8u practice 11 | eaconsulting

PRACTICE 11 Focus: Agility, Pitching/Catching, Throwing, Catching, Infield Dailies, Hitting, Team Defense Infield/Outfield

Agility Warm Up (10 Min)

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
Encourage staying athletic
Do this 3 times to each side

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

Catching/Throwing (10 Min)

Knee wrist snaps with glove
Throwing from the knees
Regular throws starting close and slowly move back.
Add a competition for fun having the players attempt to throw into a bucket from 10-12 feet
The focus is on elevating the ball with a proper release point and wrist snap
Catching and moving through the ball
- Player sets up in an athletic position
- The player steps forward with her glove foot as she receives the ball fingertips up and throwing hand to the side
- The player continues working through the catch by carrying her momentum forward as she crosses over with her throwing hand foot
- The players momentum continues through the ball as she plants her throwing hand foot
- Her glove foot strides toward the target finishing in a throwing position

Infield Dailies (10 Min)

Dailies are performed by two players that are 5-7 feet apart
If the players are having difficult feeding to each other and it's not efficient, have the coaches step in

Hitting (25 Min)

Tee
- Athletic stance with no stride approach
- Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside
- Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each
- Have the player just get to contact and through to extension starting slow then progressively getting faster maintaining proper form
- Focus on staying athletic through to extension with chin staying down
- Have the player take a full swing finishing high at the shoulder
- Position the tee to the middle contact point and have the player take a full swing
Soft Toss
- Coach kneels to the side and slightly in front of batter
- Coach slowly tosses the ball to batters strike zone
- Batter swings through with focus points above
Front Toss
- Coach pitches from 12-15 feet away
- Keep focus on proper mechanics
- Make necessary adjustments

Infield/Outfield Defense (60 Min)

Infield/Outfield
Situations/Positioning
Bunt Coverage
Force Play/Tag Play

Infield/Outfield Warm Ups (20 Min)
- Split the team in to two groups
- Have one coach work with outfield fundamentals throwing or hitting fly balls and grounders
- Have another coach work with the infield rolling or hitting grounders
  - You can have the players stay in one position or can rotate them through the infield from third, to short stop, to second, and then first
  - Work on force plays to first, second, third, and home and explain defensive positioning and coverages
  - Stress the fundamentals of good footwork, working through the ball, staying athletic, and good throws
- After 10 minutes, the infield goes to the outfield and outfield goes to the infield

Infield/Outfield Defense (60 Min)

Coach places the players in positions
- The coaching starts with the outfield hitting to the left fielder, center fielder, then right fielder (Work on relays as well)
- The coach hits each outfielder 2 balls with the outfielder throwing to second, then third
- When the outfield is throwing to 2nd base:
  - The second baseman covers 2nd base on all balls hit to the left side of 2nd base
    - When the second baseman covers, the right fielder is the backup and gets in to proper position if the ball gets passed
    - The short stop is the cut off on all balls that get by the outfielders on the left side
  - The short stop covers 2nd on all balls hit to the right side of 2nd base
    - When the short stop covers, the left fielder is the backup and gets in to proper position if the ball gets passed
    - The second baseman is the cut off on all balls that get by the outfielders on the right side
- When the outfield is throwing to third base:
  - The third baseman covers third base
    - The pitcher is always the back up
    - The short stop is the cut off on all balls fielded by the left and center fielder with the second baseman covering 2nd base
    - The second baseman is the cut off to balls hit to right field with the short stop covering 2nd base
- The coach then hits balls to infielders
- Each position receives 3-4 balls one at a time (Work on both force plays and tag plays and explain proper positioning of the receiver for each)
  - When the third baseman fields:
    - When the third baseman throws home, the short stop rotates to cover 3rd base and second baseman covers 2nd base
    - When the third baseman fields a ball for a force out at 3rd base the short stop covers 3rd base if necessary
    - When the third baseman throws to 2nd base, the second base covers and turns two with the right fielder backing up
    - When the third baseman throws to 1st base, the first baseman covers with the right fielder backing up
  - When the short stop fields:
    - When the short stop throws home, the catcher receives and the second baseman rotates to cover 2nd base
    - When the short stop throws to third, the third baseman covers and the short stop drop steps with balls hit to their glove side
    - When the short stop throws to 2nd base, the second baseman covers turning two
    - When the short stop throws to 1st base, the first baseman receives the ball
  - When the second baseman fields:
    - When the second baseman throws home, the catcher receives and the short stop rotates to cover 2nd base
    - When the second baseman throws to 2nd base, the short stop covers turning two
    - When the second baseman throws to 1st base, the first baseman receives the ball
  - When the first baseman fields:
  - When the first baseman throws home, the catcher receives and the short stop rotates to cover 2nd base
  - When the first baseman throws to 2nd base, the short stop covers turning two
  - When the first baseman fields she touches first for the out with the second baseman rotating to 1st base if needed
- Go through 3-4 cycles of the above with the infield and outfield
- Next, work on very basic situations with runners on various bases and let them know how many outs there are

Pitching (20 Min)

Wrist snaps restraining pitching arm shoulders stay isolated
L Drill
- Glove pointed to target
- Body is open with glove shoulder facing target
- Pitching arm is straight up with ball
- Feet are positioned at a 45 degree angle towards target
- Back heel starts raised
- Player takes a small step with the front foot
- Then the back leg drives towards the target
- Back knee finished close to front knee
- Glove arm and pitching arm drive down together
- Wrist snap to target
Knee Arm Circle (Right Handed Pitcher)
- Right knee is on the ground at a 90 degree angle to the target
- Left leg is extended to the target
- Glove and front shoulder are facing target
- Pitching arm is elevated above and out over the body
- Player starts by driving the pitching arm down in a circular path
- The ball is snapped toward the target by the hip
Full Motion or Lunge Leg Drive

