Softball IQ....

[imsportsidaho]

There was a team locally that won 3 state championships because they were the smartest team, not the best athletes. However, over time their skills have caught up to their game IQ. Your coach is on the right track IMO.

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[JAD]

I know a lot of people who post here are involved with high-level suburban travel ball where private coaches are the norm, but what you suggest just isn't possible for many (probably most) kids whose families simply can't afford private instructors. They rely on the coaches of the teams they play on to teach them the sport, and in many cases, coaches have to put up with the occasional mental gaffe because the alternative is a group of kids who really know the game but don't actually know how to throw, field, or hit.

Parents, friends, neighbors, and others can help develop a players softball IQ. A game of stickball in the neighborhood can help and is a great way for someone to learn different positions with no pressure to perform. Most paid instructors focus on mechanics (pitching/hitting), so I would guess lessons are 80/20 mechanics/IQ.

If nothing else, just watch the World Series and listen to the commentators, or better yet, watch the game with someone who has a high baseball IQ and ask questions during the game. I love talking with my DD about pitch selection while watching a baseball or softball games. Game 5 of the World Series was great because the commentators discussed expanding the strike zone on certain batters, and using set up pitches for strike outs.

 

[FP26]

Parents, friends, neighbors, and others can help develop a players softball IQ. A game of stickball in the neighborhood can help and is a great way for someone to learn different positions with no pressure to perform. Most paid instructors focus on mechanics (pitching/hitting), so I would guess lessons are 80/20 mechanics/IQ.

If nothing else, just watch the World Series and listen to the commentators, or better yet, watch the game with someone who has a high baseball IQ and ask questions during the game. I love talking with my DD about pitch selection while watching a baseball or softball games. Game 5 of the World Series was great because the commentators discussed expanding the strike zone on certain batters, and using set up pitches for strike outs.

I have coached rec, travel, and high school softball (in addition to soccer and basketball) and have had various different roles with each team. Anything from scorekeeper through head coach.
*As a scorekeeper I always communicate to the players on the bench throughout the entire game. I would ask them questions about situations, and ask for their thoughts on various strategic items. I would often ask those players to do jobs for me. One may do the book. One or two others may be focused on stealing the other team's signs.
*As a pitch caller at the younger levels I would often have another pitcher or catcher sit next to me. I would call pitches and explain what I am calling and why. Then I would call the pitches and ask them to relay the signals. Then I would ask them to call the pitches on their own.
*As a head or assistant coach, I always speak to players between innings. Do you think you could have taken an extra base in that situation? What base were you supposed to cover or backup? Etc.
*I also talk to pitchers and catchers throughout the entire game. What pitches are working or not working? What hitter's do we need to be careful with? What can we exploit? How is the umpire calling the zone? Can we expand it? Etc.

I do not claim to be an expert in any of this stuff, but I have a certain amount of knowledge and feel a responsibility as a coach to share that with my players. In my opinion that is just part of coaching.

 

[imsportsidaho]

I commend you for taking the opportunities to have pitchers and catchers sitting next to you and learning. I have a strong opinion about coaches calling pitches without ever teaching catchers how to call their own game. When attending an OnDeck tryout, Derek Allister asked if my daughter could call her own game. Fortunately, her coach was like you and spent time with her teaching her the pitching strategies. I know this is a lot that you have done, but there are so many unique situations that require quick, reactionary decisions, that I believe one could play situations for hours with their teams that will go much further than spending all that time hitting and fielding without much time on the multitude of neuralogical strategies to win ball games, especially at the 10-12U ages. Grateful to have coaches like you out there.

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[Greenmonsters]

Why do coaches teach the physical more than the mental during the early development years?

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Because it's just as easy to have fun and teach them sound mechanics as it is poor mechanics when they are FIRST learning when 5-10 or so yrs old.

 

[imsportsidaho]

I agree with you for those ages. But not at 10-12U I refered to in my post. I remember having fun with both my son and daughter at those ages in my indoor facility whenbwe were the only ones there. Enjoy those days they go by quick.

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[Greenmonsters]

I agree with you for those ages. But not at 10-12U I refered to in my post. I remember having fun with both my son and daughter at those ages in my indoor facility whenbwe were the only ones there. Enjoy those days they go by quick.

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And if you teach them right first starting out, then you don't have to spend twice or more the time breaking ingrained bad habits/poor mechanics, which .........drum roll.......allows you to time to teach the finer points of the game and refine their physical mechanics