Hello! This is my first year coaching. I have a group of 6u girls that are actually pretty good. For the most part we have our act together. We do have a couple girls that are disinterested in the game completely. However for the first time in a month and a half we had our worst practice ever. None of these girls wanted to pay attention. One actually got hurt from lack of attention and it just didn't go well. Can anyone offer some suggestions? I have been considering making the girls run if they choose to play in the dirt and chase butterflies around. I'm hoping that collectively the girls that are trying will encourage the girls that aren't to pay attention because they don't want to run. Our second game is tomorrow and we are not prepared.
6U and Discipline Running??
- Thread starter swayman2202
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Rather than punishing them, I would take it as constructive feedback. You aren't making softball more fun than dirt and butterflies for a couple of them. It ain't easy. They're only 6. Sounds like you're doing a great job, but the goal IMHO is to make them think that the hour they spend with you on a softball field is so fun that they will be back next season. Not sure punishment will nurture that goal.
Not a fan of discipline running at any age, at 6u I think it would be a terrible thing. At that age you have to have lots of help and each coach be working with 3 kids at a time, maybe 4. Any more and they have too much time on their hands, and they will fill in the time.
^^
"Discipline" running is for the coach, not the players. If John Wooden thought it was a bad idea, who are we to argue?
"Discipline" running is for the coach, not the players. If John Wooden thought it was a bad idea, who are we to argue?
Discipline and responsibility are important, particularly for kids, but discipline running for 6U players? I'm still trying to wrap my head around 6U organized softball.
We have 90 players in our 6U division, 10 teams, all players play the field at 45' bases, hit off the T, inning ends when all players have batted.
- Jan 25, 2011
- 2,282
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They are 6, more then half of them were still wetting their pants 2years ago. You go ahead and make them run as discipline and I bet half of them will stop and pick flowers and climb the fence and escape to the swing sets. Find another way.
6U practice was OK, like other state lots of adults to a few kids. Keep each station short, keep them interested and do not give them an opportunity to mess around. For 6U we probably had more adults at practice then players, us them.
If you have a player that just will not pay attention, give them a 5 minute timeout.
Games on the other hand, I had a hard time keeping the players engaged. Kind of got to the point of making sure the IF was paying attention and left the OF alone for the most part.
If you have a player that just will not pay attention, give them a 5 minute timeout.
Games on the other hand, I had a hard time keeping the players engaged. Kind of got to the point of making sure the IF was paying attention and left the OF alone for the most part.
The most critical goal for 6U is to introduce them to the game and have them remember it as FUN so they come back! there will be plenty of time to teach them how to turn two, how to field the ball of what foot, etc... at this point if you can hold their attention for 30 seconds and have them try to catch ball and throw to 1st and get them to swing with some resemblance of a swing you are ahead of the game! Its all about FUN...
Running as punishment doesnt work for 6U girls.. they will have horrible practices and be totally unfocused - if you make them run and punish them you will alienate a lot of the parents and kids from coming back... best approach is to change the drill or whatever you were working on to something else to keep them engaged.. be it hit the bucket, chase the leader around bases, whatever gets their attention back
Note that parents at this age tend to overshelter... our 6U games are 1 hr long on average and I had parents that would feed, shove gallons of gatorate, ice, suntan, bathroom, and constantly try to hover around the kid and complain that 2 innings was too much... half the goals of 6U is teaching the parents that their 4-6 yr old girl isnt made out of glass and they are quite the little tough ones if you let them.....
Running as punishment doesnt work for 6U girls.. they will have horrible practices and be totally unfocused - if you make them run and punish them you will alienate a lot of the parents and kids from coming back... best approach is to change the drill or whatever you were working on to something else to keep them engaged.. be it hit the bucket, chase the leader around bases, whatever gets their attention back
Note that parents at this age tend to overshelter... our 6U games are 1 hr long on average and I had parents that would feed, shove gallons of gatorate, ice, suntan, bathroom, and constantly try to hover around the kid and complain that 2 innings was too much... half the goals of 6U is teaching the parents that their 4-6 yr old girl isnt made out of glass and they are quite the little tough ones if you let them.....
- Oct 22, 2009
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I actually watched a 6u game yesterday, along with a T-ball game (boys & girls).
I saw lot's of butterfly chasing and dirt players. Interesting enough I saw most of that in the t-ball games, not so much with the girls. I'm pretty sure boys are easily more distracted than girls.
I cannot imagine coaching a 6u team!
I wouldn't think it would be advantageous to discipline a 6yr old unless they were doing something harmful, and then it would probably to sit them so they couldn't play in the dirt or chase the butterflies.
I did think though that it would be a good idea to have them take turns in the pitchers circle, it seemed the only place where there was something going on constantly and it would be good to keep them all interested.
I saw lot's of butterfly chasing and dirt players. Interesting enough I saw most of that in the t-ball games, not so much with the girls. I'm pretty sure boys are easily more distracted than girls.
I cannot imagine coaching a 6u team!
I wouldn't think it would be advantageous to discipline a 6yr old unless they were doing something harmful, and then it would probably to sit them so they couldn't play in the dirt or chase the butterflies.
I did think though that it would be a good idea to have them take turns in the pitchers circle, it seemed the only place where there was something going on constantly and it would be good to keep them all interested.
