It all starts with attitude. Make it a positive one.

New and Returning Coaches

Fort Lauderdale Little League and Softball is an extension of Little League®. All rules and coaching expectations are derived from the national Little League organization. There is a vast amount of information to help you begin and improve your coaching.

You as a coach are here to help foster a healthy sense of competition, to teach aspiring athletes the game of Baseball / Softball and above all be a positive force in these children's lives. Baseball / Softball takes time to acquire the necessary skills, and the children you teach are just learning. Being positive, patient and a good leader is what these children need to grow.

http://www.littleleague.org is a great start for you on your coaching adventure. There are many fantastic books (available on the internet) that teach the art of coaching and teaching the drills / exercises the players will need to learn this great sport. If you are feeling lost in the game or need help, please contact our coaching coordinator, and he/she will be more then happy to give you guidance. We want you to be happy and successful on your endeavor and learn the value of teaching children this great game of Baseball / Softball.

Volunteering

If you would like to volunteer for a division team, please visit our volunteer page.

Helpful Hints

• Visit our Rules page under Team Manager menu bar.
  
• There are many youtube videos available that can help you learn drills and exercises.
• There are many fantastic coaching books at Amazon
• Baseball is about repetition, repetition, repetition and more repetition.
• Fort Lauderdale Little League is about teaching baseball to the boys and girls of this city and being a positive force in these childrens lives.
• Remember you might be the first coach a child has, make that experience as fun and positive as possible.
• Did you win? The question is, did you really win? Coaching Baseball is more then just grabbing that win! These are kids, not million dollar players. Did the kids have fun, are they enjoying the game? Is the win for you, or is it for them? Keeping a good perspective as to why you coach is just as important as playing the game.
  
• Remember the Little League Slogan - Character, Courage, Loyalty.
  
  

Need more Help?

You can contact the coaching coordinator or your division commissioner. We are here to help. You can email Fort Lauderdale Little League (Go to the about us section of the site / contact info) and we will forward your email to the commissioner or coaching coordinator that you request. Someone will be in contact with you. As the League is built on volunteers, give us a little time as many of us have jobs! Thanks.

See below for new coaches with some recommendations for training you team.

Along with Positive Coaching Alliance and 224 Skills Training, here are some some resources that might be of help to you.

One of the most effective ways to get your team up and going is to break them down into small groups or stations. It keeps the kids interested, moving and excited. 10 kids standing around a field while a coach hits Baseballs at them at young ages is boring.  Break the kids out into stations with 3-4 coaches over seeing 3-4 different stations and rotate the kids around every 10-15 minutes.

Baseball training is about repetition, repetition, repetition. Breaking the kids into groups / stations allows them to get more reps in then when they are all standing on the field waiting for someone to hit the ball to them.

Their are lots of drills available on the internet. 

Be Positive & Patient. Many childrens bodies and brains have NOT matured enough to catch / throw / hit Baseballs the way you want them to. One child motor skills may mature faster then the next. THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO is be positive and encouraging. Encourage EFFORT over outcome! Teach them hustle and love of the game, they will develop if you do this.

When it comes to Tee-Ball, LOWER YOUR expectations! Many of these kids do not have the physical abilities yet to make grand accomplishments. It takes years for them to get a firm grip on Baseball. Also, young kids love to run! Make base running a portion of your practice or the first part of your practice.

Last, HAVE FUN! If you are not having fun, they probably are not either.

An example practice for younger age groups (Coach Pitch / Tee-Ball):

1. Warmups (throwing ball to each other)
2. Small Stations 3-4 players (fly balls, grounders, fielding, Tee-Hitting (Batting Practice)) - Rotate the groups to each station.
3. Scrimmage
4. Some sort of positive team activity / game. Race the bases, see who can run to first the fastest, etc.

Teaching to Catch:

Consider using Tennis balls or Whiffle balls. They don't hurt much, it will help build confidence.

Tee Ball Guide https://www.littleleague.org/downloads/tee-ball-program/
Coach Pitch Guide https://www.littleleague.org/play-little-league/coach-pitch/
Little League University - https://www.littleleague.org/university/coaches/

Please review the new Baseball Bat rules for 2018. Eligible bats for 2017 are no longer allowed. These changes are for all divisions including Tee-Ball. Softball Bat rules are unchanged.

See: Fort Lauderdale Little League News Baseball Bat

See: Little League Bat Information

See : USABat.com