By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
When evaluating how baseball and softball leagues went last year, Great Bend Recreation Commission Sports Director Shane Sandberg said the number one complaint for 3rd and 4th grade softball and baseball was the amount of walks each game.
That grade level switches to a format with the children pitching.
"I went back and looked through box scores," said Sandberg. "There were games where there were 20-plus walks and walking in five runs per inning. Nobody is learning how to hit like that. Nobody is learning how to run the bases and the defense isn't getting to play any defense."
Sandberg said this age group is one of the hardest to coach because you are teaching the children how to pitch. The Rec will introduce a kid-pitch and parent-pitch hybrid style for 3rd and 4th grade ball this summer.
"We'll evaluate if the kid is sitting there watching eight pitches go by, we're going to have to make an adjustment on the fly," said Sandberg. "We're assuming in one or two pitches they're going to get something to swing at."
If there is a walk, a parent or coach from the hitting team will come out to throw to the children where the batter will get one swing. If there is a foul ball, the batter will get another pitch from the adult.