hitting or defense?

[panthercoach]

Just wanted a good friendly debate. Coaching 8u again this year, which do you think is most important hitting or defense?

 

[PA SB Dad]

8U in our rec league is coach pitch. The coaches ability to HIT THE BAT WITH THE PITCH is the single most important skill on the field.

 

[marriard]

At 8U? Assuming this is coach pitch then getting 3 OUTS is much bigger than hitting. Give me fielders all day long. Even weak hitters can get on base with those annoying dribbling hits but if you convert a couple of those into outs and you are going to compete. Coach Pitchers WANT you to hit the ball.

Once you get out of coach pitch - and the pitcher DOESN'T WANT you to hit the ball, I really like hitting (especially if you have solid pitching and catchers or are facing the same). You generally have some decent fielding at this stage anyway. The older they get, the more I like hitting (or the ability to get on base anyway you can). My teams are generally free swingers - you see something you want to hit you go hit it.

 

[shockcoach]

One of my favorite quotes from a baseball coach.

"If you hold the other team to zero runs, you have a pretty good chance of winning!"

 

[dadof3girls]

DD played on a 8 U team that went 52 and 2 in the fall while looking for good teams in 4 states to play. In 8U its about making the routine outs (nothing special) and the entire line up hitting the ball well, with a few hitting it hard.

Sorry let me be clear Hitting hard.

 

[Momo'sDad]

Teach them to hit and how to run the bases. Young players learn to love the game by hitting and scoring. Outstanding defense is for the parents.

I also believe in not allowing the opposing teams to score.

 

[Momo'sDad]

Teach them to hit and how to run the bases. Young players learn to love the game by hitting and scoring. Outstanding defense is for the parents.

I also believe in not allowing the opposing teams to score.

 

[Ade's Dad]

Just wanted a good friendly debate. Coaching 8u again this year, which do you think is most important hitting or defense?

Both are important.When my DD played 8U we spent much more time learning how to hit and how to run.First year of rec ball they won all but two games I think. The next year I think the closest game was 12 runs.So after that rec season we took them on the road a played a few travel tours. They did get beat a few times but only by teams that out hit them.So I would say that at 8U,hitting may be more important.

 

[crystlemc]

At 8u, if you can get them to not scream and run when the ball is hit to them, you are WAY ahead of the game.

 

[SBdad]

Just wanted a good friendly debate. Coaching 8u again this year, which do you think is most important hitting or defense?

I don't think one is more important than the other.
Don't know this for sure, but willing to bet that kids work more on hitting than on defense when at home, so it might pay to work on defense a little more at practice....just a thought!