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Teaching Priorities Survey
April 1998 - the most extensive Nose 2 Nose to date
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What do we really need to be teaching?

This is, by far, the most extensive Nose-to-Nose - more choices offered and more 'votes' submitted.
  • No surprise: older-age coaches and players have more moderate/high priorities than younger-aged teams.
  • A bit unexpected: the age at which almost everything should be first taught is older than average for older teams and younger than average for younger teams. It could be that young-team coaches are more anxious and older-team coaches more patient. Still, older-team coaches expect players to have learned most skills BEFORE they get them, whereas young-team coaches see most skill development in the future. (That's what the 'AT' column indicates.)
That's how WebBall interprets the results, but you can draw your own conclusions.

PRIORITIES OVERALL (all ages) 12 and under teams (43%) 13 and up teams (57%)
  HIGH MOD LOW AT HIGH MOD LOW AT HIGH MOD LOW AT
Power Hitting      •  14      •  12    •    15
Bunting    •    11      •  10  •      12
Double Play    •    12      •  11  •      13
Relay  •      11  •      10  •      11
Change Up    •    13      •  12  •      14
Curve      •  15      •  14      •  15
Pitch Sequence      •  14      •  12  •      14
Sliding  •      10  •      9  •      11
Stealing  •      12    •    11  •      13
Rundown    •    12      •  10    •    13
Basic Signals  •      11  •      10    •    12
Complex Signals      •  15      •  14      •  15
Coverage Strategy    •    13      •  12  •      14
Hit and Run      •  14      •  13    •    14
Scorekeeping      •  13      •  13      •  14
Nutrition    •    12      •  11    •    13

Comments from voters...

As a high school coach in a small town it is my request and my goal to have some of the basics taught and retaught at the younger levels. Very few of my players come to me with any knowledge of skills such as: bunting, cutoffs and relays, changeups, sequencing, etc. However, they do know how to swing for the gate and throw a curveball which are both not necessarily good for young players.
- Brad Dix

Highest priority is teaching proper swing mechanics to over come 4 years of misinformation by prior coaches.
- Tim McKinnon

I believe that it is imperative that we teach the kids and make sure that they know the basic fundamentals. Knowing and using the fundamentals will carry the kids throughout their baseball careers.
- Billy Tubb

I am the freshman coach at Hudson's Bay High School in Vancouver Washington. For 12 years we have had the premier program in the league if not the state. Basic bunting, throwing strikes and changing speeds, putting guys in motion to hit /run or stay out of the DP are priorities. Nothing is more important however than hustle. You only get so many chances to show your hustle and we emphasize this a great deal.
- Ken Smith

My highest priority was not listed on the survey. I am a big believer in throwing a high percentage of strikes. You have to make the opposing team put the ball in play. If you opponent beats you with basehits that is fine, but there is no defense for a walk.
- Todd Cline

In teaching pitchers at the 11-12 age, location is the highest priority. This teaches them they should think about each pitch but not hurt thier arms with teaching an unnatural throwing motion.
- Bud Mast

Self-Confidence needs to be stressed as part of fundementals. You gotta believe!
- Ken Mickey

Editor's Update:
We have reviseted this topic from other angles in more recent years, looking at what should be taught when. and this is an area where much research continues. Look for updates in the coiming year.

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