Book Description

How to Play Baseball: The Parent's Role in Their Child's Journey is like a toolbox full of valuable information for parents, coaches or anyone who is in a position of responsibility for young athletes. The lessons, anecdotes and techniques that are a part of every chapter are drawn from the extensive experience of the author, Chuck Schumacher. It is a balanced mixture of martial arts philosophy and the heart and soul of our national pastime. Baseball is something all Americans have grown up with but few understand the intricacies' that go with playing the game, especially at a high level. This book points out the need for parents and coaches to play their role in a responsible way, respecting the difficulty of the game and the truth of proper training: that developing skill takes time, especially for young, inexperienced players. Practical advice and techniques are offered throughout the book and the reader can go to the chapter that may address a particular need; chapters such as Effort, Staying positive or Master the Basics before Attempting the Advanced. In these chapters and others, they will garner a wealth of useful and practical information that will help them play their role in a way that is helpful to kids. Examples of incorrect behavior and thinking by adults that actually hinder a child's progress instead of helping, are presented throughout the book. Consequences to kids are discussed and solutions are offered. Examples of adults correctly playing their role and the rewards that come with this positive behavior are also pointed out. The life lessons that are available through baseball and other sports are relative to every chapter. In the chapter Attitude, adults are encouraged to be the ones who help kids understand how their actions, good, bad, or indifferent, will directly affect not only their playing time on the team, but eventually other areas of their life. In another chapter entitled Patience, we learn that patience is the ability to be at peace with a situation as it develops. Not living in the past, not living in the future, but living in the present moment. There is a separate chapter for volunteer coaches with advice on coaching kids, including wearing the right hat: the youth coaching hat, not the major league baseball hat.