Baseball Coaches Clinic
for
Reading Little League Baseball
Presented by:
Pete Moscariello
Scott Farris
Reading High School Baseball Coaches, Retired
Co-Owners, Personal Best Mental Training
Thank You
Dan Robinson
&
Reading Little League
for approving-organizingrecruiting-copying -inviting us
Personal Best Co-Owners
Pete Moscariello
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Head Baseball Coach at Reading HS for 35 years
560-208 career record; .730 winning pct.
14 league championships; 1 state championship
8 times Middlesex League Coach of the Year
2 times Boston Globe Division II Coach of the Year
Inducted Mass. Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
Inducted Reading Memorial High School Athletics Hall of Fame
2011 Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association Baseball Coach of the Year
2012 Mass. Baseball Coaches Association President’s Award
Scott Farris
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Owner of 4 successful businesses
Assistant Baseball Coach Reading High School 20 years
2010 National BCA District I Assistant Coach of the Year
2009 Mass. Baseball Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year
1992 Mass. HS Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year
One of area’s most sought-after instructor in hitting-pitching-mental toughness
Tonight’s Objective
• To help Reading Little League players
learn, improve, and have a successful
and enjoyable baseball experience.
• We will do this by teaching coaches key
baseball coaching skills & strategies that
you can apply this spring and beyond.
Last Year – did Skills and Drills first.
This year, reverse it.
Tonight’s Agenda
I.
Why do you coach?
II.
What you need to coach effectively
III.
Player-Coach & Parent-Coach Relationships
IV.
What you do is Important and Why
V.
Practice Organization
VI.
Skills and Drills
VII.
Personal Best Mental Toughness Program
Reading Little League Baseball Coach
I. Why do you coach?
What are your goals
and objectives?
Let’s discuss
II. What you need to coach
effectively
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Equipment
Assistant Coaches
Field Space
Practice Plan – will show you later
Knowledge of the game
Knowledge of working with kids
(and most of all - the “Why do you coach” reasons)
What you Need
Equipment: Load up the SUV !
baseballs, tennis balls, wiffle balls, bats, bases,
L-screen, helmets, catcher’s gear, home plates,
bases, cones
Personnel :
Assistant Coaches !
Field Space :
full diamond, outfield space, section of field;
become master of using small spaces effectively!
More Needs
• Knowledge of the game
 from tonight’s class
from books, DVDS, online, own experiences
• Knowledge of working with kids
• trust your instincts
• treat each player the way you’d want your
own son/daughter treated
III. Relationships
Coach – Player
• Expectations for effort, behavior
• Encouragement & positivity
• Feedback – be clear on what they
are doing correctly and on what
they need to improve.
•Feedback Sandwich
•Catch them doing something right
•Frequent, clear, honest, positive,
communication is key
Players don’t care what you know
until they know that you care.
III. Relationships
Coach – Parent
• Be honest, calm, positive in all discussions.
• Pre-season meeting and/or email about your rules, policies,
expectations.
• Then regular communication (emails, texts to parents)
throughout season can prevent issues.
• “We are all interested in Billy having a positive experience;
we can talk about how to work together to make that
happen.”
• Bottom line – if parent wants to have input, tell him/her to
grab a fungo bat and a clipboard and come to practice!
III. Relationships
Coach – Coach
• Constant communication!
• Must be on same page regarding goals – long and
short term
• Clear delineation of duties and responsibilities at
practices and games.
• Encourage input and ideas from all coaches
• Make it clear – Head Coach makes final decision in
all matters
• Off-field time together is important
IV. What you do is Important
• Winning vs. Development
• Spending Time vs. Investing in Kids
• You are a model – behavior, sportsmanship,
character
• Mr. Messenger – Reading Youth Baseball 1965
• What kids remember
• How will you be remembered? What impact
do you want to have on your players? WP
IV. What you do is Important
We believe that coaching
baseball brings us great
satisfaction knowing that
we have made positive and
permanent impact in our
players’ lives.
video
V. Practice Organization
Absolutes:
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Start and End on time
Set goals for each practice
Have a plan – specific, timed
Utilize space and coaching personnel
Keep players engaged
Insist on effort & energy (and model it)
Less Talk, More Action (minimize down time)
Communication and Feedback
Practice Plan should include:
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Warm-up
Throwing
Individual defensive skill work: P, C, INF, OF
Team Defense
Hitting & Bunting
Baserunning
Team Offense
Competition & Fun
Conditioning
Mental Training
Sample Practice Plan
Link
Handout
after page
17
VI. Skills and Drills
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Dynamic Warm-Up
Throwing
Catching the thrown ball
Fielding Ground Balls
Fielding Fly Balls
Hitting
Bunting
Baserunning
Pitching & Catching– will not discuss
tonight, but handouts pages 2-10
Warm-Up
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Dynamic Warm-Up
Why dynamic and not static?
