How to Build Confident Hitters at the Plate
Aug 20, 2022
Youth players need to learn how to build confidence as hitter at a young age. Therefore, that confidence will build and carry into their career's next steps.
We believe that our players follow the lead of the coaches, so we need to let the players know ahead of time that the game of baseball is a game of failure. More often than not they will not be successful, but that does not mean they have not learned. As coaches, we do not get frustrated or allow parents to get frustrated when a player strikes out. We know that they are already fearful of striking out, letting down their teammates, or letting down their coaches.
Because of this, it is important to teach them that failures that will happen and to have every coach keep a positive attitude. Continue to encourage the player even after they strike out and more importantly, teach their teammates to encourage the player. Instead of having the players disappointed or upset with one another's performance, there should always be a player at the entrance to the dugout ready to pick up the player who struck out.
A rule on Coach Steve's team is that each player is allowed to be upset or mad, but there is no throwing equipment, crying, or sulking by themselves. This behavior brings down the team, but the team needs that player to help them be successful in the rest of the game. The player cannot carry their bad attitude or worries into the next inning or at bat.
We follow the "7 or the 3" rule. This determines whether you are going to focus on the 7 times you get out or the 3 times you have quality at bats. We believe it is important to focus on the 3. While it is easy to get caught up in the errors or strikeouts, focusing on the success overall makes a more confident hitter.
Because of the nature of the sport, it teaches us difficult life lessons and it is necessary for a coach to teach the players' that striking out is inevitable, and that they can be mad for a split second before they need to brush it off and get out there and play some defense.
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