Coach Kevin Chronicles:   Get Ready for Little League Season 

Kevin Mahoney (Coach Kevin) is the General Manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones and a member of the Board of Directors for Oceanside Little League with nearly two decades worth of youth baseball coaching experience. He will be sharing his expertise in the Coach Kevin Chronicles over the coming weeks as we get ready for baseball season.

Entry # 5 - Friday, March 7th

Now that we are in the month of March you should be repeating all the things I have talked about and increasing the intensity each time. Try to stretch more often, do the arm work an extra day, run a little faster and swing your bat more. Do all of things things and you one step closer to being baseball ready for the upcoming season.

I have been coaching teams and individual players for years and I am always impressed with those kids who show a little sportsmanship in youth baseball. Baseball teaches important values of sportsmanship and character. Players learn to respect their opponents, umpires, and coaches. Youth baseball drills play a crucial role in fostering sportsmanship and character building amongst young players. By engaging in drills that focus on teamwork, communication, and skill development, players not only enhance their abilities on the field but also learn valuable life lessons. The passion for baseball instilled in them through these drills helps cultivate a deep respect for the game of baseball and their teammates. As they work together towards common goals and overcome challenges during practice and games, they develop sportsmanship that carries over into their daily lives.

Through the structured and engaging drills for youth baseball, players not only improve their athletic skills but also build essential qualities like teamwork, resilience, and respect for others. Baseball offers numerous opportunities for teachable moments, encouraging players to handle both victory and defeat with grace and humility. Whether it be backyard, local, or other tournaments in youth sports, these lessons help shape young individuals into respectful and well-rounded individuals. Baseball’s influence on youth development extends far beyond the sport itself. Through physical fitness, teamwork, discipline, and character building, baseball provides valuable life lessons that help shape players into well-rounded individuals. The skills and values acquired on the baseball field have a lasting impact, contributing to personal growth and success in various aspects of life.

Entry # 4 - Friday, February 21st

Every coach has a few key core thoughts or principles they believe in. Many of them were likely developed, refined and reintroduced over time. Here are a few of my beliefs that are part of all the kids I coach or have coached.

Push-ups. I believe every player, no matter their age, should do push-ups on a regular basis. The form does not need to be perfect at the start – just get on the ground and try to do at least one push-up. It will not take long before you will be able to do five. I do not care if you are 5 or 15 just start doing push-ups a couple of times each week.

My next belief is simple - Moving fast is good. Want to throw the ball harder? Move your body faster when throwing. Try moving faster the next time you are throwing a ball and see if it goes a little further. Want to hit the ball harder and father? Move fast when swinging the bat to get the barrel moving faster. See if you hit the ball harder.

Lastly, I hate to watch kids throw their glove. I am not just talking about throwing it because you are mad. I am also referring to tossing to the side when you it is your turn to hit at practice. My thought would be if someone bought the glove for you then do not throw it.

Entry # 3 - Friday, February 14th

Hitting is the fun part of baseball and very difficult. The challenge can be frustrating as young hitters learn how to move properly in the batter’s box. Young hitters need to be consistent with their stance and routine. The swing during practice should be the same one that used in a game.

You can work on your stance without a bat while in front of a mirror at home. A couple of things that will help you create a reliable and effective swing are proper balance, location of the hands and feeling comfortable.

A balanced stance sets the foundation for success before the pitch is thrown. The space between the front foot and the back one is the key to using your legs to hit. Try finding a stance that allows you to slightly bend your knees and put a little more than 50 percent of your weight on you back foot. Try a couple different ways until you find one that is just right. Spread your feet too far apart and you will struggle to hit with the lower half of your body.

The locations of the hands and elbow are another important aspect of a player's stance is the location of their hands and elbow. A proper swing should begin with the bat head raised and proceed with downward arc towards the strike zone. In order to achieve this, a player's hands should be level with their shoulder and extended away from their body. Their back elbow should be relaxed but extended behind them rather than pointing at the ground.

It is important to remember that not everyone’s swing will look exactly the same. A taller player may be able to raise their bat head higher and use a wider stance in order to generate more power while a shorter player may need to keep their lower body compact.

Keeping in mind these principles of proper balance and hand location, it will be necessary to help you find a stance that they find comfortable and achieves the intended results.

Entry # 2 - Friday, February 7th

Most youth baseball games are won by the team that can play catch the best. I am not referring to how well a team plays catch during pregame warmups. I mean during the game. Every time the ball is in play at least two players will have a catch. This is the pitcher and the catcher on a ball not put into play, a groundball to the shortstop turns into a catch between the shortstop and the first baseman.

How much and how often a player should throw a baseball is a question that leads to disagreements over philosophies that maybe we will get to down the road. For now, we want to get our arms active for the throwing that will be coming sooner than later.

Hopefully, you got outside and got moving and did some work with the tennis ball. Doing more of that is great, but now let’s add some specific movements and basic stretches for your throwing arm. Take care of your arm and you can play this great game for a long time.

Trying to do this arm routine every other day:

• Arm Circles: Short circles forward & backward, big circles forward & backward.
• Arm above the head and try to grab the middle of your back. Use the opposite arm to push the arm down as far as you can reach.
• Right arm across the body, grab the elbow to stretch. Left arm next.
• Wrist Pull Downs. Extend your Right Arm / Left, arm out with the palm up, grab the fingertips with the opposite arm, and pull your fingers down/back creating the stretch.
• Wrist Pull Ups. Extend your arm out with the palm down, grab the fingertips with the opposite arm, and pullyour fingers up/back creating the stretch.

Entry # 1 - Friday, January 31st

The temperatures may saw otherwise, but Little League season will be upon us soon. Now is a great time to be sure you are physically prepared to take the field when the umpire yells “Play Ball!”. Being physically prepared can help reduce early season soreness and make sure that you hit the ground running.

Baseball is a game with a series of movements on every pitch. Yes, warming up and stretching is important on before practice and on game days, but being active before the season is just as important. Now is a great time to begin moving around each day. This does not need to be anything specific to baseball. Ride your bike, take your dog for a walk, or go outside and run around with your friends.

Hand-eye coordination is extremely important in baseball and over the course of the next couple of months you can work on that with a wall and tennis ball. Find a wall and simple throw the ball against the wall and try to catch the ball with your glove hand (without a glove) before it bounces a second time. If you can do this for ten minutes a couple of times a week you are well on your way to being ready for Little League season.