8u practice 7 | eaconsulting

PRACTICE 7 Focus: Agility, Pitching/Catching, Infield Dailies, Catching, Throwing, Fielding/Footwork, Hitting

Agility Warm Up (10 Min)

Player starts at bottom left cone with glove 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

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

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

Fielding/Footwork (10 Min)

Players line up in a single file line facing a coach
The coach rolls the player a ball directly to them
The player fields the ball moving forward with proper mechanics
After fielding, the player quickly pops to a throwing motion
Player then jogs the ball to the bucket in front of her and gets in the next line
Players rotate through each line and repeat

Hitting (50 Min)

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

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
Short Front Toss
- Coach pitches from 8-10 feet away sitting on a bucket
- Keep focus on proper mechanics
- Make necessary adjustments
Introduce Sacrifice Bunts
- Have the coach introduce the proper fundaments of a sacrifice bunt
- The player sets up in an athletic stance with feet opened up towards pitcher
- The bat starts at the top of the strike zone
- The bat stays as close to eye level as possible using the legs
- All pitches above the bat, the bat is pulled back
- All pitches in the strike zone, the legs get the bat to the ball
- The players arms are flexed and upon contact a small push can be made to the ball
- Bat is slightly angled for placement down 3rd and 1st

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

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

Player starts at bottom left cone with glove 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

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

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

Players line up in a single file line facing a coach

The coach rolls the player a ball directly to them

After fielding, the player quickly pops to a throwing motion

Player then jogs the ball to the bucket in front of her and gets in the next line

Players rotate through each line and repeat

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

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

Short Front Toss

Coach pitches from 8-10 feet away sitting on a bucket

Keep focus on proper mechanics

Make necessary adjustments

Introduce Sacrifice Bunts

Have the coach introduce the proper fundaments of a sacrifice bunt

The bat starts at the top of the strike zone

The bat stays as close to eye level as possible using the legs

All pitches above the bat, the bat is pulled back

All pitches in the strike zone, the legs get the bat to the ball

The players arms are flexed and upon contact a small push can be made to the ball

Bat is slightly angled for placement down 3rd and 1st

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

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

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