Catching

Setup/Positioning
- Feet are shoulder width apart
- Knees fully bent
- Back is straight
- Glove arm is at 90 degree with glove opened towards pitcher
- Throwing hand is behind back
Framing/Receiving
- Glove arm stays flexed and out in front
- For an inside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is up
- For an outside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is down
- For a high pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers palm is down
- For a low pitch, the catcher receives the ball finger tips up

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

Encourage staying athletic

Do this 3 times to each side

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

Add a competition for fun having the players attempt to throw into a bucket from 10-12 feet

The focus is on elevating the ball with a proper release point and wrist snap

Player sets up in an athletic position​​

The player steps forward with her glove foot as she receives the ball fingertips up and throwing hand to the side

The player continues working through the catch by carrying her momentum forward as she crosses over with her throwing hand foot

The players momentum continues through the ball as she plants her throwing hand foot

Her glove foot strides toward the target finishing in a throwing position

Infield Dailies (10 Min)

​​

Dailies are performed by two players that are 5-7 feet apart

If the players are having difficult feeding to each other and it's not efficient, have the coaches step in

Tee

Athletic stance with no stride approach

Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside

Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each

Have the player just get to contact and through to extension starting slow then progressively getting faster maintaining proper form

Focus on staying athletic through to extension with chin staying down

Have the player take a full swing finishing high at the shoulder

Soft Toss

Coach kneels to the side and slightly in front of batter

Coach slowly tosses the ball to batters strike zone

Batter swings through with focus points above

Front Toss

Coach pitches from 12-15 feet away

Keep focus on proper mechanics

Make necessary adjustments

Infield/Outfield

Situations/Positioning

Bunt Coverage

Force Play/Tag Play

Infield/Outfield Warm Ups (20 Min)

Split the team in to two groups ​

Have one coach work with outfield fundamentals throwing or hitting fly balls and grounders

Have another coach work with the infield rolling or hitting grounders

You can have the players stay in one position or can rotate them through the infield from third, to short stop, to second, and then first ​

Work on force plays to first, second, third, and home and explain defensive positioning and coverages

Stress the fundamentals of good footwork, working through the ball, staying athletic, and good throws

After 10 minutes, the infield goes to the outfield and outfield goes to the infield

Coach places the players in positions

The coaching starts with the outfield hitting to the left fielder, center fielder, then right fielder (Work on relays as well)

The second baseman covers 2nd base on all balls hit to the left side of 2nd base​

When the second baseman covers, the right fielder is the backup and gets in to proper position if the ball gets passed​

The short stop is the cut off on all balls that get by the outfielders on the left side

The short stop covers 2nd on all balls hit to the right side of 2nd base

When the short stop covers, the left fielder is the backup and gets in to proper position if the ball gets passed​

The second baseman is the cut off on all balls that get by the outfielders on the right side

When the outfield is throwing to third base:

The third baseman covers third base ​

The pitcher is always the back up​

The short stop is the cut off on all balls fielded by the left and center fielder with the second baseman covering 2nd base

The second baseman is the cut off to balls hit to right field with the short stop covering 2nd base

The coach then hits balls to infielders

Each position receives 3-4 balls one at a time (Work on both force plays and tag plays and explain proper positioning of the receiver for each)

When the third baseman fields:​

When the third baseman throws home, the short stop rotates to cover 3rd base​ and second baseman covers 2nd base

When the third baseman fields a ball for a force out at 3rd base the short stop covers 3rd base if necessary

When the third baseman throws to 2nd base, the second base covers and turns two with the right fielder backing up

When the third baseman throws to 1st base, the first baseman covers with the right fielder backing up

When the short stop fields:

When the short stop throws home, the catcher receives and the second baseman rotates to cover 2nd base

When the short stop throws to third, the third baseman covers and the short stop drop steps with balls hit to their glove side

When the short stop throws to 2nd base, the second baseman covers turning two

When the short stop throws to 1st base, the first baseman receives the ball

When the second baseman fields:

When the second baseman throws home, the catcher receives and the short stop rotates to cover 2nd base

When the second baseman throws to 2nd base, the short stop covers turning two

When the second baseman throws to 1st base, the first baseman receives the ball

When the first baseman fields:

When the first baseman throws home, the catcher receives and the short stop rotates to cover 2nd base

When the first baseman throws to 2nd base, the short stop covers turning two

When the first baseman fields she touches first for the out with the second baseman rotating to 1st base if needed

Go through 3-4 cycles of the above with the infield and outfield

Next, work on very basic situations with runners on various bases and let them know how many outs there are

Glove pointed to target

Body is open with glove shoulder facing target

Pitching arm is straight up with ball

Player sets up in an athletic position

Split the team in to two groups

You can have the players stay in one position or can rotate them through the infield from third, to short stop, to second, and then first

The second baseman covers 2nd base on all balls hit to the left side of 2nd base

When the second baseman covers, the right fielder is the backup and gets in to proper position if the ball gets passed

When the short stop covers, the left fielder is the backup and gets in to proper position if the ball gets passed

The third baseman covers third base

The pitcher is always the back up

When the third baseman fields:

When the third baseman throws home, the short stop rotates to cover 3rd base and second baseman covers 2nd base