Expert: John McInnis - 7/1/2007

Question
My 7 year old son is in rookie ball, this is his first year.  They are using pitching machines and my son is afraid of being hit by the ball coming from the machine.  He has hit the ball a couple of times but the majority of the time he will back away when the ball comes and he won't swing.  How do we get him to not be afraid of the ball?  We have tried to tell him the machine speed has been turned down, we've used a ball with his name telling him it won't hit him -- still he backs away.  We've even tried to tell him to pretend the ball is something he doesn't like and to hit it away from him.

When he play t-ball last year, the team stopped using the tee and did use a pitching machine, my son wasn't afraid of it then - he actually did quite well hitting the ball.

I am at a loss - please help me help my son get over his fear of being hit.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance.  Melissa

Answer
Hi Melissa,

this is a common problem.  I remember my own son 'stepping out' on the pitching machine.  What I did was practice with him using tennis balls and wiffle balls.  I would always pitch to him and have him hit.  I started slowly and pitched underhand.  This gave him some confidence and we slowly practiced this until he was ready for a faster pitch.   Don't rush him.  Let him build up his confidence before progressing to the next speed level.

I would advise you to practice, practice and practice batting and give him encouragement every time.  Eventually, he'll become more confident and realize he has to stand firm and swing.  It may be difficult as a parent, but imagine what he is going thru with his team. Encourage him let him know you understand.

Be of luck,

JohnMc