Columbus Baseball Organization

Just like most youth organizations, the Columbus Baseball Organization relies on the dedication and strength of our volunteers in order to support our baseball players. Our youth baseball program is seeking parent volunteers to serve as coaches for the upcoming season. Coaching is a rewarding way to be involved, support our players, and help create a fun, safe environment for learning baseball fundamentals and life skills like teamwork and sportsmanship.

T-Ball- Fun is the emphasis in this program! Kids will begin to learn the rules of the game, proper throwing, fielding, hitting and sportsmanship. A tee is used over home plate to teach consistency and the basics of batting. Practices and games will be held at Kiwanis Park on Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting at either 5:30pm or 6:30pm. This league really thrives off of collaboration with parents. Each team will need a head coach and a couple of assistant coaches to help out. All parents are encouraged to help at this age level!

Coach Pitch- Fundamentals are the emphasis in this program. It focuses on hitting, fielding and base running and builds confidence in a non-competitive environment. It bridges the gap between t-ball and kid pitch, where their coach pitches to their own team to ensure consistent, hittable pitches. Practices will be held at Kiwanis Park on Monday and Wednesday evenings starting at either 5:30pm or 6:30pm. Games will be held at either Kiwanins Park or Fall River on Monday and Wednesday evenings starting at either 5:30pm or 6:30pm. Each team will need a head coach and a couple of assistant coaches to help out.

American League- The Eastern Suburban Youth Baseball League (ESYBL) was founded in 2004 by a group of small communities east of Madison, WI, with the desire to establish a recreational baseball league for players grades 3-6. The ESYBL currently comprises of teams from Waterloo, Marshall, Deerfield, Cambridge, Columbus, Fall River, Lake Mills, Jefferson, Cottage Grove & McFarland. Practices will be held at Kiwanis Park with games being held in Columbus and the above communities. Each team will need a head coach and a couple of assistant coaches.

National League- The Eastern Suburban Youth Baseball League (ESYBL) was founded in 2004 by a group of small communities east of Madison, WI, with the desire to establish a recreational baseball league for players grades 3-6. The ESYBL currently comprises of teams from Waterloo, Marshall, Deerfield, Cambridge, Columbus, Fall River, Lake Mills, Jefferson, Cottage Grove & McFarland. Practices will be held at Kiwanis Park with games being held in Columbus and the above communities. Each team will need a head coach and a couple of assistant coaches.

Hitting Fundamentals

To teach a young player proper baseball hitting mechanics, you don't actually want to think about mechanics. Instead, you want to think about "movements and feel."

Six steps at the plate:

1. The Setup – The setup is a pre-pitch routine that you perform consistently the same way every time you come to the plate. "I like my players to do something before each pitch to get themselves mentally back in tune, like stepping out of the box, taking a practice swing, taking a deep breath, whatever," Beck says. "It may seem silly, but it comes in handy when a player hits a ball poorly or swings ugly. Having a consistent routine is like hitting the 'reset' button, and keeps the mind nice and clear."

2. Load – "Loading is the process of gathering energy," Beck says. "At this point, you're getting down into your legs and core by using the biggest and strongest muscles of your body. When a hitter gets down into their legs, their shoulders and head can't rise, meaning you're less likely to "pull" off the ball or take your eyes off the ball due to excessive head movement. Getting both heels connected to the ground prior to launch is the key." You want to teach an athlete to load their legs on every pitch. Watch MLB players and you'll see they do this on every pitch at every at bat. Their legs load so they have all of their power ready to swings should they want to do it.

3. Launch – The pitch is on the way and you like it. You're going to take a swing at it. What's next? The stride toward the ball. "As you stride, you are down into your legs and ready to deliver a controlled and powerful swing. The rotation of your hips is sending power to your shoulders and hands."

4. Contact – The point where you hit the ball is going to vary depending on pitch location and pitch speed. "Of course, you're always trying to hit the ball on the sweet spot of the bat. The trouble is that's hard to do," Beck says with a smile. "The trick is to get the barrel of the bat on the same path as the pitch early. The trick to that is to see the release point of the ball." All that visualizing the athlete has been doing at the batting cage should be helpful here.