3 Fun Games Will Make Your Little Leaguers A Better Players

The hardest thing for a baseball coach or a parent to do, is to make practice fun. Especially at the younger ages, fun practices help engage the players and teach them valuable fundamentals at the same time. Making competition fun is a key aspect of being a good baseball player. Here are 3 baseball game/drills that are fun and will help make your Little Leaguer a better player.

1. "Pepper" - Pepper, is a game that can be played with 2 to 6 players positioned about 8-10 feet in front of a batter. According to learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com, the intent of the game or drill is to have the batter randomly hit the ball to one of the fielders, who is supposed to catch it and quickly tosses it back to the hitter to repeat the process over and over, while never allowing the ball to touch the ground. Good hitters spray the bunts around to each fielder. It is a tremendous eye-hand coordination drill that is good for bunting, hitting and fielding and most of all, when you get good at it, Pepper is fun!

2. "Pickle" - In Pickle, the fielders need to work the ball back and forth in an attempt to get the runner out According to baseball-tutorials.com, the runner needs to try to advance to third base or get back safely to second. You can award the fielders two points if they get the runner out. One point if they get the runner back to second, zero points if the runner gets to third base. The game/drill focuses on accurate throws, changing velocity and arm angles, plus base running. Pickle is a terrific skill drill for any age group.

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3. "Pop-Tennis" - This is an easy game/drill that uses a tennis ball and tennis racquet to reinforce proper fly ball fundamentals. One player hits the tennis ball high in the air for the other player or players to catch. Coaches can hit to their players. Some coaches make the players do this drill bare-handed. You should always start with the glove. You want players to practice how they play. This is a great drill to teach catching the ball in the glove and securing it with the free hand. This is a fun drill.

Those are 3 great drills to do with your Little Leaguers this summer when they are hanging out on the ball field or in the backyard. When you make the drills fun, it's not practice anymore. Enjoy and play ball!