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Having confidence improves your quality of life, which is why it's so important to build up your child's self-esteem when they're young.
And this might not be as hard as you think. We've put together this guide to show you how little league baseball can give your child's confidence a major boost (that will stick with them for the long run).
So let's get started!
Baseball doesn't look like a lot of other team sports. Instead of working together in close proximity, such as football or soccer, baseball team members are spread out over a giant field.
But that doesn't mean baseball doesn't require strong teamwork.
Okay, so the field might not be as large when it comes to the little league, but it might seem that way to the kids. Because of this, your child will learn to create and build relationships during practice and game time, and they'll do this in two different ways.
Your child will have to interact with the other kids on their team. They'll need to work together with each other to complete plays and win the game.
To do this, they'll need to talk and communicate with those kids, which will improve their relationship-building skills. They can then take what they've learned on the field to create friendships in school and other aspects of life.
This might seem like a small thing, but having good friends will boost your child's self-esteem and confidence. As they continue to grow, they can take this confidence with them and use it for things like school, work, family, etc.
Your child won't just develop better relationships with their teammates during the little league season, they can also strengthen their bond with you (parents, siblings, grandparents, etc.). If you take them to practice and attend their games, you're spending time doing something your child enjoys.
This shows your child that they're important to you—that they matter.
Because of this, you'll be making a positive impact on how they view themselves and their value, which can lead to more confidence.
Your child doesn't know how to play baseball yet. During their very first practice, they have to step out of their comfort zone and try something they've never done before. No matter how excited your child is to join the little league baseball team, they still have to learn new skills to do so.
This can be a challenge for them.
They might not pick up on things right away. They'll have to practice with the team (and maybe at home alone) before they can throw the ball properly or manage to hit it with their bat.
But over time, they'll get the hang of it.
This will show them that, if they try, they can do things they maybe thought they weren't able to do before, which won't only apply to baseball. Seeing themselves get better at the sport can give them the confidence to try other new activities, such as playing other sports or studying a new subject (or recreational topic).
Not being instantly good at something when they start might not discourage them anymore. Your child will be more willing to stick with something longer to figure out if they truly enjoy it.
And if they don't like it, that's okay, too. What's important is the confidence and the lesson that comes with it. Your child may be more willing to take risks and try new things through their life because of baseball, even carrying this habit into adulthood.
No matter how strong your child's little league team is, they won't win every baseball game (as much as you may want them to!). While it's okay to be disappointed by the loss, this can teach kids a few important lessons.
First of all, it will teach your child that it's okay to fail. It's normal. They won't hold themselves to impossibly high standards because they know failing is a part of the game (or, as they get older, life) and it's natural.
They also will learn how to grow from their failure. Did something go wrong during the game? Did they mess up a play?
That's okay. Knowing where they went wrong will help them figure out what to do and avoid during the next game. Failing will turn them into better players, which can give them more enjoyment during the season.
Finally, losing a few games will show your child they don't have to be afraid of failure. It shouldn't be a fear that holds them back from trying new things. After all, failing is a normal and important part of life.
Your child might not even realize they're learning these things, but building the confidence to push through failure will help them succeed in many other areas as they get older.
Little league baseball is more than just a game. Enrolling your child in this sport can teach them a lot of life lessons and help them build their confidence—and have fun at the same time!
But don't make these lessons more important than the game.
Your child is still young. They might not realize the importance of the skills they're learning in practice, but that doesn't matter. Whether they recognize them or not, the lessons will still benefit them throughout their life.
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Little League baseball has been around since 1939. Since that time, it's evolved into the main outlet for young boys and girls to play organized baseball with other members of the community.
Today, Little League is the largest organized youth sports program on the planet. In 2017, nearly 2.5 million children in more than eighty countries played in the divisions of Little League sports.
The children who participate in Little League don't just learn how to hit a ball or steal a base. They learn valuable lessons about teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership.
