Coaching Demonstrations that didn't quite work...

[sluggers]

So, I was coaching a rec league. My AC had, shall we say, a "robust" spare tire. We were teaching sliding, and he decided to demonstrate a head first slide...

He ran as best he could toward the bag, jumped, and stretched out his hands, landed flat on his stomach, and stopped...it was like someone doing a belly-flop on dry land. His outstretched hand was probably 2 feet from the bag.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

^ I made certain that I had a 12u girl there to demonstrate for me. (No spare tire, but I could break a hip.)

 

[RetiredCoach]

So, I was coaching a rec league. My AC had, shall we say, a "robust" spare tire. We were teaching sliding, and he decided to demonstrate a head first slide...

He ran as best he could toward the bag, jumped, and stretched out his hands, landed flat on his stomach, and stopped...it was like someone doing a belly-flop on dry land. His outstretched hand was probably 2 feet from the bag.

As a coach, I often like to perform demonstrations knowing that I may totally humiliate myself. My last demo went OK though. I was trying to get a catcher to stop taking three steps before throwing to second base. After much trying the catcher said that there's no way to get anything on the ball without taking steps. So, I decided to show her. Outside of being about three feet too high, I threw a perfect strike down to second. I said, "See, that's how it's done". And walked away before anyone dared me to try it again.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Retired Coach, at my last lesson we were working on pitching and keeping the ball low. I had a volleyball sitting on a low tee. The 8 yo student was throwing the ball everywhere, but at the target. I said "here." I took one pitch and knocked it completely off the tee. Now, I could not have done that one time out of 100, and I certainly didn't try it again.

 

[Dabears17]

My last 8u rec practice I got out the sliding mat and used marshmallows for batting practice. Girls had a blast and said it was the funnest practice all season.

 

[guero_gordo]

A friend of the family, (who showed up to every practice in baseball pants that hadn't really fit in decades), shredded his shoulder demonstrating the hook slide to his team of 8yo's.

 

[PA SB Dad]

he decided to demonstrate a head first slide...

Ray, what are your thoughts on head-first slides in softball in the younger age levels? I've avoided teaching it because I'm concerned that they will catch their facemask in the dirt and wrench their neck.

 

[coach james]

I teach all levels to head first into third or home. On third, you as a 3b coach can tell them which side of the bag to slide in to depending on where the ball is coming from. And when coming into home head first, I want them as small as possible by sliding into the back side and only touching the plate with her left hand.
I use the phrase "landing an airplane" as fast and as low as possible.

 

[Cowdogz]

shredded his shoulder demonstrating the hook slide

Seriously, I have to hear the rest of the story.

 

[eddieq]

When I was coaching some local rec teams (8U and 10U), my mantra for getting the throws in was always, "Hit her in the chest". Every time they would toss it short, high or wide, I'd say, "Hit her in the chest. She's got a glove and she'll catch it." That seemed to help them out a great deal.

Now, during a game, I was on the sidelines with the book in my hand, ball fouled off and I bent down, picked it up and tossed it to the pitcher. Short. It rolled past her and to the first baseman. Almost to a girl, I heard, "Hit her in the chest coach!" It was almost like they had planned it for the next time I made a bad throw.

If nothing else, it proved to me that they were listening.