PRACTICE 5 Focus: Agility, Catching, Fielding/Footwork, Base Running, Hitting
Agility Warm Up (10 Min)
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With a glove, player shuffles left and when in front of the ball, breaks down into the proper fielding position and then shuffles to the ball opposite and repeats
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Encourage staying athletic
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Do this 3 times to each side
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With a glove, player starts at bottom right cone and sprints forward to the cone ahead, back pedals to bottom left cone and approaches the ladder and ball breaking down into a proper fielding position
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Stationary feeds to a player with no glove
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Have player get into a proper fielding position and roll balls directly to them so their feet can stay stationary
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Focus is on getting the player into the proper fielding position and reaching out for the ball with their glove hand palm facing the ball and throwing hand over the glove hand
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Roll 3 to each and rotate
Hitting (35 Min)
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- Main focus point should be the player using their hands more than their body
- Young players aren't strong so they'll want to lock up their arms and use their body to swing
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Focus on the arms staying flexed, the knob to the ball, and the player hitting the inside of the ball
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The most difficult age group to teach hitting so keep it simple but effective
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Tee
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The player sets up in an athletic stance
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Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside
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Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each
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Have the player just get to contact for 5-7 reps
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At this point, the back foot and belly button should be pointed to the contact point​
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The back arm should be close to a 90 degree angle
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Next, have the player get through contact and to extension for 5-7 reps
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Have the player focus on making contact with the inside of the ball which forces the knob to the ball
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At extension, the back shoulder should be underneath the chin which is down ​
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At extension, the barrel of the bat should be facing the pitcher
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Move the tee to the middle contact point and have the player take a full swing
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Make necessary adjustments to a player’s swing
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Hitting Drill
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Set up the tee for a middle contact swing​
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Set up two cones 10-12 feet in front that are spread 10 feet apart
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Have the players take swings trying to hit the ball over and inside the two cones
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Throwing (10 Min)
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Player’s throw to coaches
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Start with wrist snaps on the knees
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Glove knee up, throwing hand knee down
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Throwing arm is at 90 degree
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Glove hand supports throwing elbow underneath
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With ball in hand, wrist starts forward, comes back, and forward to snap
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Arm does not move, just the wrist
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Throwing from the knee
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Start with glove shoulder facing target
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Glove to ear, ball separation behind throwing shoulder, elbow up
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On the throw, glove is tucked, wrist is snapped, throwing hand finished at opposite pocket
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Attempt to get the player’s to go from shoulder to shoulder with their throws
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Throwing from the feet in an athletic position
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Utilize same mechanics mentioned above
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Targets can be used for fun, i.e. Hula Hoops or Buckets
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Start close and slowly move back.
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Can add a competition for fun having the players attempt to throw through a hula hoop at various distances starting close and slowly moving back
Catching (10 Min)
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Start by having the coaches toss players a tennis ball up close with no glove
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Have them start in a stationary athletic position with the legs flexed giving a target with both hands out front​
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Feed them the ball and have them catch it with their glove hand with their throwing hand covering up after the catch
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Feed them balls from your knee in different areas encouraging the use of their legs working up and down (but still stationary)
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​If the ball is above their knee have them catch it finger tips up using their legs, below the knees catch finger tips down
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Have 3-4 lines and feed them 3 balls each and rotate
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Have the coaches toss balls just outside their glove side or and side
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Have them start in a stationary athletic position with the legs flexed giving a target with both hands out front​
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Feed them the ball and have them move their feet to the ball
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If tossed glove side, the footwork is glove foot to the ball, back foot plants, lead foot to the target​
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Have the player finish in an athletic throwing position
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If tossed hand side, the footwork is back foot plants, and glove foot leads to the target
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Have 3-4 lines and feed them 3 balls each and rotate
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Now with the glove, have the player get athletic by bending at the knees and having the feet outside the shoulders
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The coach will again feed 3 balls each from a close distance on their knee and rotate
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The players will give a target using two hands
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Focus on having them catch the ball finger tips up or finger tips down in a stationary position
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Fielding/Footwork (10 Min)
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Fielding Footwork
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Setting up in an athletic position with a ladder directly in front and a ball placed in front of the ladder that’s running horizontal.
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A right handed player will put their right foot in a ladder square followed by their left foot (it will be the opposite for a lefty)
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As soon as the player gets their left foot down, they will reach with their glove towards the ball in a good fielding position
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Right/Left reach for a righty, Left/Right reach for a lefty
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The two steps into the ladder should be in rhythm
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Next, move the players back so they have to take multiple steps
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Focus on short choppy steps until they get to the ladder
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Agility/Footwork/Base Running (15 Min)
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Have a coach simulate a pitcher
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Proper leads and footwork, step, step, shuffle, shuffle, go
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Quick feet through the ladder, one foot in each, then two feet in each
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Work on rounding the base getting to the inside