

Building Rome Series Blog: The Beginning Hitting Series

Here are the 12 videos and articles contained in The Beginning Hitting Series:

Introduction to the Beginning Hitting Series

Seven Steps to Successful Youth Coaching

Best Bats Ages 9 and Under

Top 5 Priorities for the Beginning Hitter

Choose a Bat in 5 Steps

Improving Vision of the Beginning Hitter

Improving Hand-Eye Coordination

Position in the Batters Box

How to Overcome Fear of Being Hit

How to Improve Plate Discipline

Check Swing to Increase Productivity

Develop an Aggressive Batting Swing

Click the link for our entire Beginning Hitting Series on Youtube

 

Building Rome Series Books: Building the High-Level Swing Series

Click Building the High-Level Swing Series to learn more about our new series of hitting books containing a detailed and comprehensive description of 100 hitting fundamentals and 140 step-by-step drills that efficiently construct the batting swing from the ground up.

In the Building Rome Series of books, the construction of skills are in functional order, providing a “roadmap” to becoming a great hitter.

All baseball and fastpitch softball players can “climb the Roman Coliseum steps” to become a powerful and productive hitter.

Enjoy the quest!