Expert: Dennis Girardi - 4/19/2009

Question
I am helping coach my son's ball team this year.  He is on a squad of 12 kids, only 3 of whom have any prior organized baseball experience. At first practice, I had to actually teach 4 kids how to throw and catch a ball. 6 of the 12 have no concept of game theory (what constitutes an out, a double play, a bunt, a steal, etc.). It's gotten to the point where a player gets hurt at every game or practice (not paying attention when a ball is thrown, sliding into first base, colliding with a fielder or runner, etc.) because of inexperience/lack of discipline/short attention span. The four coaches are doing everything we can, but are faced with semi-impossible odds.

Bottom line for me ... this is an instructional level. I don't need to win, but I want to teach the game.  However, let me use my son as an example. He is a 5th grader, in his 6th year of LL baseball (1 yr. T-ball, 3 yrs. coach pitch, 2 yrs minors). His team represents the equivalent of having kindergarteners and 1st graders (no academic experience or skills) in a 5th grade class with kids in their 6th year of formal education. My boy's not being able to learn at his level of preparedness (other than being a team leader), they're not learning much (little parental support, no individual practice, not even watching baseball on TV), and we coaches are frustrated We all have the experienced kids on the team).

Is there any official mechanism in the Little League bylaws or rules that allows coaches to refuse to draft a youngster due to his complete lack of ability or maturity?  I've spoken to several coaches from other teams who have identical concerns. Our league has four teams of 12, and we all agree it would have been better to have three teams of 12, and have the dozen most basic players required to spend a year in coach pitch.

I apologize for the long and rambling scenario and question!

Answer
Hey Al,

I give you credit for trying to have a BB league with only 48 kids..
Avoid having an odd number of teams if possible...
Can you merge with a local town.. and make one strong division of 4 teams and one instructional division.  This way the better players will benifit, as well as the weeker division.
Good Luck
Dennis