Did you grow up playing Little League sports? Or are you playing them now? Either way, keep on reading and you'll learn the fascinating history behind Little League Baseball.
Baseball is a sport that's intertwined with the history and culture of America. There are even records of soldiers of the Continental Army playing ball games at Valley Forge during the American Revolution.
Through the early part of the 1800s, American citizens played more modern versions of the British games of rounders and cricket. They usually referred to these games as "town ball."
In the 1840s, Alexander Joy Cartwright of New York played a game called "base ball" with his friends. It was very similar to the game that we all know and love today. While some people claim that Abner Doubleday invented the sport, historians generally regard that assertion as a myth.
On June 19, 1846, the very first scheduled baseball game took place.
A few years later, during the American Civil War, soldiers on both sides of the war would play baseball to pass the time.
By the end of the 1800s, baseball was so popular that it was already considered "America’s Pastime.”
Starting in the 1880s, leagues were created for pre-teen children in New York. However, most kids played "pickup" baseball games on their own in the streets. Children-sized equipment was hard to come by during this time.
In the 1920s, a baseball program for teen boys was formed by the American Legion. Schools in America also started their own baseball programs. Many pre-teen children were still left out of organized baseball, however.
A man by the name of Carl Stotz came up with the idea of an organized baseball league for boys in 1938. He didn't have any sons of his own but he had some nephews that he would often play baseball with. He wanted to give them a way to play organized baseball of their own.
Carl gathered several of the kids in his hometown of Williamsport, Pennsylvania and experimented with different kinds of equipment. During that summer, he also messed around with different field dimensions.
That first year, no games were played and the program still didn't have a name.
In 1939, Carl and his wife enlisted the help of some of their friends. Carl and his two friends, brothers Bert and George Bebble, became the managers of the first three teams. These teams were called Jumbo Pretzel, Lundy Lumber, and Lycoming Dairy.
After some more people joined the program, the league had its first board of directors.
After talking it over with some people in the community, Carl finally settled on the name "Little League." His goal was to have a wholesome baseball program for the children of Williamsport as a way to teach them about the values of teamwork and fair play.
Sponsorships for the league cost $30 at the time and the money was used to pay for the uniforms and equipment for the league's thirty players. Since that time, sponsorships of Little League, both at the Headquarters level and the local league level, have helped to keep costs to parents at a minimum.
There are also plenty of fun fundraising ideas that parents can utilize in order to support their local teams.
In 1939, on June 6, the very first Little League game ever was played. At the end of the game, Lundy Lumber beat Lycoming Dairy, 23-8. Lycoming Dairy managed to come back later, however, and won the first-half title of the season.
Lycoming then faced off against second-half champ Lundy Lumber in a best-of-three series. In the final game of the series, Lycoming Dairy beat Lundy Lumber 3-2.
In the years following that first season, other programs emulating the first Little League started to spring up. Boundaries for each Little League program were created in order to make sure that each league could flourish without worrying that neighboring programs would steal their players.
From its humble beginnings, Little League Baseball is now the largest organized youth sports program on the planet. Starting with just three teams, the league now has more than 200,000 teams and millions of alumni.
Hopefully, after reading the above article, you should now have a much better understanding of the history of Little League. As you can probably see, what started as a smalltown youth sports program has grown into an international phenomenon that children are enjoying nearly a century later.
Little League has thrived for all these years partly thanks to the fact that it manages to bring people together and teach children the value of teamwork and sportsmanship.
One way to establish a sense of community and camaraderie among your players is with baseball trading pins. These are intricately designed and expertly produced enamel pins that are unique to your child's team. They make for great collectibles and end-of-season gifts.
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In recent years, youth baseball has been forced to compete with several other sports while trying to win over the hearts of kids everywhere. Basketball and football have become increasingly popular and have cut into the total number of kids playing Little League baseball.
However, baseball is still the most popular sport in the country as far as kids are concerned. A 2016 study showed that baseball and softball actually combined to be the most popular team sport that year. And it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon.
