By 
The practices of any sport can be boring and unproductive if not planned in advance. Having a clipboard with your practice schedule written on it is a solid good idea. You can keep track of your time slots for certain exercises and keep them on file, you’ll know what you’ve covered.
Keep your practices to 90 minutes when possible. I realize that early preseason practices will probably be over due to the weather taking up valuable time early on.
Break practices up with a couple of water breaks so you can add some instruction as a group. Review what you have been doing so far and what you are going to do next.
KEEP PRACTICE MOVING!
Practices can be divided into different stations. A station is a group of players and 1 or 2 coaches. The term station refers to whatever skill is being worked on at that “station.”
Usually you will divide your players and coaches to best suit the drills you are doing. For example, take 3 receivers and do a blocking drill for 15 minutes. Then take your catchers to the plate and, along with 3 center infielders, go through a throwing drill. and tagging station. You can also work on backups at 2nd base, along with throwing drills for catchers. GET PARENTS INVOLVED!
You will obviously need help running these stations. That is why in the letter from the parents in the tests or inscriptions, it must be clear when asking for help. Parents or relatives do not have to have coaching experience, although it is helpful.
This is a great way to let parents see how much work you put into the team. Please make it clear who your assistant coaches are right away. NAME on your letter if possible Just because someone helps with the practice doesn’t mean they are now on staff.
I know some of this seems obvious, but believe me, it needs to be explained in detail to avoid confusion. Parents will also be trained on how to help with drills, and they may also work with the player at home.
A GOOD PRACTICE SHOULD SEEM TO END QUICKLY!
My nightmare practice scenario is this. A coach is trying to throw batting practice to 1 batter at a time. The coach may not pass home plate over home plate. The rest of the players and coaches are standing on the field looking very bored.
This is a very common practice and one of the reasons why children do not like to practice baseball. It is very boring. Well, I’m here to help you take charge of your team with an energizing practice.
Get creative and make up some different stations, or just use some old stations. Batting stations, pitching stations, catching stations, fielding stations, or pitching stations.
Rotate your coaches and volunteers to different stations at each practice to give them another station to learn. Keep track of which person worked which station so you can experience them at all stations.
KEEP THEM MOVING!
HIT STATION
What is emphasized at each hitting station is a good balanced stance, starting the swing with the bottom hand, along with strong hip rotation and a balanced high end or follow through.
We like to use a drill called a Towel Drill. It is simply placing a folded towel under each batter’s rear elbow. Several soft balls are then thrown at each batsman one at a time. Each batter is then trained to rotate their torso to hit the ball without the towel falling out from under them. his elbow. They quickly figure it out after a couple of practices. This is a good and inexpensive exercise.
Another exercise is the balanced bar exercise. Using a 60-inch 4×4 flat on the ground, have players hit a ball off a tee or pitch gently to see if their swing is balanced. It will also show you if they are taking a step forward. from the batter’s box.
I use soft pitch throughout the season. Try purchasing a batting net to set up wherever you go during the season. Using the soft pitch, you can watch the player’s hits to see if they are hitting correctly. All other hitting stations work a different part of the swing.
REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT
Baseball skills are learned through repetition, however we must avoid boredom by keeping station times to 15 minutes. Have players rush from station to station. While others man the stations, the manager can go from station to station and watch the players as he praises them. Stop at a station and interfere if necessary.
Take a break after all players have gone through the stations and go over the fundamentals of the drills again. Also preview what they are going to do next and praise their efforts in previous exercises. Have a coach demonstrate upcoming drills and what to do Answer player questions if needed, but stay on topic. The 90 minutes go by fast.
Be sure to praise players who are doing drills correctly for their skill level. Remember that not all players have the same skill levels, but all players need constant praise and encouragement.
90-minute practices do not include the 15-minute pre-practice briefing or warm-up time. Ask parents to bring the kids 15 minutes early, or if you’re really focused, just schedule practice time 15 minutes early.
WARNING: COACHES MUST ARRIVE EARLY FOR GAMES AND PRACTICE!
Parents will not get players to games and practices early if they see the coaches and manager running late.
My son had a coach who was always there when we arrived and we used to arrive 30 minutes before practice and 1 hour before game time. We only got there before him twice, and that was because we left even earlier than normal. There were no problems in that team about newcomers.
Getting to games early also helps to get good sides off the bench if they are unmarked. You can see field conditions during uncertain weather. You can do some work in the fields if needed or allowed. If it was a hard place to find, you can let others know by phone so they won’t be late. Show other teams that you mean business, it can give you a slight psychological edge.
PRACTICE EXAMPLE
Practice is scheduled for 12 noon.
1150 or earlier – you show up to make sure everything is set up, bases, pitching rubbers, gear, etc…
1145- Players arrive lucky, place them in parallel lines 20 to 35 feet apart. apart depending on the age group. Start warming up using proper mechanics. Any knockdown must be picked up and run back to the line. This prevents further takedowns from further away.
12 noon Call practice to order. Check which stations are being set up and which adults are running them. Divide the players as evenly as possible, dividing friends or siblings.
If this is their first practice using stations, show the children what you want at each station.
Station 1 A Drill Named Fly
Players line up in single file, the coach throws a football pass over the shoulder of the player who is running to make the catch. Pass the ball to the coach outside the line so that there are no collisions between the players. do this for 10 min.
Station 2 Fly ball drill with tennis balls
Using a tennis racket, hit flying balls to a single row of players, one at a time. Players must use 2 hands with the tennis balls or they will have a hard time catching them. do this for 10 min.
3 Station 5 Gal Bucket Drill
Install a 5 gal bucket on home plate or anywhere else you like. Line players up, throw a groundball or fly ball to them, using proper throwing techniques, try throwing baseballs into the bucket. Put the bucket at least 100′ away depending on the age group of course. Do this for 10 min.
Station 4 Cutting Hand Drill
Have the players rotate as a cut man, throw or hit the ball past the outfielder, have them chase, then pick up the ball, using good throwing form, hit the cut man. Rotate after each throw. 10 minutes.
1245pm
Take a water break, go over how the drills went, joke around with the players, and be very positive. Highlight all the good things you saw first, then maybe touch on what needs work. Above all, stay positive and fun.
1250pm
Divide into 2 groups 1 in 3rd, another in 1st. Single File Lines Have players set up some ground balls and fly balls, throwing them to coaches or receivers 15-20 feet up on each baseline. 10 minutes.
13:00
Put the players in regular positions or close to it. Bring 2-3 players to hit. Machine or Coach Throw Give each player 7 swings, then rotate to the next batter. Each player hits 2 times, then goes out and throws balls. After hitting a second time, call another player. Always have 1 or 2 players ready to bat, and have everyone ready to rush in and pick up balls between hitters.
125pm
Get the team together, go over things, and announce the next practice or game time. Thank everyone for being on time, especially the parents.
BE CREATIVE BE FUN BE POSITIVE
There are many other ways to carry out a practice, I have given you a basic format that you can modify in any way you see fit, but do not fall into the routine of doing the same things over and over again. Variety is the spice of life and so is baseball.
Sometimes you’ll have full fielding or batting practice. Schedule as many practices as team families will tolerate before the season begins.
CONCLUSION
Practice will make your team better, well-directed productive practices will do even more. When you run varied and challenging workouts, players will develop their skills faster. Always encourage them to work hard on their games. The most important thing is to be positive and fun.