365 Days to Better Baseball - Creating Fun Baseball On & Off Field

Saturday Secrets to Great Baseball Coaching Catching the Fun of Baseball

Everyone seems to agree, or least say, that baseball should be fun. Understandably, many youth coaches do not have experience at coaching, so making the game fun may be difficult. A key element of fun, and one that is often overlooked, is showing youth you care to help them by simply teaching them.It bears repeating, the best way of making baseball fun is to teach the game to every player and not to just go through the motions or teach only a few players.

There are a few tried and true "guaranteed fun" activities that all baseball coaches can do to help in the fun department, as well as helping to create team bonding.

Fun On-Field Team Activities

1. Phantom Infield Practice Infield practice with no ball, players perform actions as if there were
2. Home run Trot Contest Players alternate giving their best home run trot as other players and coaches judge
3. Fake Pick Off Plays Pretend to throw ball for pick off, players act as if ball was thrown to try and fool runner
4. Kids Design a Practice Kids decide what they will work on that practice but cannot just play game.
5. Hitting games, bunting games choose sides and reward players for good hits and bunts

Fun Off-Field Team Activities

1. Stump the Coach Trivia players ask coaches baseball related trivia questions
2. Autograph Day Players bring pictures of self to sign for each other and fans
3. Charity Day Team goes out and helps a predetermined cause
4. Fantasy League players have a simple fantasy league team among selves