10U Hitter in Slump - Not swinging the bat - HELP

[redhotcoach]

IMO bribing is stupid.....A young girl is not swinging the bat, why? because she is scared of looking dumb, and doesn't think she can hit the ball. You bribe her to swing at everything, still with no confidence, she swings and every timid unconfident girl swings late, misses everything and knows she swung at bad pitches.....so do this enough and that fixes the problem?

No strike zone is good advice, I give it every game, if you can reach the ball, hit it.

I fall back on the batting cages. I do it every week with at least a couple girls. They come out after hitting 100 balls thinking that they can hit anything. never once do I say anything to them about the cages being easier or different.
Mechanics are important, but I see terrible swings connecting with the ball all the time. Those of us that actually play the game know that whats going on in your head determines if you hit the ball or not, and it is very tough to fool yourself into confidence.

 

[stephanie]

IMO bribing is stupid.....A young girl is not swinging the bat, why? because she is scared of looking dumb, and doesn't think she can hit the ball./QUOTE]

yeah, well...at least I just gave her the motivation to at least TRY! AND...the bribe wasn't to swing the bat. It was to get a hit. And it worked. Just like this one: "If you practice hard and get really good, and give up every weekend of your early teenage years to play travel ball and compete in tournaments, you're gonna get a scholarship to play at a college one day!" Yes, we know who we are...

My point is that I just found their carrot, for their age, for this week. And you, too, can find it here:
Silly Bandz, Animal Rubber Bands
Or at Walgreen's...they had A LOT of packets today! (new shipment)

 

[redhotcoach]

Sorry Stephanie, I actually didn't even read your first post. I think you are rewarding for getting a hit, I wouldn't consider that bribing, but a reward. I think rewarding is fine, though I think a good hit is reward enough. Though.....IN MY OPINION I don't know how it helps a hitter who doesn't have confidence in their own ability, but that is my opinion.
I guess my mode of operation is to try to build their confidence in the most efficient way with the small amount of time I have with them.