Little League Shortstop Case Study

The shortstop is usually considers a team leader and the captain of the infield. The duties and responsibilities often go beyond simply fielding and throwing out runners. They must be aware of game situations, be responsible for communication between players and take charge when it is unclear who should be fielding an in-between pop fly. When teaching Little League shortstops how to play the game, it is important to coach them how to be the leader of the infield.

Communication -- 3

Before every at bat, the shortstop needs to assess the current situation. If there is a runner on first, he needs to make sure that the second baseman is aware of who is going to cover the bag in the event of a steal. If there is a runner on first, the shortstop is usually the player with the best view of the runner, so he should yell “Going!” loud and clear if the runner breaks with the pitch.

There are many more situations besides steal attempts in which the shortstop must make his voice heard. If there are runners in scoring position, he must remind his outfielders how many …show more content…
In a Little League ballgame, the shortstop will generally be involved in more plays than any other position of the diamond. In order to have them ready, you should incorporate fun fielding drills into practice. Kids love to be active and have fun. A good way to teach players to have good positioning and be able to move is to have them throw a tennis ball against a brick wall, receive the grounder and then aim for a mark on that same wall. The ball will be constantly returning to them forcing them to urgently return to a ready position. This also allows a coach to have multiple infielders working on their skills at the same time, and will give your Little League player ample opportunity to practice away from the baseball