USSSA Baseball Coaching Advice

[DirtyDog]

Moving to 9U with kid pitching and base stealing this year so I'm looking for some advice from those who have coached or kids have played.

1. Since kids are limited to 3 innings in order to pitch the next day or 6 innings in a single day, how many pitchers do you typically prep for a tournament where you have 2 pool play games and a first elimination game on a Saturday. My initial thought is that we'll have to have 5-6 ready to go in order to play a tournament. Just looking for some thoughts on this as I really only have 3 pitchers game ready.

2. I've reviewed the USSSA rules, and there is very little about base stealing. I know that some groups use modified rules since 9U is the first year they can steal. Can they lead off? How far? When can they go, after the ball is released or after it crosses the plate? Can a runner at third go home on a wild pitch or passed ball? I've seen rules both ways online.

3. What's the philosophy on holding runners on at 9U? It seems like a lot to ask the pitcher to do when he's just learning how to pitch. Do you just have him focus on the batter and concede the stolen bases?

4. How complicated are the signs you use at this age? Just curious.

I'm sure we'll learn a lot from our first tournament, but I'm curious as to what other teams do. Anyways, I like using SixPack as a sounding board, and I appreciate any advice that you can give.

 

[wrk]

Moving to 9U with kid pitching and base stealing this year so I'm looking for some advice from those who have coached or kids have played.

1. Since kids are limited to 3 innings in order to pitch the next day or 6 innings in a single day, how many pitchers do you typically prep for a tournament where you have 2 pool play games and a first elimination game on a Saturday. My initial thought is that we'll have to have 5-6 ready to go in order to play a tournament. Just looking for some thoughts on this as I really only have 3 pitchers game ready.

2. I've reviewed the USSSA rules, and there is very little about base stealing. I know that some groups use modified rules since 9U is the first year they can steal. Can they lead off? How far? When can they go, after the ball is released or after it crosses the plate? Can a runner at third go home on a wild pitch or passed ball? I've seen rules both ways online.

3. What's the philosophy on holding runners on at 9U? It seems like a lot to ask the pitcher to do when he's just learning how to pitch. Do you just have him focus on the batter and concede the stolen bases?

4. How complicated are the signs you use at this age? Just curious.

I'm sure we'll learn a lot from our first tournament, but I'm curious as to what other teams do. Anyways, I like using SixPack as a sounding board, and I appreciate any advice that you can give.

1. The level of baseball (AA, AAA and Major) are big factors on all the questions you asked. I am assuming you will be playing AA, since it's your first tournament. As far as pitching goes, if you can throw strikes you will beat a lot of 9 yr old teams. If you have 5-6 pitchers that are consistent, you will be ok. You can throw 3 innings and still pitch the next day. You can throw 6 innings max per day, and you can throw 8 innings in a tournament.
2. Base stealing is the same at this level as the majors. Leading off, pick off, balk, ect.. That being said, some umps are lenient on balks at the 9yr old lower levels.
3. All depends on how experienced your pitcher is. If you have a guy up there that's never pitched and struggling to throw strikes, holding someone on is the least of your worries. Just make sure they have a decent pick off move and know to cover home on a passed ball. All this can be worked on as the season goes on.
4. At this age, signs are pretty basic. You don't have to worry about anyone stealing signs until you get a little higher and catchers can actually throw you out and pitchers can hit their spots. Basic steal, bunt is about all you need starting off.
I'm far from an expert on this, but feel free to message me if you have any more questions.

 

[ihateolemiss]

AA, AAA, or Major division?

We have played alot with my two (16 and 13 yo now) You will need more than 3 pitchers. Ideally, 7-8 of your 10-11 players can throw some, but you can get by with 5 or 6. First tournament of the year, I liked to go all out to win at least one pool game just ot get a win under our belt. After that, we would throw our top guys an inning or two in pool play and try to save them for bracket games. My ideal situation was to have my best pitcher throw in the semifinal game because once you are in the championship most everybody is low on pitching. That said, you don't want to get eliminated in the first bracket game and have you two best guys go home with most of their innings. The biggest thing at 9 is to be able to throw strikes (and change speeds if you are in the upper divisions)

Its been a couple of years since my youngest played 9U so the rules may have changed, but when both mine played it was real baseball rules (runners can lead off,steal at any time, dropped 3rd strike the batter must be tagged or thrown out, etc)

Pitchers need to go from stretch and hold the runner, but usually a runner on first ended up on third in two pitches in the lower divisions.

Signs don't need to be complicated. We used an indicator followed by a sign that was easy to remember (like Belt = Bunt, shirt=steal). Any other signs not immediately after the indicator were nothing. I've always thought it is an unwritten rule that you don't steal signs in youth baseball, but I have seen some coaches do it, mostly on pitch calling.

Be prepared that some coaches will go overboard. There are alot of bush league type things you can do at that age that some will do to win, and the guy that you really like/respect may be a total a-hole when you face his team in a tournament.

