Virtual Baseball 101 Blog

Introduction to Baseball: A Guide for Parents Navigating Youth Leagues

Welcome to our blog series introducing you to the exciting world of baseball! As a parent, stepping into the realm of youth baseball can be both thrilling and overwhelming, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the game. Whether your child is eager to step up to the plate or you’re just exploring the idea of getting them involved, this guide will help answer some of the frequently asked questions parents have when entering the world of baseball.

In this blog, we’ll cover essential topics such as the basic rules of the game, the structure of youth leagues, what equipment your child will need, and how to choose the right league for their skill level. We’ll also discuss the commitment involved, what you can expect from practices and games, and tips on how to support your child throughout their baseball journey.

By the end of this introduction, you’ll have a solid foundation to help you confidently engage with your child’s baseball experience, ensuring they have fun while learning valuable skills both on and off the field. Let’s dive into the wonderful world of baseball together!

What age group is appropriate for my child to start playing baseball?

• Any age!! Ok maybe not any age, but I have seen leagues that start as early as four years old. These are very basic (and sometimes chaotic) however there's no downside to being exposed to the sport this early. I would suggest checking your local city/park for leagues and what their requirements are.

What equipment does my child need to get started in baseball?

   Required:

   Glove

   Cleats

   Cup

   Optional:

   Bat:

• Normally the coach will have a bat or two and players typically share bats. This would be a question to ask the coach. 

   Helmet:

• These are optional because this piece of equipment is not required to start playing and/or will be provided by the team. It is suggested to ask the coach if helmets are provided. If not, then a helmet will be required.

   Batting Gloves:

• Gloves are typically worn by players of all levels and ages, but are definitely not required. They serve as a cusion from the sting (if the ball is not hit correctly) and prevent blisters after prolonged hitting such as going to the batting cages

   Elbow/Ankle guard:

• These are completely optional. They are used to deaden the sting of being hit by a ball, however players in the lower levels should not need them. Typically you will see these at higher levels where pitching speeds can physically damage parts of the body (High School and beyond)

What are the basic rules of baseball that I should know?

• As a parent you are not required to know anything about baseball for your player to play. The coach of your team should teach his players the rules. I realize that's a very generic answer, however time is always a constraint these days and it takes a little of it to learn the rules. With that being said I would suggest learning the basics for a few reasons. For one, you want to be able to answer any questions that your player might have and having a little knowledge will go a long way. The second reason is, as a parent, it will help you understand the game a little better and will be a little more enjoyable to support your young player. Here are some of the basics that you should know before watching your young player in a game. 

   Basic Terms

• Umpire: The umpire is the referee of the game. Games will have between one and four umpires. Typically the lower lever leagues will only have one or two. At a minimum there will be a home plate umpire who will call balls/strikes and make any other calls that happen throughout the game such as “Outs”.

• Strike Zone: The strike zone a "Zone" is made by the umpire. It is an invisible zone in which the umpire feels that the batter can comfortably hit the ball. Anything in the zone is a strike and anything outside of the zone is a ball. A typical strike zone is from the chest to the knees of the player. This is obviously at the discretion of the umpire though.

• Ball: Balls are called if the pitch does not land within the strike zone. As a rule of thumb a Ball is considered as the ball not crossing the plate before it is caught or if it is too high/low. Four balls in any at-bat will result in a Walk and the batter will be awarded 1st Base

• Strike: Strikes are pitches called within the strike zone (crossing the plate not too high or low). Three strikes called in the at-bat will result in an Out or "Strike out".
• Foul: Foul balls are pitches that are swung at where the player makes contact, however the ball is not hit in the field of play. Basically it's hit "out of bounds". This will be called a Foul. If the player has two strikes and hits a foul he will receive another pitch. You cannot be called out on strikes for foul balls, however if the batter swings and tips the ball into the catcher's glove it will be called Strike 3 and the batter will be out. The other way a player can be out on a foul ball is if the ball is popped into foul territory and the fielder catches it without it hitting the ground.
• Out: There are 3 Outs in any inning. The goal of the defense is to record 3 outs preferably without the offense scoring runs. Typical outs can be made by striking the batter out, pop fly outs or ground outs.
• Run: Runs are the "points" that the offense scores when a runner touches home plate. Whoever has the most runs at the end of the game wins! (Except the younger leagues like tee-ball where the score is typically not kept)
• Hit: A Hit is where the batter hits the ball in fair territory and reaches 1st base (or further) safely. It is considered a hit if the hit was clean and the defensive player did not make a mistake.
• Error: Errors are when a fielder makes a mistake. For instance a ball hit back to the pitcher and he overthrows the 1st Basemen resulting in the batter getting to first. The play will be scored an Error because the batter "should have" been out. A good rule of thumb for this is "if the play was routine then it's probably an error". At higher levels stat books are kept or Gamechanger (a mobile app used for tracking scores and stats) is used and calls are normally up to whoever is entering the data

How does the practice and game schedule typically work?

