Friday, May 15, 2009

Practice Plan for Saturday

Pre-practice Warm-ups
5 minutes: Throwing and catching
5 minutes: Running
5 minutes: Stretching

Team Drills

60 minutes: Steal the Bacon, 15 minutes; Hole in the Diamond, 15 minutes; 5x5 Scrimmage, 30 minutes

Practice Wrap-up

15 minutes: Baserunning (Run through 1B; 1B to 3B; Home to 2B; 2B to Home; Home Run, finishing with a slide)

Drills:

Steal the Bacon

Goal: Develop ball handling skills, particularly picking the ball up with the bare hand

Procedure:

  • Divide the team into two groups and number the players in each group
  • Coach puts the ball between the two groups and yells out a number
  • Both players with the number run toward the ball and try to grab it, or steal the bacon
  • When one of the players picks up the ball, the other tries to tag him with the glove
  • The player who gets the ball tries to run back to his line without getting tagged
  • Award one team a point if its player gets back to the line without being tagged
  • Award the other team a point if its player makes the tag before the runner reaches the line
  • No points are awarded if the runner drops the ball
Key Points:
  • Emphasize that the boys need to squeeze the balls in their gloves

Hole in the Diamond

Goal: To teach fielders keep hard hit balls in front of them

Procedure:
  • Divide the team into four groups of three
  • One team spreads out between 3B and 2B; another team between 2B and 1B; third team in the outfield backing up 3B-2B team; final team in the outfield backing up the 2B-3B team
  • Coach hits baseball to the team on one side of the diamond, trying to get the ball to the outfield grass
  • The infielders must stop the ball from getting to the grass
  • If the ball reaches the grass, the team on the other side of the diamond gets a point
  • After four grounders to each team, the outfield teams move to the infield, and the infield teams to the outfield
Key Points:
  • Explain that fielding the ball doesn't necessarily mean making a clean catch
  • Emphasize keeping the ball in front of the body
  • Watch the ball into the glove

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