Words of Advice from Baseball Parents

Parents and coaches shared information they wish they had before their kids started baseball.

Understand pitching rules

USA Baseball provides guidelines surrounding how often players can pitch within certain periods of time to avoid overuse injuries. It’s important to understand these regulations to maintain the health of your player.

Buy the right bat

When it comes to regulations, it’s important to understand bat rules. Some leagues maintain strict restrictions for the weight and diameter of bats, which can affect the equipment-purchasing process.

Don’t buy the first equipment you find

Sometimes it takes practicing with a few different brands of bats, gloves, or helmets to find the right fit. Don’t commit to expensive equipment right away without testing it out first.

It takes more practice than you might expect

Baseball is a complex sport that takes kids a while to learn—remind your child not to get upset when they aren’t the best player on the field right off the bat. Learning and developing skills takes time, and no fundamental is trivial.

Transitioning to bigger fields has an impact

When your child moves up through the age groups, the fields get bigger – the base paths and pitching distances both increase. It can take some time to get used to these changes, but that doesn’t mean your child’s skills are lacking.

Be a fan, not a coach

As a parent, it’s important to cheer on and support your child without coaching them – this can lead to confusion if your suggestions and opinions are different than those of their coach.

It’s all about the experience

The only things that matter are building kids’ confidence and teaching them to enjoy the game. It’s not about winning or losing, but about how much fun your child has along the way, the friends they make, and the memories they gain from being a part of a team.