It can be difficult being competitive and not seem like a fanatic. One of the biggest responsibilities is my opinion is taking care of the kids arms and making sure sportsmanship and respect for coached/umpires is upheld. It sounds cliche, but the kids really do need to have fun so they will continue to play.

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

not all leagues and not all tournaments allow stealing for 9U. The American Sports Medicine Institute recommends a pitch count of 50 for 9U. per game and one game per day. Don't ruin a kids arm to win a 9U game. Kids shouldn't pitch and then catch or vice versa in the same game.

Copied from their site:

1. No overhead throwing of any kind for at least 2-3 months per year (4 months is preferred). No competitive baseball pitching for at least 4 months per year.
2. Do not pitch more than 100 innings in games in any calendar year.
3. 21-35 pitches = 1 day rest
   36-50 pitches = 2 days rest
   51-65 pitches = 3 days rest

Err on the side of caution. There is a reason that the number of arm and shoulder surgeries have gone through the roof at the same time as the explosion in young kids select teams.

 

[DirtyDog]

Thanks guys, keep it coming. We are an AA team about to play our first tournament of the year to get our feet wet. We have been working with all the players on pitching, but only 3 can consistently throw strikes. We figure on using the first tournament to learn, but it would be nice to be competitive with teams that have already played a few tournaments. Our team has played tournament ball for two years, but this is our first foray into kid pitch, and we have several new players without much experience. Thanks for the strategy info too. I would want to save some of my best pitching for the first elimination game to make sure we get through that round and don't leave our best pitchers with innings on the table. We are throwing the 4-seam and 2-seam, and I have one pitcher that can change speeds and still throw strikes.

 

[wrk]

My son has played in several States in the Southeast and I never saw a USSSA tournament where stealing/leading off was any different than regular baseball. I do realize that some other organizations are different (little league, dixie youth, ect), but to my knowledge all USSSA rules are the same.

 

[uptowndawg]

Are ya'll playing the Chalmette tourney this weekend?

nt

 

[DirtyDog]

No, March Mayhem in Flowood next weekend.

 

[shoeless joe]

Never coached a USSSA game but umpired hundreds of games for their tourneys around Jackson while in college. So my advice may be a little different:

this is not life or death. It got to where I hated calling games based solely on the attitude of the coaches. The kids were great 99% of the time but an unrealistic coach can ruin it for everyone including their own team.

Once you get to the elimination games do whatever you have to pitcher wise to win; meaning don't hold anyone back thinking you will need them in champ game. Reason for this is that, unless someone is stacked on the mound, there won't be much pitching left. Champ games were regularly into double digits for both teams.

Have realistic expectations of everything dealing with the tourney and your team. It is always more fun to win but sometimes that's not realistic.

Put pressure on the other team. Steal, take the extra base, bunt, etc. at that level teams will make mistakes. Playing safe will cost you runs. This is even more important if facing a dominant pitcher. Get the kid off the mound and make him field bunts and make plays. At that age one error can frustrate a kid and all of a sudden they go from shuttin you down to can't throw a strike.

Good luck and remember travel ball can be a great thing to help kids improve quickly but it can also ruin a kid and make them lose love for this great game.

 

[BobSacamano]

Avoid playing in LA or the coast is my advice. in LA, they wait until Sunday to play the bracket games. That always bugged me. And on the coast, it seems like they always put the Jackson area teams playing early which means going down on Friday night. Just my $.02 advice.

 

[CEO2044]

For me, this guy knows what he's talking about. This was the article he published today.

http://propitching33.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/pitch-count-guidelines.pdf- from same article.

Granted, this is a friend of mine, but he's excellent. He's helped put a few in the majors, dozens in pro ball, and was a pretty successful JUCO coach for several years. I think he'd be happy to answer questions like these because as he says, a lot of damage is done in the youth leagues, even by well-meaning coaches. He takes his experience and combines it with what medical professionals say, and frankly, he just makes sense as far as what I know as a PT student.

 

[Bowlboundawg]

Dirty dog I sent you a PM

Nm

 

[MagnoliaHunter]

The original post didn't say rec or select. At 9 my son was playing rec at Brandon. They didn't allow stealing. The all-star tourneys they went to that year, some did, some didn't allow stealing. It was really confusing to everyone. This was all USSSA.

 

[XBLDawg]

Moving to 9U with kid pitching and base stealing this year so I'm looking for some advice from those who have coached or kids have played.

1. Since kids are limited to 3 innings in order to pitch the next day or 6 innings in a single day, how many pitchers do you typically prep for a tournament where you have 2 pool play games and a first elimination game on a Saturday. My initial thought is that we'll have to have 5-6 ready to go in order to play a tournament. Just looking for some thoughts on this as I really only have 3 pitchers game ready.

2. I've reviewed the USSSA rules, and there is very little about base stealing. I know that some groups use modified rules since 9U is the first year they can steal. Can they lead off? How far? When can they go, after the ball is released or after it crosses the plate? Can a runner at third go home on a wild pitch or passed ball? I've seen rules both ways online.

3. What's the philosophy on holding runners on at 9U? It seems like a lot to ask the pitcher to do when he's just learning how to pitch. Do you just have him focus on the batter and concede the stolen bases?

