Many children teach themselves the rudiments of a sport by simply playing, making mistakes, and learning from them, but they can be expected to progress more rapidly and derive more satisfaction from an activity if they receive some instruction, particularly when they are getting started.
Two excellent sources of help are a school program, if one exists, and various youth organizations. With sports like tennis and skiing, group or individual lessons from specialists are of considerable importance. In addition there are often many things a parent can do to help introduce a child to athletics. A parent can teach his youngster to throw a ball and to catch it, swing a bat, pass a football, or handle a basketball properly. Even if the parent is not a proficient player, there are fundamentals he can present.
Indeed, in any sport, if nothing else, just provide interest, encouragement, and appropriate equipment.
Some examples for throwing and catching should be started at age five or six. The overhand throw should be encouraged and the correct way to catch the ball should be taught. If the child is right-handed, he turns to the right: if left-handed, to the left. Bending the elbow, bringing the arm back in a side-arm position slightly behind the body. As the forearm raises, extends, forward, then down, releasing the ball as the arm drops, stepping forward with the opposite foot, placing the weight on it.
Baseball fever can be expected to strike at about age seven, or even earlier. However, it may not be until the age of eight or later that coordination catches up with the desire and the child is, at last, able to throw, catch, or hit a ball with any degree of success. Even so, the pressures for equipment will be great as will the need for guidance.
A tip for pitching improvement could be a simple inner tube or tire hung from a tree branch at the appropriate height so that he can try to throw the ball through it from a distance. Another approach involves a target. To assist in hitting, you can set up a simple batting tee or fasten a piece of heavy elastic to a ball and hang the ball from a branch at swatting height. The swing should be mad parallel to the ground rather than up or down. Feet should be twelve to fourteen inches apart. The bat is gripped a few inches above the handle, positioned behind the ear, and held high. When the ball is thrown, the batter should watch it closely, stepping forward to meet it as he swings. When the swing is complete, the bat will have traveled halfway around the body and the back foot is on its toes. It is important to remind the youngster to drop the bat rather than fling it after making contact.
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