I Want to Sign my Kid up for Youth Baseball. How Can I Help my Child Prepare?

If you are a parent and are a little nervous about signing your child up to play baseball, you are not alone, but should not be afraid.  I am a parent and was once in your shoes a few years ago when I first went to sign my kid up for Little League Baseball.  I am writing this to help any parents that are interested in signing their child up for youth baseball and arent sure what to expect.

Pony Youth Baseball has become a very popular form of youth baseball these days and now starts with t-ball kids at age 4 years old.  Here in Diamond Bar, the Little League that is played at Stevens field (near Sunset Crossing and Diamond Bar Blvd) was converted over to PONY youth baseball rules several years ago to bring the enrollment levels back.  This did in fact work and has generated enormous positive feedback.

The same spirit and minimum playing requirement times that existed a few years ago are still the same in Diamond Bar Pony Baseball as they were in Diamond Bar Little League.  The field dimensions with PONY now fit the kids much better and the kids now are enjoying a more exciting form of baseball.

Usually, at the younger ages at Pony Youth Baseball Leagues (like 4-6 yrs old), scores are not kept and the game is not a competitive game.  However, at age 7, a score is kept and the game becomes more competitive.  Because of this, most teams would like to win... so the performance of each child starts to come into play when decisions are made regarding who plays where and who bats in what order.  Thus, there are things parents can do to help prepare their child, and much of this doesnt cost that much money and helps build a bond between parent and child.

Youth baseball to me isn't at all that much different than doing other team activities in life.  The better prepared the individual, the better they will do and the more fun they will have.  There are several things a parent can do to make the experience more fun for their child.  I found much of the following content at ehow.com.  I have added my own experience to share with others.

• Take your child to the batting cages to improve their swing. Extensive batting practice helps your child become a good hitter. The batting cages are a great way to improve skills without having to worry about the weather outside.  I like the battingcagefinder.com.  There is RBI, the Clubhouse, Ayala, Cairas, So Cal Baseball Academy and many others you can try until you find one you like.  Here you can also find instructors that can make a huge difference for your child.

• Play catch with your child. This to me is one of the best bonding experiences I ever had with my son.  It also will give them the confidence they will need at times.  There are many different places that you can play catch, and it will help improve arm strength and hand-eye coordination which will become important.   I learned that it is possible for a child to aquire proper techniques and this is often not a purely natural trait.   I really like any available park I can find in Diamond Bar for this.  I still like to go with my child today.
  

• Field ground balls and pop flies. You can do this on the field or in a backyard.  I even did this in my garage. Individual skills are important to the team, especially on defense. Fielding practice is just as important as hitting for young players.  You can start close with a tennis ball and progress as your child gets better.
  

• Have your child practice with a tennis ball. Hand-eye coordination is one of the most important parts of baseball in both fielding and hitting. Your child can practice skills with a tennis ball just about anywhere by bouncing it against the wall, rolling it and throwing it up and catching it.

• Practice their stance and swing. This can be done without even making contact with the ball. It's important to have a smooth and compact swing at the plate, and practicing your swing will improve your hitting at the batting cages and on the field.  If you go to a sporting goods store they have aids that can help with this.  I like a batting tee or hit-a-way from Derek Jeter.

Hopefully, this article eases any concerns about how to prepare a child for baseball and helps to make the 2013 youth baseball season the best for every child.

Read more: How to Get Ready for Little League Baseball Tryouts | eHow.com