The general rule for youth league baseball is that there are no head first slides into any base. The Square Stand Up/Sit Down Slide is the general baserunning slide used in youth baseball. This sliding technique can be used when sliding into 2nd, 3rd, or home plate.
Have each player face the coach, with a bat or glove placed in his hands above his head. This trains the player to keep his hands above his head so there is no risk of injury or damage to his hands.
As the hands are up, count to 3, and on the count of 3, the player will form a figure 4 with his legs and simply sit down as he slides into the base.
1 – 2 – 3 – Slide
The foot should be under the leg to protect the ankle from injury, and the knee should be up and flexible so he doesn’t jam his knee.
The heel is also up so that on an overthrow, the player can easily get up and continue running for the next base.
Once your players are comfortable with the sliding technique, you can remove the bat.