Posted by: Tom Waz (sluggoking@msn.com) on Wed Apr 21 08:20:59 2004

>>> My 10 year old son just played his very first scrimmage this year. He played minors last year and did well. He's been to the batting cages 3 times in the past two weeks and he has a batting devise in the basement (which he uses often).
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> Today, his first day as a major, he struck out each time at bat. :( For any of you who have been there and know what he's feeling (he wants to quit) do you have any words of encouragement that I could pass on to him?
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> Clearly he is down. I feel that baseball is as much a MENTAL game as it is physical. I want to help him with his confidence.
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> Wishing he was having fun. <<<
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> Hi Mom
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> Your son is not alone. There are many young players who have the same experience. Not getting enough swings at live pitching is the major problem. Swings taken at a pitching machine is not enough. A hitter just can’t get his game timing with balls that just seem to jump at them from the machines. They must see the full pitching motion in order to match the timing and rhythm of their swing to that of the incoming ball.
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> At least once a week I would have a young team spend the entire practice (about 2 hours) playing “work-up.” I never used this time to coach them. I wanted them to get as many swings with as many different arms as possible. And they all had the chance play the different positions in the field. These kids couldn’t wait to get to the plate. They had fun and I was able to take good notes for the next practice. -- I moved some players around from what I saw them doing more naturally.
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> Mom, when I was working, my wife would take our boys to the park and throw to them.
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> Jack Mankin
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I'm a Major coach and can attest the adjustment from Minors to Majors can (and is) very difficult for most players (especially hitting). I draft my 10 year olds based on basic skills, baseball instints and attitute (never performance). The difference in our league from minors to majors pitching is night and day. If your son is working hard and showing improvement in practice just keep smiling. I've had more than one 10 year minor "star" go the whole season without a single clean hit go on to tear up the field as an eleven year old. Talk to other parents on the team, if they're confident the coach can work with your son fine. If not, get outside help. I almost ALWAYS make my new players go to a smaller bat until they get their first clean hit. It makes them, and their parents furious, but it shortens the learning curve. - Tom Waz