Baseball Q&A: Tossing It Around With a Youth Coach

Last week’s column focused on the idea of encouraging your children (and yourself) to be well-rounded in motor skills so that more opportunities will exist for sports and physical activities, and they'll  be more enjoyable. Starting today and in coming weeks, I will share my interviews with area experts about specific sports. Today, we talk with Sean Pettway, a local baseball superstar (my words not his).

Sean has been coaching kids for the last eight years and has coached or assistant coached dozens of teams involving his three children (ages 7, 9 and 12). I asked Sean for some specific tips for parents about baseball, but left feeling that his words of wisdom could apply to most sports.

Patch: Can you tell me about your baseball background including how old you were when you started playing?

Sean:  I started at age 8. When we were young, you played in the neighborhood. It is what everyone did. We mainly played pick-up games. The actual season was only about 12 games (as opposed to 20 - 30 these days).

Sean explained that he played baseball at UCLA for two years as catcher but was surprised to find out how hard other young players were working and that they played year-round. A defining moment came when he heard (for the first, but not the last time) a player saying he better get picked up (by a major league team) since he couldn’t keep playing for the school because he was flunking out. That was not Sean’s pathway at all as he got into school first and then was recruited for the team. Although he was offered scholarships to other schools, he had no interest in living in the snow or anywhere too far away and described himself as a “mama’s boy.”

P: What age do you recommend children start playing baseball?

S:  I think they should start with soccer to get balance around 3 to 4 years old and play catch at home. They could start baseball at 5 years old but emphasize playing catch.

 P: When do you think it is too late to start baseball?

S: It’s never too late to have fun but the first thing you need to decide is if you are doing it for fun or to become a pro. There are the perennial players and then there is Joe Bob who picks up a ball at 10 years old in the Midwest somewhere and becomes the next phenomenon. Aaron Hicks (14th pick in the Major League Baseball draft) is our own Long Beach example. He started at 12 or 13 years old.

Sean then noted what John Wooden told Sean’s UCLA baseball team when he heard a kid was one-in-a- million his response was, “well he needs to be one in a billion.” There are really good kids all over the place that people just don’t realize, said Sean, even though (he added) Southern California is a baseball mecca.

P: OK but what about your regular kid who just starts showing an interest at around 10 years old but is not a super athlete. Can the parents do anything to help their children and is it the expectation that they practice outside of team practice?

SP:  As a coach, I say yes (they should practice outside of team practice). Play catch with your kids. It is one of the best things you can do to develop hand-eye coordination. In the end, both the parent and child will be better at it. I used to throw the ball for hours against the house. It’s great for kids to do this (or use the garage) for practice. Also, practicing with a batting tee is underrated. We used the tee all of the time at UCLA. It is great for working on the swing.

There are a lot of little things you can do. We like to (at home with the family) get mini-bats (we pick up from visiting different stadiums) and play sock ball inside.

P: Do you have an opinion about the Wii for baseball hitting?

SP: Yes, a Wii swing does not translate to real baseball. You can hit 100 home runs on the Wii and then you have 100 incorrect swings you need to undo.

P: Do a lot of baseball coaches emphasize the fitness aspect?

SP: No, it should be more. The biggest problem is the time constraint. However, when kids are not fit, they are more likely to get hurt because if their legs tire they will overuse their arms when they throw and they need to use the lower body.

P: Do many coaches use weight training with baseball?

SP: No, not until they are around 13-14 years old.

P: Is there anything else you would like to add?

SP: I think the game of baseball should be played in a relaxed state. Too many coaches are screaming and yelling during the games. When I coach, I mainly watch the game we have already practiced and it is time to play the game. I mean, I like to win as much as the next guy, but never if it is going to cause either embarrassment or injury.

Sean Pettway is currently the manager for his son Zachary’s Major Rockies team, the coach for his son Ryan’s Minor A Stanford Cardinals and a helping dad for his daughter Leah’s Detroit Tigers. He is also the Minor B vice president for Long Beach Little League.