Coaching techniques change. “We didn’t used to do it that way” will get you ignored. Thus, it’s best to keep your mouth shut when you’re the really old baseball coach!
When my wife and I were in our mid-40’s we brought a toddler into our family. At the time, only one of our other kids was at home. She was within a few years of being out of high school.
So, basically we were starting all over again when we were close to being empty-nesters. What were we thinking?!
And, to answer the obvious question first, Yes we got lots of comments about being grandparents when we were really parents.
Relocation and Athletics
We moved from Ohio to Georgia due to a job change within two years after the addition to our family. Not only did he start elementary school, but he started recreation league baseball soon after the move.
The county in Georgia where we lived had a very active rec league. Our youngest played baseball from age six up through junior high school.
He also played rec league football for two years. His team, the Bulldogs, won the championship game in flag football that first year he played. Early in that football season he had stitches below his eye since they didn’t wear helmets or pads for flag football. He came back from that injury to complete the season.
After the games, the team moms provided flavored drinks and snacks for the football team members. The drinks were, at times, in a small plastic container that looked like a miniature Coca Cola bottle. You should be able to guess what the six-year old guys did with the drinks! Yes, it was disgusting!
Football aside, mostly he played baseball. I assisted the coaches almost every year that he played. As such, I was the really old baseball coach! I missed a few games, but for most of his games I was in the dugout with him until he was in junior high school.
All the other baseball dads were about the same age as our two older children. But not me!
Life With a Really Old Baseball Coach
Besides the regular team practices and games, we practiced together quite a bit. We would go to the ballpark off hours. There, I would pitch to him in the batting cages. Then, we went on the field to practice catching grounders and fly balls.
One good thing about being in the park off hours is you found a sizeable number of baseballs that had been abandoned or lost. Over the years, we built up a large collection of baseballs. That bucket of 50+ baseballs eventually went to one of our grandkids.
Pitching battling practice in an enclosed cage isn’t a problem when working with a six or seven year old. However, when they are ten or eleven the ball comes off that metal bat really fast!
Worse yet, it’s tough for an old guy to get out of the way of line drives!
He played nearly every position on the field except first base. He often pitched and also was a catcher. The pitching required time during our one-on-one practice sessions for him to work from the mound.
For that pitching practice, he had the world’s oldest catcher!
Old Geezer Hitting Instruction
I started pitching to him when he was about four years old. As expected, we began with a plastic bat and ball. He caught on to hitting rather quickly.
Fortunately, his eye-hand coordination was much better than his coach!
Truly, we teach what we know. As such, I taught him to hit the way I remember hitting when I was younger. Which was?
Well, legs are spaced about shoulder width. The hitter takes a small step forward and toward the plate with the front foot. Keep your back foot firmly planted. Push off with the back leg. Keep your head, hence your eyes, down to best see the ball. Hands should be about chin level, pushed back as you begin to step toward the plate. As you step, open your hips. Focus on a short, compact swing. The bat should be the last thing to move so you have the maximum amount of time to decide if the pitch is worth a swing. Emphasize making contact so you can put the ball in play. If the pitch is away from you, take the ball to the opposite field. Hit line drives and hard ground balls. That’s a classic, contact hitting style.
Based on what I’m seeing from the current generation of hitters at my grandson’s games, how I taught our youngest to hit is completely out of date!
Now, hitting stances are much more open. Foot-in-the-bucket, or an open stance is much more common. Some of the 13-14 year old hitters are raising their front foot off the ground, thus are off balance as they approach the ball. Hands are held high, well above eye level. Almost nobody chokes up on the bat. Ever! Everything is about elevation for hitting long fly balls. Pull everything, regardless of pitch placement. And bunting? What’s that?
It drives me crazy!
I get it that professionals bat like that. Unfortunately, rec league and travel ball coaches are copying that technique. I don’t understand why younger teenagers apparently are not taught fundamentals such as bat control, consistently making contact, and hitting for average rather than for the long ball.
What’s the Ultimate Value?
In the end, what’s gained from a father and son spending lots of hours together practicing baseball? Well, it can be quite a bit, or the value can be negligible.
One thing of value that I found was the opportunity for teaching. Not just raw skills, but life lessons. For example, if you fail – try differently. Remember what you were taught. Try again. One bad game isn’t every game.
Coaching your own child is also a chance to offer praise and encouragement to them when they do something they are proud of.
Moreover, for better or worse, you get to see the results of your coaching. To some extent, your child’s ability to compete as an athlete is a reflection of the quality of the one-on-one instruction you provided to them in that particular sport.
Obviously, your parenting is much more than coaching youth league baseball. Why? Because their baseball career is only a fraction of that child’s lifetime. It’s better, I believe, to have an impact as a parent on on the major time block of that child’s life. That is, his or her adult life.
Remember, the child you raise when you are a parent may, in turn, become a parent and raise your grandchildren!
Worse yet, your grandchild may have a hitting stance you really don’t like but cannot say anything about!
Some Takeaways
People in their mid-40’s need lots of energy if they are going to adopt a toddler! Moreover, it’s true that adoption decisions are anything but rational.
Times change. Coaching techniques change. “We didn’t used to do it that way” will get you ignored. And, certainly frustrated. Thus, it’s best to keep your mouth shut when you’re the really old baseball coach!
Being a good hitter in batting practice doesn’t make you a good hitter. What matters is your ability to deliver against live pitching under game conditions. Similarly, what really matters is your ability to deliver results as an adult under real-life pressures.
Commit to engaging in the lives of your children and grandchildren. You only get one chance to have an impact on them when they are young. However, engagement in their lives makes for long days and nights. And, soreness from getting hit by line drives!