Coached a fall ball team the past couple months for 13 year olds to be. Basically, players that had just finished their last year in Little League and will be moving up to Babe Ruth or travel ball in 2022. Having to keep reminding myself during the fall that these guys are still 12 (mostly) and trying to play on a bigger field with little to no experience on that bigger field. One of the biggest differences that I see between some of these players is their baseball IQ. You would think it would be size or speed or one of the other baseball tools. However, at 13 years old the baseball IQ is what can really separate players. The baseball IQ is not a quantitative figure...however all baseball coaches want guys with a high baseball IQ. Fall ball is a great chance to improve you baseball IQ and improve your game.
Physical skills can be improved with practice and reps and great instruction but baseball IQ takes time, patience and study to grow. Playing baseball, watching baseball and surrounding yourself with other players that like to talk baseball can all help you improve you baseball IQ. One of the biggest differences between a great player and a good player is usually that player's knowledge of the game and the ability to put that knowledge to work. Baseball is a very complicated game and the more you know the better ball player you will be. This might bring me back to a previous blog post when I wrote that there were two kinds of baseball personalities. If you have skill and a high baseball IQ, you are a Baseball Player and if you have skill and a low baseball IQ are just a guy that plays baseball. I am 52 years old and I am still a student of the game. I am always listening, reading, watching to get an advantage (now just for posterity) of baseball at all levels.
Fall Baseball has so many great dividends. Younger players it provides additional experience and moves that baseball IQ meter. Older players is a great opportunity to do the same but also to increase your chance of being exposed to the next level of baseball like college or pro. If you are already committed to a higher education institution to play ball that's even more reason to keep playing. Prove your worth and continue to get better both physically and mentally. If you are committed to play in college your future coach wants to see you playing in the fall. They want players on their team that love the game as much as they do. So unless you are playing another fall sport I would encourage you to play all fall if you have the opportunity.
Coach Bale
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