First season in kid pitch. They can lead off, steal, pick off etc. we're trying to cram a lot down their throats over the past 5 practices and need some easy steal signs for runners and take/bunt signs for batters.

aggielax48 said:

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Serious answer first, it can literally be anything. Down the sleeve, across the chest, touch the cap, touch the ear, touch the nose, etc., etc. More of a matter of how you relay it. First sign, indicator, etc.

Somewhat joking answer...just let them run, nobody is throwing you out at 9u. Don't bunt, they're 9. You don't need to bunt to move runners. Let them learn to attack pitches and put the ball in play. Play to develop, not to win. Don't take pitches, teach them to swing at good pitches and be aggressive in the zone. I think at most 9u baseball you could probably walk 80% of the time if you never swung but that's not helping anybody. I think if kids were more aggressive in the zone, the umps wouldn't have ridiculous zones to try to move the game along. Just my 2 cents, which probably got more serious there.

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That's pretty much what I have so far. For steals it's a swipe across the chest at anytime during a sign sequence. Taking a pitch is touching the cap within a sequence and bunts are two shoulder taps. Not really creative but it's what I got.

I doubt we'll bunt much even though every kid wants to do it since it is just now legal. Stealing is pretty much a give although we've picked off two kids in two scrimmages. Granted the runners weren't paying attention.

We agree with a lot of what you say although the two teams we've faced so far have each had a "walk" approach at the plate where we have been aggressive and it's bitten us. It's a hard juggle trying to develop the kids at the plate and the mound and win enough to where they don't get discouraged. If we can be aggressive at the plate and go .500 this fall season that would be ideal!

10andBOUNCE said:

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Shoot, at 9u and first season of coach pitch, I'm just gonna be yelling at them exactly what I want them to do across the field. I could care less if the other team knows.

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We couldn't steal in coach pitch...not sure if any league allows it.

After 4 games we have a good system down. We're basically stealing on the first pitch. Unless the catcher is the next pudge its almost impossible to throw down to 2nd and get the guy out. Third is a different story. We've been able to pick two guys off at third.

I think the only defense for second is to fool the runner from the mound and catch him in a pickle....which then brings another obstacle of getting a guy out in a pickle.

Sorry meant kid pitch

Just remember that with less than 2 outs, you HAVE to steal when you get a runner to first base. If you don't, you run the risk of the batter not being able to run on a dropped 3rd strike. Never have 1B occupied with < 2 outs and 2 strikes on the batter - that's the #1 rule of kid pitch.

Any time the batter gets strike 1, the next pitch has to be an automatic steal.