I am coaching a 9 year old baseball team and have been discussing coaching techniques with my assistants.  My assistants think we should make players run laps and do push up when they constantly make the same mistake.  I am of the opinion that repetition and showing proper technique is the proper way to break habits and correct mistakes.  What is your opinion and when should discipline such as laps and push ups be used on the baseball field?  Should lack of effort or hustle result in laps and/or push ups and if not what is your recommendation?

Thank you,

Mark

Dear Mark

I coached nine-year-olds and laps or out to the fence and back does have its place but in my opinion that places only to get their attention not in any way shape or form for mistakes. Your coaches along with yourself need to teach technique and do the drills that allow the techniques to be used, and reinforce what’s correct in what you’re trying to teach and running laps and doing push-ups does not do that. Now the separate question is lack of hustle or lack of effort I found that setting against the fence is the worst punishment of all if you don’t want to hustle you don’t want to try then we don’t need you bothering the other people make them sit up against the fence and just watch. So I can answer your question in three ways yes you can make them run to get their attention, but you don’t make them run or do push-ups for mistakes in skill technique work, then isolate them if they don’t want to pay attention or hustle they’re just taking away from your time and the players that are trying to work and learn .

Best of luck.

Coach Arnald Swift