• This is a tough question to answer because it is very dependent on how the league is structured. For Recreational Leagues there are normally 1-2 practices with 1-2 games per week. The games and practices will be at a time that does not impact school during the week. There may also be a game on the weekends as well. For travel/club teams there are normally 1-2 practices a week with games on the weekends. Typically these teams only play tournaments on the weekends, however there are normally 2-3 games per day. These types of teams are normally very competitive and probably are not for young kids just starting to play.

How can I help my child develop their skills at home?

• This could be as simple or as difficult as you'd like it to be. Simple things like having a basic understanding of how the game is played and playing catch in the front yard or a park to building an entire batting cage in the backyard. There are various things you can do as a parent that won't "break the bank" or be time consuming. Some simple suggestions would be to just play catch and work on accuracy. Maybe go to a local batting cage or park to hit balls. You as a parent could hit balls such as pop flies or ground balls so your player can practice defense. You could also pitch balls to them so they can work on batting. Going to a park would require some basic equipment such as balls and a bat aside from a glove. Having a tee would also be another piece of equipment to have as this will allow them to work on their swing without the ball physically moving.

The Hard Questions

How can I encourage my child without putting too much pressure on them?

• I think as parents we all struggle with this from time to time. From a player, coach and father standpoint I think first and foremost it should be fun. There really is no exact answer to this question as everyone is different. Different personalities, viewpoints and ways of teaching can produce different outcomes. I think if your player is under the age of 10 it should be mostly fun. After that age I think it will be apparent if your player will want to continue playing baseball. Also, don't discount the fact that there are "late bloomers" as this is a very real thing. After age 10 the competition should be raised steadily until High School should they decide to play for that long. Baseball should absolutely be a "fun first" sport, however there is a lot of competition out there and having a strong love for the game is paramount to continue playing at a competitive level. Another way to encourage your player is to be present. By saying that in no way am I trying to teach you how to parent your player, however, understanding that as a child one of the things that motivates you is making your parents proud. Whether that's a surprise or not, being present at practices, games and even part of the baseball discussion at the dinner table will allow both of you to bond over the game. If you're excited then they'll be excited. As I said before everyone is different, however being involved as much as you can definitely doesn't hurt.

What should I do if my child struggles with confidence on the field?

• More practice or experience would be the obvious answer here, but it normally goes deeper than that. No one knows your player better than you do and most struggles are mental rather than physical. It might be that they don't think they're good enough or maybe they're in a "Slump" offensively or defensively. Something going on in school or at home could also be a factor. There's no right answer for this other than maybe sitting down and discussing it. If the problem is only physical or maybe "stage fright" then yes more practice and games are probably the answer. Definitely easier said than done.

What should I do if my child isn’t getting enough playing time?

• This one is also a tough question to answer hence the title. If your player is not getting enough playing time there could be multiple reasons why. First let's define what "enough" really means. Is it the whole game, half game or just a few innings at best? Next, it really depends on the league, the team, the coach and well, you. If you are on a club/travel team then the competition for a starting spot will be tough if there are multiple players competing for that spot. I think addressing the elephant in the room here is going to be the best route to take in identifying the problem. Ready? Is your player good enough to compete with the other players on the team? This is a question that no parent wants to hear because we all want the best for our children, but (yes there's a but unfortunately) there's also taking that deep breath and being honest with yourself. If the answer is no then I think you already know the answer to your question. It's a tough pill to swallow, however it's better to be honest in this situation because the other option could potentially hurt your player's confidence in the future. If the answer is yes then there might be competition for the position or maybe it's the coach. I never try to speak badly about the coaches who give their time to teach this game, but (yes another but) there are some coaches who play "favorites". Another reason is that they may not see eye to eye with you for one reason or another. The coaches are the gatekeepers and sometimes they take advantage of the situation which is obviously wrong, but I know it unfortunately does happen so that might be another cause. I would suggest just simply having a conversation with the coach and acknowledge that your player has not had a lot of playing time. Next, ask what they need to work on in order to get better which will yield more playing time. This will show the coach that you're committed to the team and that you're willing to work on something your player might need help with. I think it's better to go this route rather than only asking why they haven't played a lot or just asking for more playing time as this usually leads to an unwanted conversation. 

Are there opportunities for parents to get involved in the league?

• This would be a question for the coach or league that you're a part of. Most if not all leagues require background checks and fingerprinting for the safety of the children. If you are interested, then yes I would highly suggest getting involved. Coaches always need some kind of help and your player seeing you on the field with them will motivate them to be better.