Coaching Pitching: 3 Tips For Coaching Youth Baseball Pitchers

Tom House has said that the most important role of a baseball coach at any level is to simply make each player want to play baseball next season. Let's build on this idea. Here are three pitching coaching tips for parents and coaches of youth baseball pitchers:

1. Make sure your pitchers are having fun. Seriously. It needs to be enjoyable.

2. Make sure your pitchers are prepared. If they are fatigued they are at-risk of getting injured. If they lack experience they may resist the mound for the rest of their careers because of one miserable outing. Plenty of rest and adequate practice can make all the difference in a young pitcher.

3. Make sure your pitchers are given the freedom to fail. Every pitcher, even the very best of pitchers, will fail. It is part of the game and the reality of it needs to be recognized. Having unrealistic expectations for a perfect inning, outing or season puts unnecessary pressure on a pitcher and can take the enjoyment out of competing.