4. How complicated are the signs you use at this age? Just curious.

I'm sure we'll learn a lot from our first tournament, but I'm curious as to what other teams do. Anyways, I like using SixPack as a sounding board, and I appreciate any advice that you can give.

At this early stage, don't think much of the innings as much as pitch count. At 9U AA, with the hour and fifteentime limit or whatever it is, most of the time you'll be lucky to get 2-3 innings in per game anyway. You are going to see lots of walks on both sides so don't stress out about it. 14-13 games will be the norm for a while.

My son's first team consisted of mainly his 8 yo all star team moving up and they held their own for that first year. Keep the pitch counts around 40 early on and just work your way through it. If your team is solid defensively, that'll help. Minimize the errors so when the ball is put into play, you aren't compounding the problem with the walks.

At this age unless a team just has a stud catcher, a runner on first WILL be on second and most likely third. Not much you can do about wild pitches if they happen, but if you have a solid catcher to minimize the passed balls it helps.

AA ball regardless of age, can be ugly ball. But there's not much you can do at 9, they have to start somewhere. Most likely, it will turn out a lot better than you are expecting. The kids pick it up pretty quickly.

 

[ihateolemiss]

Yes, time will get you before innings. Most championships are not timed though. You play the full 6 innings unless mercy rules come into play.

 

[rabiddawg]

At NWRAA?

 

[ihateolemiss]

A couple of other things that I thought of:
1. Make sure you pick players based on the hotness of their mom and not playing ability. You may go 0-3 every weekend, but you will thank me after the year end pool party.
2. Make sure you play your kid at short stop and bat him at lead off, even if he is the worst player on the team. Other parents/players will love that you have confidence in your boy and the team will be that much stronger.
3. Don’t be afraid to come to games or practice a little tipsy or even all out drunk. A few drinks can take the edge off and help you make the right decisions on the field.
4. Make sure you argue with umpires ALOT, especially balls and strikes. This will ensure that they respect you and they will always give you the ‘next’ call. It also lets the players know that you are a good coach.
5. Remember that there wouldn’t be a team without you, so make sure everything revolves around you. For example, if you tell everyone to show up an hour before the game, feel free to show up late. You’re the coach after all.
6. While coaching, wear flip flops and a shirt (sleeves optional) that is a totally different color from your team. Maybe even wear your hat backwards (fish hook on the bill is also optional). This lets the other team know that you are really good/cool. They will be intimidated.
7. Give A LOT of very specific instructions to players WHILE are batting or pitching during the game. Nothing helps a player pitch better than hearing BALANCE, STRIDE LONG, ELBOW UP, HEAD STILL, etc while he is trying to throw a strike so he doesn't walk in the winning run. Plus this lets everyone know that you know your stuff.
8. Don’t be afraid to really embarrass a kid for making an error or striking out. What were they thinking anyway? They should fear you. This will help them in the long run.
9. Make sure you do all you can to “get in the head” of opposing players. Yelling BALK!! while an opposing pitcher is starting his pitch is a good one. Also, if the #10 guy is batting, make sure you announce that he is the bottom of the order really loudly to your team so he will remember that he is not supposed to get a hit.
10. Always run up the score if you can. Posting big numbers will improve your stock as a coach. Bunting and stealing bases with a big lead is good too.
11. Teach you kids to “take out” opposing players whenever they can. They do it in the big leagues, why not 9YO? It will instill toughness in your players and little Johnny on the other team will be more careful next time (after his broken ankle heals)

 

[Desoto]

Teach good fundamentals. Most common prob is stepping towards the plate to hit the outside pitch. Don't teach that.

 

[DirtyDog]

Coach34?

 

[Amadden0408]

Look up Kent Murphy on YouTube.

You're welcome.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5Ob2bf8Hfc

 

[goodknight]

Depends but 5-6 could work. You need to be more concerned with pitch counts than innings at this age. Saw too many kids throwing the 6 innings in a weekend but throwing 90-110 pitches. Don't teach or call for curves at 9. Be more concerned with teaching your pitchers to throw strikes at this age and hitting spots with the fastball. Based on all the games we've played and seen I'd think you'll find that having 8-9 works best. At practice give every kid time on the mound whether you think they can pitch or not, you just may be surprised. It's not all about speed, placement is a killer. My son played U-Trip from age 9-15 starting in AAA and moving to Majors at 11U based on his teams records and who they beat. At 15 they started playing all over the southeast. If you continue to play as your son gets older you ought to at least make one trip to Atlanta which is the mecca of baseball in the Southeast.

Don't be preoccupied with stealing when starting out. Have your kids take a look and step off to hold the runner. Been on both ends with stealing and a couple of bad throws to first can rattle your entire team at this age. We played a team that all they did was bunt and steal for 6 innings. Our team realized after the 2nd inning they could get the outs if we played good fundamental ball. Be more concerned with mechanics and teaching them how to play baseball the right way. Last comment, at age 9 they are still kids and will make mistakes, the game should still be FUN for them!