Coach Pitch (Baseball)

Hi,

My son, Justin had his very first 'coach pitch' baseball practices/game through our YMCA community this summer. They get practices once a week and every Saturday is game day. He is on a team of 5-6 yrs old. I am need if anyone else has experienced what I am dealing with as I cried my eyes out. It has been horrible to watch my son playing on any base, outer field, and even waiting for his turn to bat.

I can see a huge different with basketball, soccer, and swim lessons that he does pay attention well in these areas. I think he just like to run around and not stand waiting for a fly ball to come but then again he does not pay attention at all. I meant, his coaches get onto him most of the time than any boys on his team. Thus, I did told the coach that he has been in 'At Risk' program for 2 years for social skills. I don't want him to be any different than any boys. For example, today he was put on first base there was a fly ball, guess what? He just stood there and doesn't do anything and was not even really paying attention. That how HARD it was for me to watch....even when he was waiting for his turn to bat, guess what he was doing? He was lining up the bats in order and counting. He never once turn around or watch his team playing baseball. I know from what I have seen other boys do horse around but my son does a lot of wandering/his mind on other places when a ball coming down passing him. When his team runs past him he would sort of wake up and go after too but it would be too late. He says he like baseball even wanted to play but in my heart tells me he only 'pleasing us especially Daddy'. The sad part is that Daddy never really practices a lot with him on a daily basis. When he come from work I would have dinner ready and then I tell him to go out and practice with Justin. My husband would say I just got home and want to relax lame excuse there so many husbands out there go out of their way just to be w/their kids! My husband like to play tag every night who's turn to put them to bed and etc. That is just another whole story but won't go there!

Thus, the teacher at school tells me he is doing fine with social skills, talks at school and his friends. On the other hands, I know kids act differently from home life to school. I am so uncertain how to get him to improve his 'communication skills' at home just because we are a deaf parents. His twin sister is doing fine, talk way too much, speak up, tells about her day, remember past/present conversation. With all of that he is NOTHING near to what his sister does at home with communications. I don't know if it because he doesn't talk because knowing I can't always understand him from time to time. I can see his frustration as well as mine too.

I babysit full-time during the school year. I have seen Luc would tell Justin what to do, no matter what Justin would do it knowing from right to wrong but still does it. I had a talk with Justin that he cannot allow let other kids tell him what to do like pulling pants down and etc. This is exactly why I am afraid of Kindergarten this Fall not a full-time school yet.

Why can't my boy be the boy to talk, speak up for himself, and go ask other boys to play at playground, and etc. He always on his own at playground, birthday parties, and etc.

*Note, he was in EI from 18 months to 3 yrs old age out, put in 'At Risk' program for 2 years and onto Kindergarten this Fall going on 6. We had speech therapy come to the house each week for 1 hour to help him w/speech. When we got the reports from 'At Risk' Program he is so far advanced in reading & math, plus he can write sentences w/spelling as well. One of the things he has been doing is always organizing everything from shoes, markers, crayons, color papers, and he is very sensitive when he falls and get hurt. He cries and ask for bandage even the smallest cut.

Do you think he is not ready for baseball yet? My husband is going to disagree with me but he does get frustrated and keep telling Justin to pay attention on the field! Sorry, I am all over the place! Help!

 

I think this is perfectly normal behavior for a 5-6 year old playing baseball. Where we live, he would actually be in t-ball with maybe coach pitch towards the end of the "season". Coach pitch doesn't start until age 7+. It is all instructional and this type of behavior is pretty common. Some kids are way more into it than others. Are the coaches encouraging or is it more of a negative approach?

 

In our town 5-6 is T-ball. They play in the dirt, wander around, miss all the balls hit their way, and many can barely throw to first base. Coach pitch starts at age 7 or going into 2nd grade.

In our T-ball, unless you're playing first, pitcher position, or catcher (you get to set the ball on the tee), there's no much action. There's lots of time to find other things to do (play in the dirt) or look at (anything that catches your eye.)

So especially if your son is on the younger side of the age group, I don't see anything odd about his behavior. I don't think all kids would be ready for coach pitch at 5 or 6.

 

Hi,

My son will be 6 in September (end of the month). We did signed him for t-ball last year through our park district for 4-5 yrs old, he was the oldest at age 5. The schools out here is be 5 by Sept 1st. At the time, they just do a lot of hitting, low down catch balls, and run to base to home run. This year it was the first time to sign up through the YMCA. Their sign up was t-ball 4-5 or coach pitch 5-6 yrs old. Thus many of his friends were signed up for coach pitch (5-6 yrs). He has many friends signed up for this one but only 1 were on the same team as him.

