Posted by: rql () on Mon Apr 27 17:18:26 2009

> My 4-year old is playing baseball for the first time. He started out really well, better than what we expected. He said he loved to bat but hated the glove thing. We discussed that you had to do both to play baseball. He had a wonderful first game and got on everytime. The next 2 practices and next game, he screamed and cried about batting. We did not make him bat at practice and had to take an out at the game. I dont know what changed from one week to the next. All that he says is he doesnt want to get out and he doesnt know how to bat. We know that he knows how but how do we get his confindence back up so he start playing ball before the next game or do we just let him quit. He says he want to quit at the time of batting but later say no he wants to play. What do I do?

it sounds like your league is pretty high pressure with using outs and making an out for a 4 yo being nervous,is this his 1st year of being able to play.MY son is 4yo and 1 of the youngest in the league,they only do tball but we are starting to pitch to them from up close the last at bat,we do not count outs and we do not keep score because eack child is safe and moves up each base with each hitter so each child hits each inning,we play 3 innings in about an hour.The goal is just to get them use to hitting ,running to 1st then where to run next and to catch it and throw to 1st,the next level is coach pitch where things begin to count.I can remember my 1st year of playing ball I was 8 then when you could start at 8,anyways I was so scared to lose I was a mess,we were 27 and 1 and I got hit in the eye that game and missed most of it so I never knew what it was like to lose.It was so bad I almost did not play the next year,my father was lost with what to do,my mom and sister talked me into it at the last minute.So slack off on all the pressure this should be fun times for parents and kids with no pressure at 4