How do you boost morale for a losing team?

Encourage them to not worry about the outcome, just have fun! See if they can set any personal bests, maybe not focus on getting a hit as on hitting the ball as hard as they can when at bat.

Get them a T-shirt that says

I did my best
I played the best
I am the best suckah!

Celebrate the small wins: a good play in the field, a good at-bat (even if it doesn’t result in a hit, you can see that a hitter was spoiling and fouling off tough pitches, watching the strike zone, etc.) Celebrate the effort. Celebrate the end of a game where no one got hurt or quit.

What @zenvelo said. That, and practice more, and better.

Wouldn’t it depend on the age of the kids…Sandlot seven-year olds and teen-aged boys require very different approaches. Do the members remain the same or do some leave and new blood arrive?

@gailcalled In my example the team is made up of girls in 3rd-5th grade. Most of the players are the same girls from last year.

@turtlesandbox: Oh, boy. How are they taking it? Droopy and morose or light-hearted and philosophical? (Probably not in that age-group). Are you one of the coaches, or a parent? I can think of no helpful advice, sorry.

How about this:

Create charts with individual goals to achieve. Some of these could consist of physical tasks, such as

“Run 100 metres in less than 20 seconds”, or

“Hit a set target with a ball”, or

“Walk six yards, balancing a book on your head”, or even

“Catch a baby tomato with your mouth”

You know, just to get them moving and build confidence…

The other tasks could be geared towards building character:

“Lose a game, and be the first one to smile afterwards”, or

“Teach another team member something new”, or

“Teach your coach something new”, or maybe

“Congratulate the winning team with a celebratory song, together with your team mates”

Some tasks could be the same for all the girls, some created individually. You know the kids pretty well, I’d guess – maybe the girl who is always starting fights could have “Say sorry, and mean it.” on hers. If the tasks aren’t the same for all the kids, it’s not as likely to become a competition.

A big thank you to those who were helpful.

fyi- People leave this site due to bored jokesters who have taken over with their unhelpful answers.