Coach-Pitch Baseball
Coach-Pitch Baseball is an instructional division designed to build on skills from Tee Ball. Players develop throwing and catching skills, position play, and hitting fundamentals. Score is kept in games. Coaches pitch to batters, with strikeouts (after six missed-swings) introduced halfway through the season. Coaches are on the field to provide instruction and serve as umpires.
6-year-olds will have a significantly better experience if they’ve played at least one season of Tee Ball, and SPLL may still recommend your 6-year-old remain in Tee Ball if appropriate for their safety or development.
Logistics
Eligibility
Boys and girls ages 6 through 8 are eligible to play.
6-year-olds will have a significantly better experience if they’ve played at least one season of Tee Ball, and SPLL may still recommend your 6-year-old remain in Tee Ball if appropriate for their safety or development.
Learn more about League Age
Uniforms
SPLL will provide a jersey and cap.
Fields
Pine Street Minors, Wilkinson Minors, and Wainwright softball fields.
Scheduling
Season
The season begins the week after SPSD's April break, and concludes the Saturday after the SPSD school year ends.
Evaluation
Participation in a division-wide skills clinic in late March helps coaches balance teams and ensures first-time Coach-Pitch players can play in the division safely.
Practices
Teams will typically try to schedule practices before the season starts, but it is uncommon for coach-pitch teams to schedule practices once games are underway.
Games
One on a weeknight (varies week to week) and one on Saturday.
Postseason
Yes, there is a fairly relaxed playoff bracket and a league champion is crowned.
Game Play
Pitching
One of your team’s coaches will pitch to your team’s batters, but a kid playing the “pitcher” position does the fielding. A kid also plays catcher. At the start of the season, a tee will be brought out after a certain number of pitches, but eventually players will strike out after logging six swinging strikes.
How can my player prepare for the season?
Play catch. Practice the mechanics of throwing with a focus on form and accuracy. Watch baseball games on YouTube and socialize the positions and processes of competitive baseball games.
Not sure whether Coach-Pitch Baseball is the right division for your player? Contact the division director, Mark Michalski.