Beverly Carroll - How to Coach Youth Baseball: A Step-by-Step Approach

Fran OBrien has dedicated his life to teaching and coaching. A graduate of Tufts University with a masters degree also from Tufts, he has been the head baseball coach and director of social studies at Randolph High School in Massachusetts, the head baseball coach and assistant athletic director at M.I.T. where he won the ECAC championship in 1993, the head baseball coach at Holy Cross college, and the head coach of the Harwich Mariners. His awards include Cape Cod League Manager of the Year, New England Coach of the Year, the Jack Butterfield Award for Devotion to College Baseball, and the McDonough Award for the New England collegiate baseball coach who best exemplifies respect, dedication, and appreciation for the game of baseball. In 1989, he was inducted into the Massachusetts Baseball Coachs Hall of Fame.

Kevin OBrien has followed a standout career playing baseball with a professional career coaching baseball. After being chosen an AllNew England Player in college, he went on to become a Cape Cod League All-Star and to play professionally for the New York Yankees franchise. A graduate of Tufts University with a masters degree from the University of Massachusetts, he has coached baseball at Brandeis University and in the Cape Cod League for the Hyannis Mets and the Harwich Mariners. He is currently a professional scout for the Toronto Blue Jays, and the owner of Bostons Sweet Swing Hitting Academy.

Beverly Breton Carroll is a writer whose work, both nonfiction and fiction, has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers throughout the United States. She is also the author of The Confident Coachs Guide to Teaching Basketball, written with her husband NBA coach and ESPN analyst John Carroll.

Matthew Viglianti is a Boston-based photographer who contributes regularly to several Massachusetts newspapers. His sports photography work has taken him as far afield as Torino, Italy, to photograph the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.

Thank you to my co-authors. Fran, for being the epitome of grace, patience, and baseball knowledge; this book would never have happened without you. Kevin, for supporting the book from the start, and bringing your enthusiasm and love of the game to everything you contributed.

Thanks again to Tom McCarthy. An author couldnt ask for a better editor.

A giant thank you to Mary Jo Rulnick. Author, friend, and former high school softball player, for once more reading every word, then making sure she could act out every drill, never mind if someone at work wondered why she appeared to be pitching an invisible ball or swinging an invisible bat!

A heartfelt thank you to my two favorite go-to guys. My son, Austin, veteran of all-star and high school baseball teams, for willingly demonstrating anything I asked to see, from flat back finish to crow hop. My husband John, former high school baseball player and youth baseball coach, for picking up his cell phone anywhere anytime to answer any question I had about baseball, and for helping me cover all my bases when I was too involved in writing a book on baseball to cover them myself.

And a very special thank you to our models: Connor Green, Ben Johnson, Henri Levenson, Eric McPherson, Khloe OBrien, Jack Reid, and Ben Richter. You brought such enthusiasm and ability to our photo shoot. Thanks for sharing it!

And may you, and every other person touched by this book, keep enjoying everything baseball offers for many years to come.

BEVERLY CARROLL

Copyright 2007 by Beverly Breton Carroll, Francis OBrien, and Kevin OBrien

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher.

Lyons Press is an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield.

All interior photos by Matthew Viglianti.

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-1-59921-051-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

This book is my opportunity to share with you the knowledge I have gained over the past four decades as a coach on the high school and college levels. I am deeply indebted to the coaches on the college and professional level who have given me the foundation to teach and coach every aspect of the game that I love and respect. It is through them that I have been able to develop individual and team performance that reaches for excellence on the field of play.

It is especially fulfilling for me to share in the books preparation with my son Kevin. His coaching background and knowledge of the game reflect the multitude of experiences he has had in the game, most recently as part of the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Most importantly, the expert guidance of Beverly Breton Carroll in coordinating, directing, and enthusiastically supporting our efforts has been much appreciated. Her expertise as a writer and her appreciation for sports and coaching were invaluable in preparing this book.

Lastly, I wish to thank my wife of fifty years, Claire, who has been such a great supporter of my career. It is her love and understanding that has made my coaching experiences a family affair which has been shared with Kevin and his sisters Kathy, Karen, Kelly, and Kristine.

FRAN OBRIEN

In the movie Field of Dreams Kevin Costner ends up playing catch with Shoeless Joe Jackson, who he figures out is his father. My baseball career has been a living field of dreams as my father and I have enjoyed a tremendous bond fueled by our mutual love for baseball.

Being mentored by ones father is nothing new. Being around a man who is a legendary coach and an extraordinary person is a gift few boys are privileged to experience. My fathers personal integrity and care for others supersedes any of his superior coaching. His hallmark as a coach has been his ability to teach, nurture, and instill incredible confidence in his players. His knowledge and feel for the game of baseball is second only to his desire to help people.

Throughout his life he has shared that his goal was to coach in the College World Series. He lived this dream vicariously through his grandson this past June when his grandson Daniel Bard, pitching for the University of North Carolina, stated on national television that his grandfather was his biggest influence in baseball. Daniel called him a baseball genius. My fathers love of baseball and influence over young people is truly multigenerational.

Every team has an unsung hero and in our family that would be my mother Claire. She has sacrificed so much to make sure our family was strong and supported in every endeavor. Her devotion and love of her husband and kids is Hall of Fame material.

Having my daughter Khloe be a part of the book as a model for some of the pictures makes this book even more special. I, too, hope to pass on the wonderful game of baseball to my own children. Khloe, Colin, Garret, and Whitney, budding superstars who will get all the love and support they need to become great successes in life, I dedicate this book to you with all my heart.