How Sportball T-Ball Sets Your Child Up For Success

Let’s be honest: T-ball’s reputation is mixed. Sometimes kids find games to be slow or drawn-out, based on first-hand experiences of waiting idly in the outfield and having no interaction with the ball. This often happens when children play on full-size baseball diamonds before they are able to hit off a tee, and before they are capable of hitting a ball into the outfield. In other words, many T-Ball programs place expectations on children that exceed their ability levels, and do not set them up for success. T-Ball classes at Sportball are a great way to introduce your son or daughter to the sport of baseball in a fun and supportive environment. While children may gain exposure to T-Ball in our year-round Multi-Sport classes , Sportball also offers outdoor T-Ball-specific classes in the spring and summer months. In contrast to other community-based T-Ball leagues, Sportball classes set your child up for success because they are:

1. Developmentally-Appropriate
2. Non-Competitive
3. Led by Caring and Knowledgeable Coaches

Developmentally Appropriate

At Sportball, we go to great lengths to find out what is developmentally appropriate for our youngest sport participants (e.g., 2 and 3 years). Therefore, we source and use modified (larger) bats, balls, and tees, and our classes run on smaller fields that require shorter running distances between bases, and allow kids to play closer to home-plate. These modifications increase the odds of kids making throws or catches in a given game or drill, and allow children to cycle through positions faster. Our T-Ball program teaches children a variety of basic physical literacy and baseball skills, including throwing, catching, batting, running bases, and fielding , and our play-based approach uses creative and imaginative storylines and coaching techniques that make learning baseball exciting and memorable for young children.

Non-Competitive

Secondly, Sportball’s non-competitive program design ensures that our classes are inclusive and modified to meet the needs of each individual player. Therefore, whether it is a child’s very first time playing organized sport, or their second or third session, coaches know how to keep kids optimally challenged. Our focus is on fostering children’s competence, confidence, social skills, and creating positive learning experiences, as opposed to focusing on winning or being the ‘best’. Subsequently, we ensure that children do not get preferential spots on the field because of their ability level, and all children get an equal chance to play fun in-field positions and step up to the tee to bat. Children are also celebrated for their individual efforts and improvement, rather than ability to outperform one another – increasing their confidence and giving them the courage to continue playing, or trying other sports in the future.

Led by Caring and Knowledgeable Coaches

Finally at Sportball, our coaches are passionate about working with young children, and knowledgeable about the best ways to do so. While we encourage parents to attend T-Ball practices and support their children from the sidelines or in our Parent and Child classes, each of our classes are led by non-parent coaches who have extensive education and training. In addition to learning classroom management techniques, coaches are taught our methodology called Coaching with Purpose – which ensures that each skill, activity, and instruction has a specific purpose and expected outcome. In other words, while one of our main goals is to keep children moving and physically active, all of our classes are intentionally designed to assist in the development of gross- motor skills, sport-specific skills, and social skills, setting kids up for success not only in T-Ball, but in life.

What T-Ball Program Should I Sign my Child up For?

To learn more about T-Ball or register your child today!