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Glendora American Little League

Glendora American Little League

DIAMOND LEADER TRAINING


DIAMOND LEAGUE TRAINING LINK

The Little League® Diamond Leader Program, a new initiative focused on educating volunteer coaches on their role supporting the social and emotional well-being of children, is now available for coaches everywhere to complete for the 2024 season and beyond.

Our league identifier is 4052020. It's a great resource for Little League coaches and volunteers

HELPFUL TIPS

GLENDORA AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE

TRAINING IN BASEBALL FUNDAMENTALS


GENERAL TIPS:

1.  Keep players busy, avoid standing around; keep them moving

2.  Utilize as many parents as possible to coach. Initial instruction to the parents will be required, but this investment will payoff.

3.  Keep instruction simple and ease into complexity.

4.  Error on the side of too little versus too much.

5.  Repetition is important.

6.  Stress fundamentals (catching, throwing, running and hitting)

7.  Emphasize safety (slide when in doubt, avoid collisions, properly equipped)

8.  Teach the rules of the game (infield fly rule, tagging up, appeals, intentional walks)

9.  Utilize 2 types of drills:             
     a. Stations (2 to 4 players per station); allows for individual instruction

     b. Total team participation (base running, catch, rundowns, relays)

10. Before practice or a game, verify the extent of any injuries or illnesses. Speak with the parents to ensure the player should participate. If a child refers to an injury or is ill, discontinue their participation. Seek assistance from a parent. When in doubt, withdraw the child from participation.

11. Conditioning is an intricate part of improved play and accident prevention. Proper warm-ups techniques include stretching and contracting muscles and joints prior to practice or games. Graduating running (begin with easy jog, phase into a faster pace) is encouraged. Stretch the neck, back, arms, shoulders and legs. Do not over stretch. Do not allow bouncing; this tears down the muscle. Seek a good cardio-vascular workout.


BUNTING:

1.  Bunt with your legs.

2.  Maintain the proper bat angle.

3.  Turn to bunt when the pitcher releases the ball.

4.  The biggest mistake is dropping the head of the bat.

5   Begin with soft toss (soft balls/”Whiffle Balls”); graduate to hard balls

6.  Excellent station drill; adult pitcher, batter and 2 ball retrievers who rotate bunting incorporate into batting practice


HITTING:

1. Keep instruction simple; deliver consistent instruction.

2. Every player is different and has unique styles and comforts; instruct accordingly.

3. Mental approach should focus on concentration and relaxation.

4. Physical approach should focus on utilizing the “back side strengths”; many players glide through the ball (front foot hitter)
    rather than turning on back foot.

5. Lazy hands result in the head of the bat dropping; “square back hand”.

6. Initiate with a coil and finish the swing.

7. Utilize soft toss; excellent station drill.

8. Hit where the ball is pitched.


FIELDING:

1. Emphasize proper fielding position (feet apart, legs bent, but down, back of glove hand on the ground). Catch ground balls in
    front, not down. Avoid flat footed fielding; be on toes.

2. To the extent possible, ground and fly al1s should be caught moving toward the desired throwing point.

3. Drills include repetitively hitting ground balls; bounce catch; grounder catch.

4. Pitchers need to practice fielding ground balls after a pitch is thrown; they too are infielders.


FLY BALLS:

1. Explain that a fly ball, at the top of its arc, continues forward (not straight down).

2. Most fielders take an improper angle and do not track the ball properly.

3. Run on toes; otherwise, the head bounces which will impair the vision.

4. Emphasize keeping the elbow down.

5. Repeatedly hit fly balls; make the fielders move. Most can catch the ball hit directly at them but have difficulties catching on
    the run.

6. Drills should include the triangle (le., LF/3B/SS, SS/2B/CF and 1B/2B/RF).


THROWING: 

1. Probably the single most fundamental flaw with youth.

2. Most youth “short arm” the ball and transfer their weight too soon and throw off their front foot.

3. Emphasize “staying back” and utilizing the strength of their back side legs and muscles.

4. Throw with your legs.

5. Stay on top (versus 3/4’s).

6. Emphasize 4-seam grip in all practice drills, especially warm-ups.

7. Teach infielders how to throw on the run. This allows a quicker release on slow hit ground balls.

8. During warm-ups, a coach should backup the players and provide a replacement ball when an overthrow occurs; this will save
    a significant amount of time.


