Skill Expectations: 7 and 8 year olds

I like what has been posted for tee-ballers. In our league, that means the kid is 5 or 6. The only thing I would add there is that by six a kid should be able to hit a ball off the tee at with at least 50% of their swings. I would also say that the swing should have started looking something like a baseball swing and less like a two handed backhand.

Age 7 (coach pitch):
Can hit one out of four overhand pitches from a coach.

Shows lower body movement (weight shift or step) with the swing.

Can field a ground ball showing proper technique.

Can understand and practice the concepts of catching a ball above or below the waist (thumb to thumb, pinky to pinky).

Knows infield and outfield positions by name.

Will listen to the directions of base coaches (run through, make a turn, go to second, etc.).

Assumes "baseball ready" stance on every pitch (ha!).

Can throw the ball using the "scarecrow" technique keeping the elbow above the shoulder during acceleration. No more of the tee-ball push that looks like a shot-put throw.

Age 8 (combination kid.coach pitch):

Should be able to throw the ball from second base to first base in the air but not always accurately.

Should be able to catch balls thrown to them with 50% success, high or low.

Should be able to catch pop ups in the infield if right at them.

Should understand the count, four balls and three strikes.

Should understand basic baserunning concepts no longer playing station to station.

Should hit at least 50% of pitches from the coach.

Should loose inappropriate fear of the baseball, especially when facinf other kids pitching.

Should understand the basics of when to tag the runner and when there is a force out (forget 3-6-3 double plays when F3 tags first base before making the throw).

Should understand stealing on passed balls.

Should hit for a .200 average off of kid pitching (watch the ones just looking for walks though).

The basics of the baseball swing should be well established including lower body movement, hip pivot, and follow through.

Pitchers should be able to throw strikes 20% of the time. Velocity is not a factor. The player should also be developing the basics of a pitching motion from the stretch.

Catchers should be able to catch strikes with the glove almost 100% of the time (at least hitting the glove). They should also be able to block some pitches in the dirt immediately in front of them. No expectation for throwing our baserunners except to hustle to passed balls.

Problems to identify include, excessive fear of the ball, backing out of the batter's box, ducking throws, still waving the bat at the ball like a tennis racket, no follow through, inattentiveness (is this a word, Bean?:), poor fileding technique on ground balls, and underhand catches for pop ups.

I think these things are for the "average" player. More advanced players may be able to do more things. BTW, I don't think I have seen many players who could do all of these things at each age. What we look for is the ability to do most of them and the understanding, if not profinciency, of the others.

Someone tackle nine years olds before I do.

Splitter