If given the opportunity what would you do to change how kids play baseball?
Youth baseball is losing participants at a rapid rate. According to the 2006 National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) participation study for all sports, youth baseball lost over 22% of their participants between the ages of 7 to 11 from 1997 to 2006. There is no wonder kids are less interested in baseball, given the fact that baseball practices are still conducted the same way our grandparents learned and experienced the game. The world’s changed and so has the way kids are attracted to sports. Today’s baseball practices involve so much standing around and waiting, it makes the Department of Motor Vehicles seem like an enjoyable experience.
Due to the fact that we are so use to the traditional way baseball has been played, dating back over the past 100 years, it’s not easy to imagine kids playing the game differently. However, baseball today has it’s challenges due to the slow pace of games and the amount of time spent standing around or sitting on the bench waiting for something to happen. With so many fast paced options available to kids through interactive games and other sports that offer continuous play, it’s no wonder baseball has experienced a fall-off in participation. Is our national pastime becoming outdated? Or can we, with a little creativity attract more kids and reduce overall attrition in participation.
Since I am sick and tired of hearing about how baseball is losing touch with America’s youth I decided to develop an alternative that actually works and makes sense for kids. This is exactly what I did for youth football when I worked at the NFL as the senior director of youth football development. I reintroduced the way kids practice and play football through a program called Junior Player Development. What were the results? The same NSGA participation study reports that football has increased in overall participation by over 44% between 1997 and 2006.
Try this concept as a contemporary approach to teaching and attracting kids back into what once was America’s pastime.
Traditional baseball play involves one pitcher, catcher and batter engaged in the game while 7 other defensive players stand and wait for the play to come to them, while as many as 26 additional players representing both teams sit and watch from their assigned dugouts. So let’s put this into perspective, you have as many as 36 kids interested in playing the game yet as many as 33 spend a good amount of time watching. This becomes a larger issue when the players are younger and their ability to pitch and hit are limited.
So let’s take a look at a different way of playing that will increase everyone’s repetitions on the field, at bat, and running the bases.
Let’s assume for the moment that each team has approximately 16 players on the roster. On defense place one player at each position that rotate between positions every 2 batters, select 4 pitchers that will rotate in every 3 batters, take the additional 4 players and rotate onto the field every 3 batters. Each pitcher throws a total of 36 pitches, 18 pitches to two different batters consecutively, and then another three pitchers throw 18 pitches each consecutively to two different batters, before repeating the rotation one additional time.
The defense must also react and make live plays from each batter and assigned base runners placed randomly (by a coach) throughout their defense turn on the field. Each pitch requires the defense to react to the base runner situation and the number of outs (all base runner and out situations are pre-determined and announced a by a coach prior to each pitch). Different points are assigned for specific defensive play executions on the field;
Infield & Outfield Executions
1 point for a successfully fielded ground ball
1 point for a successful put out
1 point for hitting the cut-off man
2 points for a successful assist from the outfield
5 points for a successful double play
5 points for an attempted stolen base put out
Pitchers
1 point for every strike &/or ball put in play
Minus 1 point for every ball
On offense 8 players are assigned to bat a total of 3 times by continuously rotating in for six consecutive pitches every 7 batters for a total of 18 live game situation pitches. While waiting their turn to bat, the six players hit waffle balls (regulation & golf size) from behind the backstop for additional hand/eye coordination at bats, while one awaits their turn in an on deck circle. Different points are assigned for every at bat;
1 point for a ball outside the strike zone
1 point for a foul ball
2 points for a fielded ground ball
2 points for pop fly in the infield or outfield
5 points for a ground ball through the infield
10 points for a line drive into the outfield
20 points for a homerun
The remaining 8 players on offense are engaged as base runners, reacting to different situations (stealing bases, tagging up, taking cues from a first and third base coach, working on sliding techniques) as their teammates bat. Different points are assigned for the following executions;
1 point for successfully tagging up
2 points for a successful steal
After the first 8 players rotate through batting 3 times for a total of facing 18 pitches, teams switch to defense, followed by the team returning to offense where the next group of 8 players receives the opportunity to bat.
This concept allows each team to accomplish the following:
- Tracking and recording individual as well as team points to measure overall improvement over the course of the season.
- Every player receives equal playing time and more repetitions than they would in a traditional game situation.
- Games focus on learning and improving upon fundamental skills rather than final scores, league standings, MVP awards, etc.
Please look for other alternative ways to play, learn, and compete in other sports over the course of the next several weeks.