And if that doesn’t strike you as odd, remember: We live in Norway. Kids’ baseball teams aren’t exactly thick on the ground here.
So, as the Resident American, I get to explain to flodjunior what the game is all about. “Well, first of all, there’s batting. You know when you play slåball in gym class at school, and the bat is wide and flat? Well, it’s not like that in baseball. The bat’s round. Also, the pitcher is on the other team and doesn’t want you to hit the ball. So, yeah, come to think of it, just forget about slåball, okay?.. Oh, hell, I only played pick-up games with the neighborhood kids now and then. Cross your fingers and hope your coach is better at explaining this than me!”
As a coach, allow me to make this recommendation: teach him to throw properly and develop his arm. It’s the single most important tool any player can possess, with hitting a distant second.
I second summerbreeze’s suggestion that you snap up some literature. Education is never a waste, especially in a cerebral game like baseball.
This may be somewhat prejudiced, but:
I wonder if the norwegian people aren’t a bit too reserved to go and yell at each other and be overbearing, yelling at the umpire and coach the way a proper little league parent should.
But seriously, have fun, teach the kids to have fun and to love the game.
Oh, Dread Pirate Jimbo & I have it goin’ on. Arm is everything. My dad played AAA for a Cardinals’ farm team & taught me everything I know. They didn’t let girls play Little League when I was growing up – 'cause they were scared of my arm!
My youngest son is 19 & says, “Jeez, Mom, can you ease up a little?”
One more tiny piece of advice: Teach your kid to catch with two hands, even if it means playing catch 10-15 feet apart without a glove for long periods of time. The difference between one-handed fielders and two-handed fielders defensively is the difference between shooting a bullet and throwing it. And it’s so easy to develop that habit at a young age.
summerbreeze: Yay, you! In pitching practices I’ve had to be catcher for some of our better kids (they’re 15-19 years old – not really kids) and they’re bringing it in the mid-to-high-80s, so I’m used to seeing the high heat. So I’ll play catch with you if your son won’t.
You didn’t say how old, but before you teach him throwing (or batting for that matter) he has to learn to not fear the ball. I still can’t get my 5 year old from turning her head away everytime I throw the ball to her and it’s chest high or above.
Once a kid stops fearing getting beaned in the nose, anything, including lacrosse, is possible.
I just pictured a bunch of well-meaning parents at baseball practice pegging their little kids with hardballs in order to develop the kids’ skills more quickly. Is it wrong that that made me laugh (they weren’t hitting them that hard)?