When, how, what to do
Exercises
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Throwing
Warm body first
30 feet – 60 feet – 90 feet
Proper grip and mechanics each throw
Move to catch ball – 2 hands
Handout
page 1
Throwing Mechanics
• Most important defensive skill!
• All players must be strong throwers
• Mechanics
• Drills (see next page)
• Throw every day
Throwing Drills
•1 knee
•2 knees
•Cocking position
•10 toes
•Walking Figure 8
•Follow Through
•Hop, Hop, Throw
•Goal Post
•Long Toss
Positional Throwing
•INF: backhand, forehand, slow rollers, DP feeds
•OF: self-toss, ground balls, gap
•C: throws to bases, bunts, BID and recover
•P: bunts, change up, hit the hat
Catching the Thrown Ball
•Mechanics
•Drills
 Coach toss – high, low, FH, BH
 Wall catch
 Partner catch
Fielding Ground Balls Infielders
Types of Ground Balls:
• Straight on
• Glove Side
• V-Cut
• Backhand
• Slow Rollers
Infielder Mechanics
Ground Balls Drills
1.Start in fielding position – Straight – Dry
2.Start in fielding position - Straight – Roll Ball – no glove, with glove
3.Start ready position– Straight – Roll Ball – no glove, with glove
Repeat 1, 2,3 – Start in forehand, backhand position
Coach/partner throw GB – S, L, R - no throws / with throws
Little Gloves
Cones – for angle and for V-cut
Short Hop Drill
Dive Drill – from knees
Fungo – S, L, R - no throws / with throws
Slow Rollers – no throws / with throws
In position (SS, 3B, etc.): roll or fungo GB, throw to 1, 2, 3, 4
4 Corner GB Drill
Situational ground balls – runners on 1, 2, 3, 1&2, loaded, etc.
Video Oregon State
Fielding Ground Balls Outfielders
• Outfielder Mechanics
• Drills
 do all INF drills – train Outfielders like Infielders
Then:
 Roll GB to OF: nobody on base, runner on 1st, runner 2nd
 Fungo GB – one hop throws
 OF in position – situational GB with throws , no runners
 OF in position – situational GB with throws , with live runners
Balls in the gap
Balls near the fence
Double Plays - feeds & pivots
3rd baseman feeds
shortstop feeds
2nd baseman feeds
1st baseman feeds
pitcher feeds
pivots : SS, 2nd baseman
Double Play Drills
• Coach roll ground balls – work on feeds only
• Coach feed – work on pivots only
• Coach feed – work on pivots and throws
• Coach roll ground balls – work on feeds,
pivots, throws
• Coach fungo – with full infield
“Okay, three more. Just like
I’ve done a million times.”
Our obligation as coaches is to prepare our
players for what will occur in baseball
games. We do this by teaching skills and
strategies and having them do them many,
many times.
That way, they will play with confidence,
knowing they have performed the skill in
practice “a million times”.
