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Sat May 24, 2008 3:05 am

Somehow I got roped into coaching Tee Ball. For those that don't know, it is an excrutiatingly slow game for those too young for baseball. I'm overhauling the game locally; let me know if you like the changes.

Before: Hit the ball off of a Tee.
After: Try to hit 6 pitches then try the Tee if you missed them all.

Before: All players bat each inning.
After: All players bat unless the defensive team makes three outs.

Before: Even if the baserunner is thrown out, he/she remains on the bag and continues to play.
After: If you're out, sit down. Run faster next time.

Before: Score is not kept.
After: Score is kept. If you won, nice job. If you lost, try harder next time.

The old game seemed to promote mediocrity and provided no incentive to truly give it your best effort. It also failed to teach kids that in life, there are winners and losers and with either, you need to be a good sport.

Any feedback? Any other Tee Ball stories or advice out there?

Sat May 24, 2008 3:28 am

I like it. Unlike many I do believe it's OK for kids to be disappointed. They should play the same game as the big boys they want to be like. Good luck and remind the kids to have fun first!!

Sat May 24, 2008 7:06 am

Your new way doesn't follow tournament rules.

Sat May 24, 2008 7:29 am

Good luck with the changes. Even if you don't keep score, trust me, the kids are.

Sat May 24, 2008 8:11 am

EdW... Exactly!

Sat May 24, 2008 9:16 am

After T-ball comes coach-pitched. Coach-pitched was like T-ball except every inning takes an hour longer.

Sat May 24, 2008 9:41 am

DINK wrote:
The old game seemed to promote mediocrity and provided no incentive to truly give it your best effort. It also failed to teach kids that in life, there are winners and losers and with either, you need to be a good sport.

Any feedback? Any other Tee Ball stories or advice out there?

Sounds like American society in general. Or a Democratic platform plank. :P

5,4,3,2...

Sat May 24, 2008 9:50 am

One more change: Ban all ADD/ADHD medicines

Sat May 24, 2008 10:56 am

good luck, but it aint gonna happen. it only takes one parent to complain about their kids getting their feelings hurt.

Sat May 24, 2008 11:15 am

myzamboni wrote: One more change: Ban all ADD/ADHD medicines
Another thing that is needed for future Little League training: the parents MUST scream at the kids and call them names. :x

Sat May 24, 2008 4:38 pm

besides, t ball is useless. may as well be pplaying little league. if they aren't ready to play little league, wait the year or two until they are.

Sat May 24, 2008 4:46 pm

iowegian wrote:
Another thing that is needed for future Little League training: the parents MUST scream at the kids and call them names. :x

You forgot fistfights in the bleachers.

Sat May 24, 2008 6:21 pm

I played t-ball when I was a kid, and the rules were pretty similar to yours, except we always used the T. if you hit the T it was a foul (strike), if you hit the ball less than halfway to the mound it was a foul, and 3 fouls was a strike out. we definetly kept score. it was good prep for the next higher legue, which had a pitching machine

Sat May 24, 2008 9:03 pm

DINK wrote: Any feedback? Any other Tee Ball stories or advice out there?

when I was little my dads Pinto broke down during my teeball game and we all ran out there to push it out of the way of traffic right during the middle of a game.

Sat May 24, 2008 11:24 pm

Erik G wrote: I played t-ball when I was a kid, and the rules were pretty similar to yours, except we always used the T. if you hit the T it was a foul (strike), if you hit the ball less than halfway to the mound it was a foul, and 3 fouls was a strike out. we definetly kept score. it was good prep for the next higher legue, which had a pitching machine

Yes! I specifically remember the lesson of sportsmanship, we had to line up and slap hands as both teams walked passed each other saying "good game" regardless of who won.
All we cared about was the free snow cones after the game, not win or lose.

I can't believe someone changed the rules because their kids couldn't handle it.

Sun May 25, 2008 8:30 am

What is the age group for T ball?

Sun May 25, 2008 9:12 am

piemat wrote:
I can't believe someone changed the rules because their kids couldn't handle it.

it wasn't due to the kids: it was due to the parents' not being parents and teaching their children about life...

Sun May 25, 2008 9:21 am

blankmange wrote: piemat wrote:
I can't believe someone changed the rules because their kids couldn't handle it.

it wasn't due to the kids: it was due to the parents' not being parents and teaching their children about life...

Amen!

Sun May 25, 2008 10:09 pm

FireBug1966 wrote: What is the age group for T ball?

I think its students in the first and second grades.

Sun May 25, 2008 11:58 pm

My daughter, age seven, is in single A. She was in T ball last year (coed). I don't think the kids kept score or cared.
I liked most of the rules they used. Most of the changes you are talking about occur in single A ball anyway (inning over in three outs or four runs, keeping score, runners out on base etc. Our coaches transitioned to coach pitch by the end of the season, and would bring out the tee after several missed attempts to hit a pitch.

What you're trying to do at this point is get the kids to like the game and "get" the rules. You start sending them back to the bench all the time and you're going to lose some.

My daughter will play single A again next year. Double A is player pitch and they don't rotate through all the positions. She won't be ready for that.