I had picture in my head that they had maybe 2 games and all practices because the Y did not really know what because many parents are volunteers through YMCA and do not know 'their schedule' yet with practices. When I first got the email saying they have games is every week on Saturdays. I was like oh okay, but with the way I have seen him in action just make me 'cringe'. I had wonder if I sign him up the wrong 'baseball' should have started off t-ball to continue the practices/attention span. I finally got a chance to speak to a close friend of mine who has been coaching/volunteers for her kids'sports. She says what I am seeing is normal for 1-2 boys like that on every team. The coach is not yelling at him but its a repeated of 'Pay Attention" watch the balls, go over there, come here (call his name a few times) this is when Justin get into his own world.

I have to say it can be hard to watch him from sideline. I cried yesterday just because I don't know if he ready for all of this yet can be overwhelming for him. When I look at him in the eyes sometimes I wish he would open himself/express himself as well. It would have been easier so I wouldn't put him through all of that but he does like baseball as he tell me.

In the meantime, I was thinking of signing him through i9Sports (its every where, check your local) for Flag Football this Fall. With this one he can actually run around like playing tags while I can have my twin daughter sign up for Cheerleader for her brother. I just have to request it. I'm just unsure but will send an email if we can go watch it somewhere and then let Justin be the one to decide if he want to play or not?

 

Maybe baseball just isn't his thing. Why push it? Especially since he's involved with other great physical activities (basketball, soccer, and swimming) and doing well at those, so it's not like he's not getting any exercise or socialization or team experience. This is a great age to try things out and then let them drop if they're just not working out.

 

My 7 year old is in t-ball. There is no way that he is ready for pitch baseball. Follow his cues.. at that age a lot of the kids just stand around not knowing what to do. Working with him at home may help.

 

I tried telling that to my husband! On a flip side, my daughter is the one want to do sports. She does play well all around from soccer. From the time she was born was not into dolls, strollers, or any of the girly stuff. To this date, she still into 'Pet Shop' is the only toy she really plays with......Barbie is just once in a while when she is in the mood for it. Therefore, my husband need to let it go that our boy is probably not going to do well with sports that my husband dream of his son to play. He need to let it go and accept for who our children IS not how we want them to turn out the way we thought they would be. That why it break my heart that Justin seem not into it when he is out there or could it be that he just not ready for that yet? I find that impossible because at this age they usually would be a bit motivation to play but he doesn't grasp that unlike many of his friends. The practice/games will be over very soon! And from there we will just have to see if he really want to play next Spring (not going to sign him up for Summer) because it takes away our other things to do.

 

just to add that our son is actually 'geeky' nothing wrong with that.....just don't think he would do well with football or baseball. He is very tall and lean and like to learn a lot with all of the workbooks we have around the house. He has been reading his book every night "The Diary of Whimy Kid' edition. I predict he may get into math club too. And be with 'gift' friends/buddies because he actually a lot smarter than we even knew. My husband is going to just learn how to accept that and allow our daughter to be the sportsmanship in our family.

I say, swim lessons, basketball, soccer. I recently signed them up for Vacation Bible School (VBS) but they are both finished with it. He was up at front stage just singing along like I never see him smile so much make me happy that he love it. So, I'm thinking there is a good possibly he like to do something related to 'drama/stage'.

 

We went from t-ball at 6 to coach pitch at 7 and the transition was rough. My son gets bored easy and baseball is a BORING sport. I think there are two parts to this problem. First, the kid. You need to just talk to him and give him some tips on how to make it better then don't expect 100% cooperation because that is not normal for this age. Second, the coaches need to have realistic expectations AND offer the appropriate level of instruction. This is the first year since he's started coach pitch where I think the coaches actually offered enough instruction to keep my son and kids his age engaged. During practices, rather than have scrimmages (boring), they split the kids into small groups and did drills. They then ended with a short game to go over positions and the thinking part of the game. My son matured a lot over the last year and even though we were in your shoes where he showed no interest in the game, keeping at it has showed us that he does have interest, he just also needs the support.

 

His attentions span sounds right on for that age. He really is too young to give up or have your DH "accept" he wont be anything. He is young. He may not be a sports phenom but most kids are not. If you still have developmental concerns tall to his doctor but, at six my guys were in t ball. At 8 they played machine pitch and then t if necessary. The attention spans are better but they are 2 years older.

 

We will try it again next Spring 2013 only if he want to play 'Coach Pitch' with our Y. And if he says, No, my darling husband is going to have to accept that from him. We'll see, thanks for all of the comments you left for me. It was quite an eye opening to see how other boys play and not easy to have a child who doesn't have attention span yet.

Good luck with the school year 2012-2013!
Diana