Coaching Pitchers

Written by a nationally recognized collegiate coach who has coached three teams to NCAA playoffs and who has sent 37 pitchers on to play professionally, this book covers the mechanical, physical, and mental aspects of pitching. Coaching psychology and strategy are also discussed in detail to help produce successful pitchers and prepare them for successful careers. 13 illustrations.

Leo Mazzone was one of pro baseball's premier pitching coaches. In his years with the Atlanta Braves, he trained several Cy Young Award winners and helped lead his team to the World Series. In Pitch like a Pro, Mazzone and coauthor Jim Rosenthal offer step-by-step instructions for players and coaches in Little League through high school. They teach all of the pitching basics and give athletes advice on how they can use the right training techniques to grow stronger and stay healthier. Contents include: Mazzone's between-starts throwing program How to grip different pitches Proper mechanics and delivery technique Pitching strategies and tactics Field the position Pitch like a Pro offers contributions by such well known pitchers as Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smotz, and Denny Neagle, along with black-and-white instructional photographs.

The authoritative sourcebooks for parents, players, and coaches Baseball is a complicated game to learn, particularly for a 9- to 12-year-old's attention span. Bewildered managers, coaches, and parents of the more than 2.5 million Little League Baseball® players need all the help they can get. Filled with fun and easy-to-follow instructions and advice on teaching the fundamentals of baseball, the bestselling Little League Baseball® series is sure to score with coaches and kids alike. COACHING THE LITTLE LEAGUE® PITCHER This book provides Little League coaches and parents with valuable information on how to help their pitchers improve, covering everything from the kinds of pitches and the strategic aspects of pitching to tips for keeping players healthy and fit.

Congratulations on your commitment to coach youth baseball. If you’re new to coaching, you’ll find Coaching Youth Baseball invaluable in making your first season a success. If you have previous coaching experience, you’re sure to discover tips and strategies that will help you improve on last year. Coaching Youth Baseball will help you manage your team with confidence. This age-specific and field-tested coaching guide will prepare you to handle your responsibilities and establish proper priorities as a coach; communicate with players, officials, other coaches, and parents; teach baseball skills and strategies using a combination of more than 30 drills and 40 coaching tips; minimize the risk of injury, establish a safe playing environment, and administer basic first aid; plan and conduct efficient practices; manage your team on game day; and keep it all fun. Written for coaches of players ages 18 and under, this book is a valuable component of the Coaching Youth Baseball the Babe Ruth League Way online course, the official certification course of Babe Ruth League, the premier amateur baseball program in the world. With this book, you will create and nurture an athlete-centered environment that promotes player development, enjoyment, motivation, safety, and sportsmanship—an environment that inspires players to perform at their best and come out for the team year after year.

This book takes the coach through year-round strength and flexibility programs, pre-season and in-season throwing programs, and the mechanics involved in the making of a successful and efficient pitcher.

If you are a baseball fan, then coaching youth baseball is one the most enjoyable and rewarding activities you’ll experience. But what if you’ve never coached before? Or you haven’t played the game in a while and have forgot some key points to the sport? No worries! Coaching Baseball for Dummies guides you through the rules of the game, explaining all the essential skills and the best ways to teach them to your players. Covering different age groups and great practice routines, this guide is all you need to have a fun-filled season. You’ll discover how to: Fulfill the role of being a coach and parent Develop a coaching philosophy Understand how your league works Evaluate your team Teach your players fundamentals Understand all kinds of children Create your practice plan Prepare for game day Overcome challenges and problems This plain-English guide also shows you how to run all kinds of drills, from hitting and pitching to fielding and base running. And when your team is tense or low on morale, it shows you how to relax your players and keep them focused on the game. There are also suggestions for making your season, and theirs, a memorable one. Coaching Baseball for Dummies shows you how much fun it can be to train kids to be athletes, have good sportsmanship, and work together as a team.

Presents a comprehensive guide to coaching baseball with contributions from twenty-seven coaches who share their secrets to winning; and offers advice on building and managing a program, practice sessions, team strategies, player motivation and leadership, and making baseball fun.

Understand and learn to TEACH the pitching motion. Follow a proven, easy-to-follow plan for training and developing young pitchers. Here is your complete coaching reference to pitching mechanics, arm care, common flaws, pick-offs, and mental strategy. With complete lesson plan outlines, this book will be the most valuable piece of coaching equipment you own! BENEFITS AND HIGHLIGHTS • Learn to TEACH pitching in addition to understanding it. • Keep athletes safe, healthy, and having fun on the mound • Help athletes tackle tough mental challenges related to the pitching position • Identify and fix common flaws and errors • Set up effective training programs and throwing schedules. Since the previous edition of Coaching the Beginning Pitcher, I’ve spent an additional eight years as a professional instructor (total pitching lessons provided eclipsed 15,000), three years as a collegiate pitching coach, driven deeper into advanced mechanics associated with velocity and power production, and earned a Master’s Degree in Physical Education. With expanded write-ups on the coaching plan (Chapter 3), drills (Chapter 5), and recognizing and correcting challenges (Chapter 6), along with a completely updated and enhanced section on training the pitcher’s mind (Chapter 11), Coaching the Beginning Pitcher, Third Edition, is complete! Although it may seem that the mechanics of pitching have not changed for the last hundred years, the nuances of instructing young pitchers are constantly evolving. This book contains the most effective methods known for working with young athletes, complete with tips and drills, throwing loads and quantities, common mistakes and remedies, and valuable sample lesson plans. This book is written with the right-handed pitcher in mind. However, all examples and pictures can be easily reversed and applied to the left-handed athlete. Coaching pitchers requires much more than knowledge of the physical motion of pitching. Effective pitching instruction also incorporates a structured, efficient plan and communication methods effective with—and often unique to—youth baseball players. This book provides that plan, outlining the steps to follow when working with a pitcher, and helps the coach place a pitcher in the best possible position to experience pitching success with a healthy arm. Finally, this book helps baseball coaches and parents maximize their own enjoyment and fulfillment while working to improve the technique, performance, and abilities of the youth pitcher! TESTIMONIALS “Dan Keller’s blend of baseball knowledge, training techniques, communication skill and love of teaching kids is captured in this well-designed book. This book teaches the art of pitching from fundamentals to complexities in a manner that coaches, novice to expert, can grasp and use effectively.” ~ Abe Key, President & CEO, PONY Baseball & Softball Inc. “I’m very impressed with Dan’s ability to break down and organize pitching instruction. Arm care and pitcher development are hot-button topics taken very seriously at Babe Ruth League. Our organization believes that Coaching the Beginning Pitcher provides a solid training plan to follow.” ~ Steven Tellefsen, President & CEO, Babe Ruth League, Inc. “Keller has a great baseball mind, a terrific understanding of the pitching motion, and an un- matched ability to communicate clearly. If you are trying to learn how to coach pitching, this book can provide the foundation you need.” ~ James Keller, Special Assistant to the GM, Toronto Blue Jays “This book embodies positive youth coaching and the development of today’s athletes. Dan’s understanding of the mechanics of pitching is impressive, and he communicates in a fashion that is understandable for all. Coaching takes a plan, and Dan helps to provide that plan.” ~ Gary Adams, Retired UCLA Baseball & Hall of Fame Head Coach