Benefits of Youth Baseball – Confidence, Communication and Patience Gained on the Field

T-ball, baseball and softball develop confidence, hone communication skills, require patience and offer a place on the field for kids of all athletic abilities and personalities.

T-ball: A Great Starter Sport
T-ball introduces children to the many benefits that playing the sport of baseball offers. Players, who are typically 4-6 years old, learn the basic fundamentals of catching, throwing and hitting, all of which require a significant amount of hand-eye coordination. They get their heart pumping when running around the bases and sprinting to catch and field the ball.

In reality, a t-ball player catching a fly ball is a rarity and is highly celebrated. Needless to say, once a catch does happen, it’s a huge confidence booster for that child! Same goes for hitting the ball. It’s a great achievement and a skill that doesn’t come naturally to many young children. Hitting a coach-pitched ball after transitioning to “real” baseball generates even more pride because in most cases a lot of practice and courage was required to gain this new skill.

Baseball has a Position for Everyone
The transition to coach pitch baseball (or softball) is usually made around 1st grade. The main difference between baseball and t-ball is that a higher level of hand-eye coordination is required to successfully hit a pitched ball. And of course, two new positions are added because the game now includes a pitcher and a catcher. In respect to positions, baseball offers nine and each requires a different skill set. This is very advantageous because children have varying degrees of ability. Those who can more accurately judge distance are better suited for outfield. Speedier kids are perfect for short stop. Catchers are typically more outspoken leaders. There’s a place for everyone on the field!

Patience, Attention and Focus on the Field
T-ball and baseball both test the patience of its participants. Fielders must wait for a ball to be hit near their position and have to accept that they might not get a ball very often. Batters need to wait for their turn at the plate. And when hitting, they must learn to discriminate between strikes and balls, which requires patience and good judgment. Unlike soccer, baseball does not require active participation at all times, but it does require a player to stay “on their toes” or, in other words, attentive and focused.

Communication is a Must for Success
Teams with players that actively communicate during games are the most successful. In order to avoid collisions and streamline the fielding process, players must talk (sometimes yell) to one another to communicate who is going to catch or field a hit ball. “I got it,” is commonly heard. Same goes for alerting fellow teammates when an opponent is advancing to another base or stealing a base. It’s a necessity to communicate every move the other team is making in order to make the appropriate play and get an out.

Finding a League
Most community education and local athletic associations offer t-ball programs during the summer months. Little League has an extensive national network of competitive programs in both baseball and softball.

Source: http://www.activitytree.com/blog/2010/dec/7/benefits-youth-baseball-confidence-communication-a/