With all the colorful and stimulating activities technology brings, a ball and bat can seem dull. That's why it's so important to understand the way your players' brains work.

Every person has a "dominant" learning style - their preferred way of processing information and learning new skills.

The mistake that most coaches make is focusing too much on auditory learning.

They stand in front of the team and try to lecture, not realizing that most of the kids have already tuned them out!

Once you recognize the three learning styles, you can customize your coaching approach for each of the different kids on your team, and make sure ALL of them stay focused and engaged.

Here's an example of how to put this into action.

Say you're teaching pitching mechanics to a small group. You would start with a visual-focused strategy, since the majority of the kids will respond to this best.

Here's a suggested teaching progression:

Ok - now we're talking. You've covered the three learning styles but your job is just beginning.

Now it's time to zero in on each individual athlete and figure out what makes them tick. Experiment with a variety of tactile, visual, and auditory coaching cues and see which ones they respond to best.

For example (sticking with our pitching mechanics theme):

The same approach could be used for any type of skill - pitching, hitting, fielding, baserunning, throwing or catching.

Try it out in your next practice and you'll see a dramatic improvement in your team's engagement level. They'll pay more attention to your instruction, pick up new skills faster, and perform better on the field!