8u practice 3 | eaconsulting

PRACTICE 3 Focus: Agility, Pitching/Catching, Throwing, Catching, Hitting

Agility Warm Up (10 Min)

Player starts at bottom left cone with glove tucked and sprints forward
Once past the top cone, the player back pedals in the opposite direction
Player continues until through all cones

Player start at bottom right cone with their glove and shuffles feet athletically until outside bottom right cone
Player sprints forward until past top right cone and shuffles left until outside top left cone
Player then back pedals to bottom left cone

Stationary feeds to a player with no glove
Have player get into a proper fielding position and roll balls directly to them so their feet can stay stationary
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
Roll 3 to each and rotate

Throwing (15 Min)

Player’s throw to coaches
Start with wrist snaps on the knees
- Glove knee up, throwing hand knee down
- Throwing arm is at 90 degree
- Glove hand supports throwing elbow underneath
- With ball in hand, wrist starts forward, comes back, and forward to snap
- Arm does not move, just the wrist
Throwing from the knee
Start with glove shoulder facing target
Glove to ear, ball separation behind throwing shoulder, elbow up
On the throw, glove is tucked, wrist is snapped, throwing hand finished at opposite pocket
Attempt to get the player’s to go from shoulder to shoulder with their throws
Throwing from the feet in an athletic position
Utilize same mechanics mentioned above
Targets can be used for fun, i.e. Hula Hoops or Buckets
Start close and slowly move back.
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

Agility Competition (15 Min)

Player starts at front left cone with their glove and shuffles laterally to the right in an athletic position
Once past the front right cone, the player sprints forward until past the cone ahead
Once past, the player shuffles to the left
When the player reaches the front of the ladder, they move forward with quick feet stepping one foot in each
When player exits the ladder they use the proper footwork to enter the second ladder breaking down into a fielding position and extending the glove to the ball

Catching (15 Min)

Start by having the coaches toss players a tennis ball up close with no glove
- Have them start in a stationary athletic position with the legs flexed giving a target with both hands out front
- Feed them the ball and have them catch it with their glove hand with their throwing hand covering up after the catch
- Feed them balls from your knee in different areas encouraging the use of their legs working up and down (but still stationary)
- Have 3-4 lines and feed them 3 balls each and rotate
Forehands/Backhands with tennis ball without the glove
- Coaches start close and lightly underhand toss balls to the various 9 catching zones
- In a stationary position, player’s move their catching hand to the ball finger tips up/finger tips down
- The focus isn’t on catching the ball, but to get to the ball the correct way
- Slowly move back as the players get comfortable with getting to the ball
Now with the glove, have the player get athletic by bending at the knees and having the feet outside the shoulders
- The coach will again feed 3 balls each from a close distance on their knee and rotate
- The players will give a target using two hands
- Focus on having them catch the ball finger tips up or finger tips down in a stationary position

Introduce Hitting (35 Min)

Have a coach discuss and demonstrate the proper hitting fundamentals
Discuss and break down the swing

Have a coach demonstrate the fundamentals displayed in the images step by step while the players are circled around with a bat
- Player is in an athletic stance
- Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside
- Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each
- Load and stride into an attacking position
- Front foot heel plant and back elbow slot
- To the contact point
- Through to extension
- Finish
Tee
- The player sets up in an athletic stance
- 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 for 5-7 reps
  - At this point, the back foot and belly button should be pointed to the contact point
  - The back arm should be close to a 90 degree angle
- Next, have the player get through contact and to extension for 5-7 reps
  - Have the player focus on making contact with the inside of the ball which forces the knob to the ball
  - At extension, the back shoulder should be underneath the chin which is down
  - At extension, the barrel of the bat should be facing the pitcher
- Move the tee to the middle contact point and have the player take a full swing
- Make necessary adjustments to a player’s swing

Review Pitching (20 Min)

Have a coach review and demonstrate the proper pitching fundamentals
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

Review Catching

Have a coach review and demonstrate the proper catching fundamentals
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

Player starts at bottom left cone with glove tucked and sprints forward

Once past the top cone, the player back pedals in the opposite direction

Player continues until through all cones

Player start at bottom right cone with their glove and shuffles feet athletically until outside bottom right cone

Player sprints forward until past top right cone and shuffles left until outside top left cone

Player then back pedals to bottom left cone

Stationary feeds to a player with no glove

Have player get into a proper fielding position and roll balls directly to them so their feet can stay stationary

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

Roll 3 to each and rotate

Throwing (15 Min)

Player’s throw to coaches

Glove knee up, throwing hand knee down

Throwing arm is at 90 degree

Glove hand supports throwing elbow underneath

With ball in hand, wrist starts forward, comes back, and forward to snap

Arm does not move, just the wrist

Start with glove shoulder facing target

Glove to ear, ball separation behind throwing shoulder, elbow up

On the throw, glove is tucked, wrist is snapped, throwing hand finished at opposite pocket

Attempt to get the player’s to go from shoulder to shoulder with their throws

Utilize same mechanics mentioned above

Targets can be used for fun, i.e. Hula Hoops or Buckets

Start close and slowly move back.

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

Agility Competition (15 Min)

Player starts at front left cone with their glove and shuffles laterally to the right in an athletic position

Once past the front right cone, the player sprints forward until past the cone ahead

Once past, the player shuffles to the left

When the player reaches the front of the ladder, they move forward with quick feet stepping one foot in each

When player exits the ladder they use the proper footwork to enter the second ladder breaking down into a fielding position and extending the glove to the ball

Forehands/Backhands with tennis ball without the glove

Coaches start close and lightly underhand toss balls to the various 9 catching zones

In a stationary position, player’s move their catching hand to the ball finger tips up/finger tips down

The focus isn’t on catching the ball, but to get to the ball the correct way

Slowly move back as the players get comfortable with getting to the ball

The coach will again feed 3 balls each from a close distance on their knee and rotate

The players will give a target using two hands

Focus on having them catch the ball finger tips up or finger tips down in a stationary position

Have a coach discuss and demonstrate the proper hitting fundamentals

Have a coach demonstrate the fundamentals displayed in the images step by step while the players are circled around with a bat

Player is in an athletic stance

Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside

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

Load and stride into an attacking position

Front foot heel plant and back elbow slot

To the contact point

Through to extension

Finish

Tee

The player sets up in an athletic stance

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 for 5-7 reps

At this point, the back foot and belly button should be pointed to the contact point​

The back arm should be close to a 90 degree angle

Next, have the player get through contact and to extension for 5-7 reps

Have the player focus on making contact with the inside of the ball which forces the knob to the ball

At extension, the back shoulder should be underneath the chin which is down ​

At extension, the barrel of the bat should be facing the pitcher

Make necessary adjustments to a player’s swing

​

Have a coach review and demonstrate the proper pitching fundamentals

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

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

Have a coach review and demonstrate the proper catching fundamentals

At this point, the back foot and belly button should be pointed to the contact point

At extension, the back shoulder should be underneath the chin which is down