The Baseball Starter

With an emphasis on instilling a love for the game, this handbook instructs parents and coaches on teaching the basics of baseball to young players. More than 80 photos demonstrate the proper techniques for hitting, fielding, and pitching, and appendices of games and drills reinforce the lessons in ways that youths will enjoy. Taking into account the differing needs of players by age, the authors provide separate discussions for young children and adolescents.

W. George Scarlett is a professor of child development at Tufts University. He is the author of numerous books and articles about children’s play and organized youth sports. He lives in Carlisle, Massachusetts.
<Gregory Chertok is a sport psychology counselor at the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey. He is a former captain of the Tufts varsity baseball team and is presently co-owner of Pitch by Pitch Baseball, a youth summer baseball academy, in Congers, New York. He lives in New City.
Jacob L. Lipton works for a risk management consulting firm. He is a former Tufts baseball player and director of a summer youth sports camp. He lives in New York.
Erik S. Johanson is a strategic planner at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. A former pitcher for the Tufts varsity baseball team, he now lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

W. George Scarlett , Gregory Chertok, Jacob L. Lipton and Erik S. Johanson
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 160
Bibliographic Info: 86 photos, appendices, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3858-7
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5712-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi

Foreword by Sol Gittleman      1

Preface      3

Introduction      5

Part One: Teaching Baseball Mechanics      15

1. Offense: Hitting, Bunting and Baserunning      17

2. Playing the Field: Throwing, Catching and Fielding      39

3. Pitching      61

Part Two: Managing Practices and Games      71

4. Managing Practices      72

5. Managing Games      85

Part Three: Additional Essentials      103

6. Character and Team Culture      104

Conclusion: Children and the Game of Baseball      123

Part Four: Appendices      127

One: Drills      128

Two: Practice Games      144

Three: Resources      148

Index      153

“a great place for one new to coaching to begin…could be a lifesaver to someone who knows baseball but is new to coaching children and young adults”—ARBA; “The Baseball Starter steps up to the plate and delivers! This book is a must read for youth coaches who want to teach their players not only great fundamentals but be able to deliver them in a positive and age appropriate way. I found myself reading it as a refresher course in the basic fundamentals of the game after 26 years as a college coach, it is a great foundation to help foster a child’s love for the game.”—John Casey, Head Baseball Coach, Tufts University; “I’ve known George Scarlett for a long time and he has always had incredibly keen insight into how to make youth baseball more fun and exciting for the players. I am very happy and proud that George has now put all this wisdom into The Baseball Starter. If you are the coach and/or parent of a youth baseball player; please read this book…it’s terrific!”—Bob Bigelow, author of Just Let the Kids Play; international youth sports reformer, activist and lecturer.