There are so many great reasons to sign your child up for youth baseball if you haven't done it already. Let's take a look at 8 of those reasons now.
It might not always look like it when you're sitting down and watching a game. But there are many movements that take place in youth baseball that will benefit your child's health.
From swinging a bat to throwing a ball to running around the bases, your child will be in motion all the time while playing baseball. This will get their heart rate going and help them build up their endurance. It will also help their muscles get stronger and make them more flexible.
Kids aren't born with good hand-eye coordination. They need to learn how to be coordinated, and playing youth baseball is one of the best ways for them to do it.
Just about every single aspect of playing baseball involves some level of coordination. Whether you're judging where a fly ball is going to land or keeping a close eye on a pitch coming towards the plate, you need to be able to demonstrate good coordination to be a successful baseball player.
Kids who play baseball at a young age are able to develop coordination skills that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
There are far too many kids today who spend their entire lives playing on electronics. And while there are some benefits to doing it, there is also a long list of negative effects that kids can suffer from if they spend too much time looking at a screen.
Some of these negative effects include:
It can feel almost impossible to get kids to put their electronics down these days. But offering them the opportunity to play youth baseball is one effective way to do it.
When kids grow up, they will likely need to be a part of a team every day at work. But unfortunately, many kids don't learn how to demonstrate teamwork when they're younger.
Baseball is a sport that requires teamwork during each and every inning. You need to be able to rely on others to do their job out on the field, and you also need to make sure you're reliable and your teammates can trust you to do your job.
From the moment your child starts playing baseball, their coach will preach about the values of teamwork and show your kid why teamwork is such a beneficial part of the game.
Not every kid is going to be a star Little League player. There will be some kids who, quite frankly, don't blossom into excellent players. But that doesn't mean they won't walk away from the game with something!
There are many kids who make lifelong friends by playing youth baseball for even just a few years. When your child plays baseball, he or she will need to communicate with others on and off the field. This will help them form strong bonds and will, in all likelihood, translate to them making good friends.
There are going to be times when your child wins in life. There are also going to be times when they lose. They need to know how to act in both scenarios, and more importantly, they need to know how to be good sports.
This is another thing your child isn't going to be able to learn without experiencing both winning and losing from a young age. Playing baseball will allow your child to see what the highs and lows of life feel like.
It will also give you the chance to talk to your child about showing good sportsmanship at all times. It will show you how your kid handles winning and losing and allow you to step in and speak about the importance of treating everyone with respect, regardless of whether you win or lose a game.
While youth baseball players will ultimately decide the outcomes of games, there will be several adults who will play a part in their success. Coaches and umpires will be at every game to help guide the way, and it will be important for kids to show the proper respect to these adults.
When your child plays baseball, he or she will need to learn how to listen to instructions from the coach. Your child will also have to learn how to listen to what umpires say and treat them respectfully, even if they make calls that don't go their way.
While all of the reasons listed here are important, this is really the most important one of all. Youth baseball can teach kids a lot about life. But at the end of the day, it's the fun that kids have that they will remember for a long time.
If your child doesn't have enough fun in their life, sign them up for baseball. It won't be long before they're having a great time every time they step on to the baseball diamond.
Do you want to make sure your child has as much fun as possible when they start playing baseball? You can do it by being a great Little League parent. You can also do it by providing your child with pins that will allow them to show off their love of the sport.
Contact us to check out the incredible pins we have in stock.
Ever dealt with a crazy baseball parent? You know, the kind who yells from the bleachers, berates the coaches, and makes fun of the kids trying to have fun on the field?
Or, maybe you've gotten a bit too caught up in the competition yourself? Have you found yourself screaming from the stands, bad-mouthing your child's coaches, or raging against the umpire's call?
Whether you're dishing it out or taking it, Little League Parent Syndrome (LLPS) is a real thing. Seriously. Coined by psychologists, it describes the irrational way that some adults behave during youth sporting events.
