Scared to bat.

Question
Hi! My son just turned nine years old. He has always enjoyed playing baseball in the back yard, but he has never played organized baseball. He has always been fairly athletic, and was encouraged to play baseball by a friend's father that felt he had some natural ability. His first at bat of the season he was hit on the hand by a wild pitch. Since then he has gotten progressively more "jumpy" at the plate. He started out jumping out of the batters box when the ball was thrown, then he went to jumping before the pitcher let go of the ball. This weekend he cried each time he went to the plate. It is torture for him and us. He has now said he doesn't want to bat. In the back yard he does fine. I asked his coach and all he suggest is batting cages. This doesn't fit my son's personality as he has always been pretty fearless in all aspects of sports and life in general. I am truly at a loss as to how to help him. I appreciate your help!

Answer
Derek,

Thanks for the question. This is tough on you and him.  Getting hit will do one of two things that they are opposite: 1- it will go the way your son has, or 2- it creates a batter who is always willing to "stick himself out" and actually take the pitch "for the team" so to speak.

I always try to encourage the kids when they get hit at that age.  Let him know that he did a good job getting on base for the team, even though it hurt.  Let him know that the chances of getting hit are small, but part of the game, and it is a positive stat.

As for getting him over it, I have been through this will several players when I coached that age.  Best way I found was tennis balls. Throw him batting practice with tennis balls. They don't hurt much when they hit you and he can get his swing grooved.  The more he sees the better.  Take special care for the first several sessions not to hit him.  After several sessions, calmly teach him how to get out of the way of a pitch.  Turn the back to the pitch and then throw him BP with the tennis balls.  At this point, maybe a week into it, throw a few at him.  If you hit him, it won't hurt, plus he can work on moving out of the way the right way.  

Eventually incorporate real baseballs and hopefully, with a lot of work on both sides, his fear will be gone.  This method has worked for me and others.

There is the chance that he will never get over it.  I don't know him so I can't tell what his personality is.  I have one player on my 14 year old team that I have had for 2 years.  He has led our team every season getting hit by pitches.  He has turned it into an art and it is a positive.  It does hurt, but it is part of baseball.  

Try not to overpush him or call him names because of it.  It is now a real fear for him.  Work with the soft tennis balls and hopefully, he will get over it.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Mike