CATCHING THE BALL: 
A majority of youth catch with one hand. This results risky catches but also unnecessarily prolongs the amount of time to throw. Best drill is to play soft catch bear-handed.. Immediately, the player catches with 2 hands. Drills also include 4 square, relays and rundowns.

BASE RUNNING: 

1. Avoid wide turns. This prolongs the time reach the next base.
2. Emphasize the proper contact with the base (the side nearest the next base). This point of contact allows for the best push off.

3. Utilize aggressive and timely leadoffs; teach anticipation, especially to passed balls and hit balls.

4. Most coaches do not teach or stress proper base running.

5. Many drills to keep the players attentive:
    a. Time (stop watch) base to base; record the time. Youth will run their best when they know they are being timed. Challenge
        them to bet their best time.

    b. Rabbit (split team in half; one team starts at 3rd base and the other starts at 1st base; each player circles the bases in this
        relay race).

    c. Lead off with the pitch; find a reference point of the pitched ball for leading off. Aggressive leadoffs.

    d. Tagging up on fly balls.


PITCHING: 

1. Keep instruction simple; deliver consistent instruction.

2. Every player is different and has unique styles and comforts; instruct accordingly.

3. Mental approach should focus on concentration and relaxation; loose arm.

4. Physical approach should focus on utilizing the “back Side strengths”; many pitchers glide through the ball and do not fully
    utilize their back side strength.
5. Some basic instruction:

    a. Throw down hill, not up hill.
    b. Most youth drop their anus which forces the ball up; emphasize staying on top.

    c. 4 seam and 2 seam rotation (both are effective).

    d. Finish; follow through.

6. Priorities are location, then movement, then speed.

7. Pitchers should throw batting practice, especially before the season.

8. Catchers should catch pitchers.

9. A properly thrown curveball will, not hurt the arm; an improperly thrown curveball will hurt the arm.

10. Sliders will hurt the arm.

11. Goal is to keep hitters off balance not necessarily striking them out.

12. With the catcher, teach the intentional walk.

14. Practice bunt defense with the pitcher.


CATCHING:

1. Emphasize framing the ball (stay within the square above home plate).

2. Stay low, and compact; help the umpire see the pitch.

3. Teach blocking the pitch thrown in the dirt.

4. Pop fly’s--turn back to the pitcher; the ball will come back due to its spin.

5. Practice throws to 1st, 2nd and 3rd bases.

6. Practice receiving throws from the infield (bases loaded) and outfield (and blocking the plate).

7. Practice bunt defense with the catcher.

8. Practice 1st and 3rd situations. Youth love to be part of a plan/play.

RED HAT DETAILS

GLENDORA  AMERICAN LITTLE LEAGUE - RED HAT DUTIES

 

The RED HAT is the representative of Glendora American Little League who serves as the park manager on game days and is responsible for the following:

·         To ensure the fields are prepared and umpires are present as scheduled.

·         To ensure, prior to each game, managers have inspected their respective team’s playing equipment, including catching equipment, helmets, bats and uniforms.

·         To ensure, prior to each game, managers have inspected the entire playing field to ensure it is safe and is rid of any hazardous materials, objects or deficiencies (glass, rocks, cans, holes, broken or malfunctioning equipment).

·         To ensure that non-playing premises are safe and rid of hazardous materials, objects or deficiencies.

·         To enforce and ensure compliance with the GALL ASAP Safety Plan.

·         To ensure the safety of players, coaches and guests. This includes between games, warm-ups, game time and post-game.

·         To ensure medical attention is readily sought in the event of injury or illness.

·         To enforce the off-field rules of Little League Baseball and Glendora American Little League that may be overlooked by the umpires and to assist umpires in rules interpretation and enforcement.

