Plan to run your practice by the clock. Remember, if you don't plan, then plan to fail. Having a practice plan ensures practice that has a purpose and allows you to monitor yours and your team’s progress.
Consider the skill set of the age group. Although the complexity of the practices changes over time, the need to warm and stretch should be demonstrated from an early age. This is to begin to establish a routine that may help avoid injury later on.
You will find that the skills portion will take up less and less of the practice time as the players improve. Baseball is a sport like any other. Certain skills sets are needed to compete – throwing, catching and hitting.
I have broken the various skills into their component parts. Learn these because they are the individual can be taught. Things like speed cannot. We can however create a more efficient runner.
Looking forward once the basics are learned you spend more time planning strategy and working on ‘situational plays’. This is not to suggest that the two a mutually exclusive – they are not. We constantly ask the young player “Where’s the play?” This way the knowledge base expands with the various skills development.
Practice is really where it all begins. Having a well-co-ordinated practice will make sure everyone is keeping active. If you have really young players it doesn’t take long to lose attention especially the really active ones. Try to keep the time spent teaching new skills to a minimum. Providing too much information leaves too little time for the ever vital, repetition.
To get ready for practice have available bucket of balls, bats of various sizes, clip board, pencil, copy of The 5 Tools Chart (to follow) and positive mental attitude. Create a chart. This can be filled out
during practice for later discussion and planning.
5 Tools Skill Chart
NAME_/SPEED_/_ARM_/FIELDING/__HITTING__/ENTHUSIASM/_AVERAGE
_____I______I_____I_________I___________I___________I________
_____I______I_____I_________I___________I___________I________
_____I______I_____I_________I___________I___________I________
_____I______I_____I_________I___________I___________I________
Aver I______I_____I_________I___________I___________I__XXXX__
Typically players are rated on a 1-5 scale where 1 indicates no skill at all, 2 = rudimentary skill. 3 = average ability, 4= above average, 5 = superior ability. This scale is designed to rate the players relative to age and experience.
As players continue their baseball careers they will continue to be rated in this way most often. If your organization requests assessments of your players at the end of the season, this is a handy tool. Take the time to update the chart frequently to monitor progress; once a month should be enough.
Ultimately 'Enthusiasm' will be replaced with 'Knowledge'
Here's an example of a practice plan for new ball players:
7:00 - 7:10 Announcements then light jog to centre field and back (fill out names on chart)
7:10 - 7:15 Form a circle and stretch: 1) Rotate ankles , 2) Spread legs and do side bends to stretch ham strings and torso, 3) Wrist stretch and rotate, 4) Shoulder rotation, 5) Shoulder stretch.
7:15 - 7:25 Form in two lines, facing each other. Demonstrate proper throwing and fielding technique (see skills and drills). Begin with the players close enough that no one gets hurt and then gradually back them up. Monitor and correct as necessary.
7:25 - 7:35 Place the players around the infield to field ground balls. Have the players throw the ball back to home plate. Encourage proper technique as practiced prior.
7:35 -7:45 Move players back to receive outfield ground balls. Have the players throw to second base.
7:45 - 8:00 Put players in position and begin batting practice. Can be off a tee, pitching machine or live. 5-10 reps per player - live on last rep. Ensure you keep play going or you’ll never finish on time. Move players around infield and outfield positions. Keep 2 players ‘on deck’, so no waiting while the next player comes in to hit. Have one coach watch hitting while another works with fielders. Encourage proper fielding technique
8:00 Practice ends. Final announcements.
Whether you had help or not,” Congratulations”. You are officially Coach!
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