Infield Positioning
• Back (regular)
• In
• Half-Way
• 2 up the middle
• Strategies
Tag Plays
• Positioning
• Footwork
• Glovework
• Drills
Fielding Fly Balls
Types of Fly Balls
• At outfielder
• Glove side
• Throwing hand side
• Back
• In
Outfielder Mechanics
Fielding Fly Balls - Drills
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Self-toss
Partner (coach) toss
OF Drill series
Frisbee
In position – coach toss / FB priority
Fungo – no throws / with throws
Fungo – at, left, right, in, back
2-line communication
Fence drill
Team Defense Drills
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Bunt Defense
1st & 3rd defense
Steal Defense
Cutoffs and Relays: no runners and live runners
Purdue Hustle Drill
Rundowns
2b/SS – double plays, 1b/3b/C – bunts
UMaine team defense drill
21 outs
1-2-3-4
Fly Ball / Pop Up communication drill
3 groups: P-C-1b, P-SS-2b, P-3b-C
Fungo Scrimmage; Overhand Toss Scrimmage
Rotation Game
Fun Competitions
Hitting
Mechanics
Drills
 Dry
 Soft toss
 Overhand Toss
 Machine
 Live BP – coach pitch
Coaching hitters /// Using Video
Handout
page 11-14
Hitting Drills
Feet wide
Step drill
Head down
Split grip
One-handed
Reverse angle
Opposite field
High ball
Low ball
Miss, hit, hit
Warm up, hit
Pull drill
LF, RF
Stride board
Offset I, II
1-2-3-4
tuck load
back leg V
follow through
skip a rock
2 tees
close front eye
velocity toss
bounce drill
on back toe
drop drill
bat parallel
tap drill
Handout
page 15-17
Team Hitting Drills
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Runner on 3b, 1 out
Runner on 2b, 2 outs
2-inning scrimmage
Score a run, stay up
R on 1; bunt him up, move him over, get
him in
• Overhand toss scrimmage: fly ball = 3 outs
Examples of Effectived BP
(Overhand Toss)
1) 4 wide, 4 opposite
2) 1-hoppers through infield (6)
2) 3 Bunts, 3 Bombs
Or
1) Miss, hit, hit (6)
2) LF, RF (6)
3) Game Winners (3)
Bunting
“I could go down to the bowling alley and find
ten guys who can bunt.” – John Doherty
Mechanics
Drills
• One line bunters – coach toss
• 4 bases – for location
• Cones and targets
• Include bunting in every BP round
Strategy
Baserunning
• Home to 1st
• Home to 2nd
• 1 to 3 , 2 to 4
• Aggressive baserunning
• Sliding – bent leg, hook, head first ?
Baserunning
• “starting position, when to “lead”
• Stealing
Situations to teach
R on 1, R on 2, R on 3, R 1&2, R 1&3, R 2&3, BL
Teach each situation separately
Drills: React, Fungo Scrimmage,
OT Scrimmage, Stealing, Reading BID
Competitive Drills &
Team Building
Hitting Games
Football Pass
Box Tag
Rock, paper, scissors
Bunting Competition
Head and Shoulders Throwing
Long Toss – Hit the Hat
Snickers Play of the Day
Team Pushups
Throwing relay races
Cone Ball
Baseball Obstacle Course
Thank you
We wish you great
success
If we can help in any
way, please give us
a call
Has presented over 200 workshops and sessions on
Mental Toughness and Peak Performance to:
College & HS Teams: baseball, softball, volleyball, basketball,
gymnastics, soccer, wrestling, hockey
Parents-Coaches-Professionals-Students: workshops and
courses on mental toughness, leadership, coaching
MIAA – Gillette Stadium
BCA Convention - Raleigh, NC
Baseball Bash Convention – Richmond, VA
Dave Gallagher Baseball - Trenton, NJ
“Personal Best had a profound impact on my sales career at EMC.
The messaging and techniques that Personal Best teaches are
exactly what I needed to better my performance as an EMC Sales
Rep. In my opinion, the entire EMC community would benefit from
the strategies that Personal Best promotes.”
-- Jim Murphy, Director of Sales Strategy, Data Protection & Availability Division, EMC
Corp; Reading HS and Northeastern University Hall of Famer. Former professional
football player
“Coach Farris and Coach Moscariello have greatly influenced my
attitude, mental toughness, and ultimately my success as a high
school, college, and professional baseball player. I would highly
recommend Personal Best to athletes at any level.”
--Steve Langone, Head Major League Scout, Boston Red Sox; Reading HS and
Boston College Hall of Famer. Former professional baseball player.
We will teach you
Mental Toughness Skills:
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Present Moment Focus
Positive Mindset
Positive Self-Talk
Confidence
Focus on the Process, not the Outcome
Visualization
Performance Routines
Goal-Setting
Leadership & Team Building
Response to Adversity
That will enable you to be more:
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Confident
Focused and Present
Positive
Relaxed
Intense
Competitive
Able to Respond to Adversity
Productive
. . . In school, at work, in performance, at home
Personal Best Handouts
In packet pages 18-24