Dover, NH Youth Softball: Coach's Thoughts
Parent/Player Meeting
Before each season whether it's a Summer team or a Recreational team you as the coach must schedule ...
Thursday, February 15
Organize Your Practices
Whether the players are 6 or 18 you need to keep them involved. Yes when they get older they are able to ...
Thursday, February 15
24 Hour Rule
No doubt in my mind that no matter how well you prepare your players parents at the beginning of the season you ...
Thursday, February 15
Coaching Etiquette
Having been around the recreational level of softball for a while and then having coached at high levels of tournament ...
Monday, March 26
Bunting Strategies
Starting with the younger players, coaches need to teach players how to bunt. This will make them better players and help the team too. There are different kinds of bunts and many players don't know the difference.
THE SACRIFICE BUNT
The name says it all. SACRIFICE..give yourself up early. The whole idea is to put the ball down on the ground in fair territory. This sounds easy but not if you don't use proper mechanics. The sacrifice bunt should fool no one so the defense will be prepared for a bunt and the pitcher will probably throw the ball high in an attempt to make the bunter pop up. Do nothing fancy, it is a sacrifice, tell them to just put the ball down and take the out.
BUNTING FOR A BASEHIT
The player squares last minute to attempt the bunt. Players and coaches wonder why the player cannot beat out a bunt. What happens then is the coach stops calling for the bunt for a base hit thus taking away a huge offensive weapon. If you watch your player, you will see that they are not getting out of the box quickly enough. A bunt for a base hit means the player has got to bunt the ball on the run. If they do a drop step bunt or they are not running in the box, they probably will be out against a team with a good defense.
As coaches you need to explain the difference between the two. When sacrifice bunting you want the defense to be in motion in order to cause as much confusion possible. At the younger stages you need to make sure your baserunners are aware of the bunt sign so they can get off the base and onto the next without being thrown out or the sacrifice was for nothing.
