Baseball Parenting Tips for What to Do When Your Child Is Scared of Getting Hit By a Pitch
No parent wants to see their child get hit by a pitch. It is an unfortunate part of the game and it doesn’t feel good for the batter or the pitcher. Sometimes young players at the youth baseball level have a hard time rebounding after being hit by a pitch. A parent can sometimes feel a little helpless when trying to get their child back into the swing of things. Let’s look at some Baseball Parenting Tips for When Your Child Gets Hit By a Pitch that will help parents help their children rebound from this not so pleasant part of youth baseball. * This article is based on the player being hit by a pitch that does not result in serious injury.
#1 Don’t Over React
It is certainly ok for a parent to be concerned after their child has been hit by a pitch. However, parents should try to remain calm and let the coach handle the child during the game. If the parents become overly upset or emotional then it could trigger the child into becoming overly upset or emotional. The child may even start to think that it hurt more than it did or even believe that they may be injured when they are not if parents over react.
#2 Be Positive
Parents should remain positive. Pitchers at the younger levels are not throwing at batters and coaches are certainly not instructing pitchers to hit batters at the younger levels. This type of speculating will not make the child feel better about playing youth baseball. Parents should use encouraging words that will help the child rebound quicker.
#3 Listen
Parents should listen to what their child has to say about the incident. Knowing what the child is thinking and feeling will help the parent in the healing process.
#4 Play Wiffle Ball
Before the next game or practice, parents could have a fun game of whiffle ball with their child. This will help the child get back into playing but minus the hard ball.
#5 Encourage Physical Activity
If the child is a little down on baseball, parents could instead participate in another fun, physical activity of their child’s choice. Doing something physical before the next game or practice could help cheer the child up and get them on the right track to rebounding.
#6 Soft Toss/ Batting Tee
Parents can play soft toss or use a batting tee with their child. This eliminates the pressure of the pitched ball but allows the child to participate in a batting situation.
#7 Tennis Ball
Parents can throw batting practice to their child using a tennis ball. This will put the child in a more realistic pitching situation but with a much softer ball.
#8 Batting Cages
Parents should take their child to the batting cages when the time is right. The machine will not hit the child and it will create a realistic pitching situation. This should help the child gain some confidence back that they lost after being hit by a pitch.
#9 Communicate with the Coach
Parents should communicate with the coach and let the coach know how the child is feeling. Sometimes coaches are busy and won’t realize there is something wrong with the child. Open communication between parents and the coach is key in helping the child rebound.
#10 Encourage Attendance at the Very Next Game or Practice
Parents should encourage the child to at the very least attend the next game or practice. Let the coach take it from there.
Final Thoughts
Getting hit by a pitch can be tough for a young player but can also be tough on the parents who are trying to help them rebound. Being supportive and attempting to keep the child physically active are very important. Equally important is communication between parents and child as well as between parents/child and coach. With all the proper supports in place, the player should be digging into the batter’s box for their next at bat in no time.
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