·         To enforce and ensure compliance with the Glendora American Little League Code of Conduct.

·         To ensure players, coaches and guests conduct themselves in an orderly and safe manner, all in the spirit of Little League Baseball.

·         The Red Hat may remove any person from the premises whose conduct warrants.

·         To observe, monitor and evaluate the conduct of players, coaches and guests and to ensure problems or confrontations are avoided before they occur. Intervene where and when appropriate. Do not watch the game as a fan; instead, manage the conduct of the game and its surroundings. Take control of the situation and resolve the problem. Be proactive yet diplomatic.

·         To report any safety, rules or conduct violations to the League’s Board of Directors.

·         To encourage trash pick-up.

·         On Saturdays, to conduct the 50/50 fund raising drawing.

·         To ensure the snack bar, equipment room and announcer’s booth are locked and secured at the end of the day. Field equipment must be safely stored, as well.

·         To ensure snack bar personnel are safely escorted from the premises at the end of the day.

·         To ensure no players are unattended at the end of the day.

·         Team equipment shall be safely stored in the dugout and not in play.

·         Only players, coaches, managers and umpires are permitted on the playing field or dugout. In the event of injury or serious illness, a child’s parent is permitted onto the field or in the dugout.

·         During practice drills, players shall be spaced to prevent being hit by errant throws or missed catches.

·         Drills and warm-ups shall be performed in the confines of the playing field, away from areas designated or used by spectators.

·         Inspect equipment before each game and practice. Return unusable equipment to the Equipment/Purchasing Director.

·         Players must use NOC SAE approved equipment.

·         Catchers must wear a catcher’s helmet, mask, throat guard, extended chest protector, shin guards and protective cup with an athletic supporter at all times for, all practices and games. When warming up a pitcher, the catcher must wear a catcher’s helmet, mask and throat guard. A catch shall use a catcher’s glove. Encourage male players to wear a protective cup and athletic supporter at all times.

·         Ensure that equipment is appropriate for the age and size of the kids. Ensure that helmets fit.

·         Except when a runner is returning to a base, headfirst slides are not permitted.

·         “Horse play” is not permitted.

·         Encourage players who wear glasses to wear safety glasses.

·         Players may not wear watches, rings, necklaces, pins, metallic objects or bracelets during practices or games. Medical alert bracelets are permitted but must be tape in place.

·         Unless for special dietary purposes, food is not permitted on the practice/playing field or in the dugout. This includes gum, candy and sunflower seeds. Bottled water, etc. is not only permitted but is encouraged for hydration purposes.

·         Adults may not warm up pitchers before or during a game.

·           On-deck batters are not permitted; they must remain in the dugout until their turn to bat.

·         Shoes with metal spikes or cleats are not permitted. Shoes with molded cleats are permitted.

·          Coaches/managers may never leave a child unattended after any practice or game.

·         Children must be properly supervised in the concession stand.

·         Smoking, drugs and alcohol are not permitted on any practice or game premise.

·         No medication will be taken or administered to a child unless directly by the child’s parent or licensed EMT/physician/nurse in an emergency. This includes aspirin or any other pain relief medicine.


·         No playing in parking lots or near machinery/equipment.

·         No throwing rocks; no climbing fences/dugout roofs; no running in the bleachers.

·         No pets are permitted on the premises except seeing-eye dogs.

·         All gates shall remain closed.

·         Open wounds shall be treated and bandaged immediately.

 

 

Important Do’s and Don’ts for Red Hat:
Do’s:

·         Reassure and aid children who are injured.

·         Provide or obtain medical attention to those who require it.

·         Know your limitations.

·         Report safety concerns or violations to the Safety Director.

Don’ts:

·         Administer medication.

·         Provide any food or beverages (except water).

·         Be afraid to request help.

·         Transport injured individuals except in extreme emergencies.

·         Leave a child unattended after practice or a game.

 

 

USE COMMON SENSE AND RESPECT YOUR PLAYERS AND THEIR SAFETY



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