Playing baseball is tough and often frustrating. If you’re just starting out, you’re likely to spend a lot of time on defense early on, trying to track down batted balls and tagging the runner out. As your experience grows, you’ll learn to be more aggressive on the field and take charge at the plate while still having to pay close attention because of baseball’s unique rules.
But what’s even tougher is learning how to play baseball while playing football! Learning how to play both sports can seem like two different universes for newbies… but with these helpful tips from a professional athlete who can do it himself, it’s not as difficult as it seems.
- Use soccer’s One-Two Punch
The one-two punch is a 메이저사이트 football strategy where a tackle is made on the open side, and the fullback follows up with a swing pass right at an area in front of the end zone so that the receiver can put up the chains. The same idea applies to baseball. Just because you’re not on offense doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact by running down to cut down time on defense and running interference in the outfield while your teammates are at bat. Both sports have a lot in common and use the same fundamentals whether you’re playing offense or defense.
- Practice on the Job
Unless you have another athlete around who can help you out, you’ll have to run drills on your own. While it’s effortless for professional athletes, a beginner needs to know that throwing and catching take time to get used to! Don’t be surprised if your arm hurts the next day from overexerting yourself the day before. The key is to practice as much as possible without causing injury. Just like other sports, soccer and football take practice, patience, and knowledge of what you’re doing before becoming a true expert.
- Master the Easy Plays
While the play should be going on in front of you, you’ll also have to keep your eyes on the runner. If a teammate is making a throw or hand-off up close, you better be ready to move out of the way. The same applies to baseball when a player tags up and tries to stretch out a single into a longer run. Avoid collisions at all costs! These examples are just two easy plays where knowing how to cut down time can make or break the game.
- Take Advantage of the All-Out Effort
Both soccer and football players have to make big plays in games. If you’re in a game against another team, watch for players making big plays on defense or offense. By doing this, you can take advantage of the all-out effort they put forth, and by making any play at all, you get more time to make score or stop an opponent.
- Don’t Quit When You’re Ahead
Whether it’s baseball or football, when you’re ahead with a run or a base hit, don’t just stop trying. You’ve got to keep pushing the other team and keep on going until the last out.