The Art of Throwing a Baseball

PARENT

   Most of us who enjoy sports probably laughed the first time we saw the Volkswagen commercial of the father and son playing catch. (For those of you who haven’t seen it, click on the picture.)

Of course the father and son have it all wrong. Even those who never played baseball probably recognized that something just wasn't right. But what?

Years ago, before girls participated widely in sports, a boy watching the video might have remarked, “They throw like a girl!” That’s because many girls back then, and some boys, were never taught the most basic aspect of throwing a baseball--lead with the leg opposite the throwing arm.

A goal of the How to Rock Sports app series is to teach young kids these important skill elements--the fundamental aspects of key sports skills like throwing, catching, and shooting. Learning these essential skills is the first step to playing and enjoying sports with friends and family.

For kids just starting out, these apps provide an engaging, interactive look at how to perform these important skills. Animated characters walk the child through each step of a skill. Audio instruction and interactive props (flowers, butterflys, frogs) make the experience even more fun for the youngest beginners.

These apps can also help parents more effectively instruct their child. They help remind a parent of which skill elements to teach and how they are performed.

So if you haven’t yet taken a look, check out the free Let's Play Ball app on the Google Play store. And if you really want to find out how NOT to throw like the father and son in the VW commercial, consider downloading the companion How to Throw a Baseball app!

Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun

($16.95; Kindle: $7.99)

 

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child

($8.95; Kindle: $2.99)

Read more...

How to Rock Sports Apps for Kids and Parents

PARENT

   In my last post, I talked about the importance of kids learning the fundamental individual skills associated with the sports they play. The timing of that post was a bit self-serving, as today I’m announcing the availability of the How to Rock Sports series of Android apps.

Using animated cartoon characters and audio instruction, these apps teach basic sports skills in a way that will appeal to young beginners. These apps will also help those parents who want to teach sports to their child.

As an introduction to the How to Rock Sports series, the free Let's Play Ball app is available on Google’s Play store. This app provides tips related to throwing and catching a ball and shooting a basketball.

I've also released Throw a Baseball and Catch a Baseball. These apps break down each part of these skills, providing more in-depth instruction. Shoot a Basketball and Throw a Football are in the works, with more to follow.

I've worked hard over the past year putting together these apps. I hope the readers of Inside Youth Sports find the results worthwhile. If you download and like Let's Play Ball or the other apps, please pass the word on to other parents!

Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun

($16.95; Kindle: $7.99)

 

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child

($8.95; Kindle: $2.99)

Read more...

The Importance of Individual Sports Skills

PARENT

   As a youth coach in participation-based programs, I often struggle to teach everything within a short season. Individual and team skills, game strategy, and tactics are all part of a well-rounded learning experience in youth sports. It can be a challenge getting all of this information across to the entire team when the opportunity to practice and play is limited.

Sometimes I find myself placing too much emphasis on team and situational play. With the abilities that each player brings to the team, this is often the easiest path to chalking up victories. Set plays, passing, zone defenses are examples of this type of instruction. It’s easy for a youth coach to fall into this coaching pattern.

Focus on the Foundation

Team-oriented instruction is of course essential to the success of any athlete playing team sports. But the foundation of excellent sports play begins with the individual sports skills particular to each sport. Throwing and catching a ball, shooting a ball or puck, ball handling, defending an opponent one-on-one are all examples of key individual sports skills. When coupled with basic physical traits (size, strength, endurance) and related physical skills such as running and jumping, a young boy or girl possesses the necessary tools to progress and achieve success in sports. And that’s the real goal—enabling each child to reach his or her athletic potential, and to do so in a way that protects the joy of playing.

The Right Coach

As a parent of a child who plays and enjoys organized sports, you need to pay attention to this aspect of your child’s education in sports. When your child is young, try to place the child in programs that emphasize the teaching of basic sports skills. Look for the right coaches—the ones who are there for the teaching and have a well-balanced, informed view of how to develop each child’s potential. Make sure that your child’s coach is not focused simply on team tactics and winning games.

What You Can Do

If you've played sports, spend time with your son or daughter and teach them essential skills like throwing and catching a ball. Participate by “playing catch” with your kids and making this a regular part of your interaction. Possibly add these games to your after-dinner family routine.

Whenever possible, promote to your child the idea of playing in pickup games. It’s this desire to play with friends that will often lead to even more self-directed play. And that means more practice and repetitions of key sports skills.

You can also place your child in local clinics that teach young kids basic sports skills. Often, your local high school, college, or other community organization will sponsor these clinics. Whether it’s basketball, baseball, tennis, or another sport, these clinics are usually inexpensive. For those of you who have more financial resources, personal coaches and trainers can often get your child started in the right direction. And of course there are other resources including books, video instruction, and computer software that can provide guidance to a young athlete or parent.

Copyright © 2014 Jeffrey S. Rhoads. All Rights Reserved

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: The Young Athlete's Guide to Playing Sports: What Every Athlete Needs to Know to Play, Win, and Have Fun

($16.95; Kindle: $7.99)

 

If you enjoyed this article, you may like my book: The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child

($8.95; Kindle: $2.99)

Read more...