How to improve your chances of making a High School baseball team

I am a High School baseball coach. In this article I will try to help you improve your chances of making the squad. This is just one coach's opinion however many of the qualities I will talk about are universal to many sports and the challenges in the game of life.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tenacity, listening skills, humility, never quit positive attitude, glove, bat, ball, and cleats

1. Making the baseball team begins way before the try-outs are held. High School seasons are short. Coaches are given a limited amount of time to evaluate grade and teach prospects before cuts are made. It is imperative that you come to try outs in shape and ready to play. You must begin a pre-training camp workout before the baseball tryouts begin. This training should begin at least 3 months before the season begins with a weight lifting program adhered to baseball specific muscles and a throwing program.

2. Begin weight training and conditioning at least three months prior to the start of the season, three times a week. Many High schools have classes you can take for this and get credit. Otherwise you need to find a partner and instructor to help you get in baseball shape. Make sure any program you choose is baseball specific. If you are unsure go to the baseball coach and tell him you are going to tryout this year and could he supply you with an off season training program. You will immediately make a favorable impression and if you complete the work out regime, you will have an edge on the players that choose not to work out.

3. Included in our fitness training is our abdominal workouts. Having a strong core is essential to success in baseball. You can use different medicine ball exercise' s found on the web or do crunches, leg lifts, and sit ups while watching your TV. Build your core muscles.

4. After you have begun your weightlifting program, start to use your off days from lifting to run. Running should be done for baseball specific drills. Baseball players need to be able to accelerate quickly, sprint fast, and change directions. Suggested drills would be sprinting 30 yards, 60 yards, a mile an a half run and a 20 yard agility test. These are common measurements of baseball players and a good time here won't hurt you.

5. Go to the batting cage. There are batting cages all over now a days. You don't need fielders or a field. Try and go to the cages at least two days a week. Start with the slower speeds and work up to the faster speeds so you can hit a good fastball. (I am assuming at this point that you have a fundamentally solid swing. You might want to have a qualified hitting instructor look at your swing first to keep you from engraining bad habits.) That being said, if a kid can hit, he can hit. As for the stance, if a player can hit, he can hit. I don't get overly concerned about his stance if he is able to adjust to various pitches and put the bat on the ball.

6. Learn to hit a curve ball. Many a high school player finds a way on the team without being able to hit a curve ball, however his career is limited to the bench and a part time role because he is unable to hit a curve ball.

7. Work on your fielding. A good infield drill is to take a tennis ball and throw it against the wall and field it. You can do this at the tennis court on one of those volley return walls. Increase the tempo by throwing the ball harder. When you catch the ball do a jump pivot and throw the ball again. This will help work on your grounders, infielder throwing motion, and a quick release. All three skills are essential for being an infielder.

8. Learn how to properly catch a fly ball. Have some one bring you out to the field and hit you fly balls. Work on your footwork. You need to be proficient at the drop step, crossover and crow hop. Lastly of course you need to beat the ball to the spot and catch the baseball in a good position to deliver a strong throw to your intended base or cut off man.

9. Learn to play more than one position. A player who can play more than one position has a tremendous advantage over players who are limited to one position. Some similar combinations in the infield would be first base and third base, second and shortstop, catcher, first base and third base. Pitcher and any other position. Learning an infield and outfield position is good as well. Like I tell the younger kids there are three starting spots in the outfield if you find yourself second on the depth chart in the infield.

10. Lastly, come into the tryout session with a positive, hard working attitude. When the coach is trying to teach you something listen and don't say "I know" or "my bad." "OK coach, I will get that corrected, thank you" is a much better answer. Arrive early for practice and be ready to lead drills. Coaches are always looking for leaders to help their teams evolve and grow. That being said, not every man was born to lead. Others must lead by example, that includes taking extra ground balls or fly balls during practice. Working tirelessly at batting tees, soft toss and repetitious drills that can be tedious and boring but helpful to build muscle memory. Ask the coach for direction early on what you need to work on so you can show improvement on an area of weakness. In fact if you know you have a weakness in your game, work on it during the off season to correct it. Finally be willing to accept a role, not every player can be a star. If you want to increase your role work hard, stay after practice. Coaches notice these things and a get dirty lunch pail approach is appreciated. Be respectful, honest and trustworthy. If you make your high school baseball team you will represent your parents, your coaches, the students, your school, and your community.

Tips & Warnings

• Being a high school baseball player is no easy task and takes a lot of work. Follow these steps and you will increase your chances of making the team. After the High School season is over there are many opportunities for summer baseball. It is important to play baseball all summer long. Nothing can replace the experience you gain in playing games. Good Luck and drop me a line to let me know how you did!
• Baseball can be a dangerous sport. Injuries can and often do occur, including being hit by the baseball, sprains, breaks, and arm injuries. Weight lifting and fitness training should not be done unsupervised. Any weight training should be done with an athletic trainer or fitness coach present.

[jstine]

on 7/21/2009 I would love to have baseball coaches, in any form, be more committed towards enduring youth activities and making their impacts long-term instead of the views presented for this eHow. I agree that suggestions by Coach Ken are valid, but they seem to lack the validity of the human condition. I have been grappling with the fact that baseball coaches tend to focus on what a kid needs to do to make the team instead of what the kid can do for the team. I still have personal issues with these comments, but I respect Coach Ken's views and points. I just wish there was an ability of coaches, at any level, to be mentors instead of surveyors of judgment, when many of them, probably not including Coach Ken, could or never been on a varsity team.