LLPS dampens team spirits, places too much pressure on kids, and ruins what would otherwise be a fun learning experience. Let's stop LLPS dead in its tracks this season! Read on to find out more about how to be a good and supportive baseball parent.
Ten thousand youth athletes were asked to rank various aspects of athletic competition by importance. Do you know where "winning" ranked?
Number 10.
Turns out, most kids want to play organized sports so that they can hang out with friends and teammates. They like the confidence boost. And they enjoy the chance to learn something new.
But there's a flip side. The parents of these youth athletes were also asked to rank organized sports by benefits. Where did parents rank "winning"? As you may have guessed, winning came right at the top. The focus on triumphing at all costs is where the problem lies...
Kids have the wisdom and discernment to see baseball for what it is, an enjoyable experience. And baseball parents need to be brought around to this way of thinking. It only takes one parent exhibiting signs of LLPS to ruin the game for everyone.
So, what causes some parents to flip the switch on LLPS? Psychologists believe a mixture of factors could be at play. For one, some parents project themselves onto their children. They attempt to re-live their own baseball dreams through their kids.
Comparing your son or daughter to anybody, including yourself, is unfair and harmful. Instead, recognize your children as the independent, autonomous human beings that they are. Your kids have strengths and weaknesses all their own. They have their own interests and dreams, too. Never try to recapture a piece of your own youth through them.
Other parents heap unbearable pressure on their kids. They want baseball to "pay off" through a college scholarship, professional contract, or both. But what are the odds of actually earning a baseball scholarship? Or, a pro contract? They're right up there with picking the right lotto numbers.
So, start guessing...
That's not to say that little leaguers don't go on to play in the pros. But those who do have developed a serious love of the game. And they respect their teammates and sportsmanship. They're not the kids whose parents mortified them from the bleachers with violent rants.
Finally, there are those adults who measure their worth as a parent on how well their kids perform. The truth is, though, how well your kid plays ball is not a reflection on your parenting skills.
But you know what are indicators of effective parenting? Whether or not your kid behaves on the field, how well they participate, and if they can lose with grace.
Every baseball parent gets frustrated now and then. After all, little league adds stress to your life. You have the gear to buy, practices to attend, and volunteering to do.
We've all witnessed what looks like coach favoritism or unfair ump calls at some point. We all want to make sure that we get our "money's worth" out of the season. When our team loses or our child becomes a benchwarmer, it's easy to feel disgruntled.
This is when it's important to ask yourself how you're giving back...
Are you actively volunteering with the league? Are you paying fees on time and making donations when needed? Are you modeling good behavior for your kids by following field rules and being respectful?
Instead of second-guessing every move your team's coaches are making, remember to thank them for volunteering their time. Learn to trust them and respect their decisions. After all, it's impossible to know what the strategy is let alone read a coach's mind from the bleachers.
Still feel like you have a better approach than your kid's current coaches? Then, why not become during a future season?
You'll soon realize that it's a tough, often a thankless job. But if you're in it for the love of the game, your reward will be the experience. Coaching little league puts the game back in perspective.
If you're irritated by something that is or isn't happening in your league, offer to lend a hand. Little leagues are notoriously understaffed and could use the extra help. Getting involved "behind the scenes" or as a coach will help you gain perspective.
How baseball parents behave directly impacts whether or not their children grow up to love the game. The baseball field should be a welcome place where kids build confidence, learn discipline, and work as a team. It should be a place for fun, experimentation, and growth.
Good parenting involves providing our kids with opportunities to try, fail, try again, and eventually succeed. It involves teaching them how to be patient, deal with disappointment, and develop self-reliance. Winning has very little to do with baseball in the large scheme of things.
Model the behavior you want to see in your kids from the bleachers, in the dugout, and on the field. Stop focusing on umpire calls, player positions, and the score. Instead, use baseball to teach important lessons about conduct, teamwork, and resilience.
After all, it's not about winning. It's about developing life skills and build self-esteem. It's about creating memories that last a lifetime.
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