Practice Plan for Saturday

Keep your fingers crossed that the rain holds off.... practice at 8:30 a.m. Wrap it up at 10 a.m.

We have a couple fun drills -- football baseball and perfect innings -- and we'll get some BP in.

We will be without four of our comrades: Wendell, Zach, Owen and Nino.

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

Team Drills/Batting Practice

60 minutes: Football Baseball, 15 minutes; Perfect Innings, 15 minutes; Team Cutoff/Batting Practice, 30 minutes (10 minutes per group in BP)

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:

Football Baseball

Goal: Fun time

Procedure:

• Divide team into two groups
• Set up cones in the general shape of a football field
• Four players on each team move to opposite ends of the field (two subs)
• Play the game similar to flag football, except use a softie instead
• Start the game at the "20 yard line"
• Each member of the Defensive Team holds two balls in their glove
• The Offensive Team have empty gloves so they can catch the tennis ball
• When the player on the Offensive Team catches a pass, players on the Defensive Team must tag the player
• If one of the balls fall out of his glove, the play continues until another player can make a successful tag
• The Offensive Team has 3 plays to score a touchdown
• When a team scores, the other team begins at the 20-yard line
• Coach is the referee (have a whistle)

Key Points:

• Emphasize the need to squeeze the balls tightly in the glove

Perfect innings

Goal: To develop defensive proficiency by using game situations

Procedure:

• Two teams compete against each other: one on defense, one running the bases.
• Coach hits the ball wherever he wants.
• A team must make nine consecutive outs.
• Any mistake pulls the team off the field and the other team goes on defense.
• Try to simulate all routine situations that come up in a game.

Team Cutoff

Goal: To teach outfielders how to properly field the ball and then throw it to the appropriate cutoff man.

Procedure:

• Split the team into 3 groups with two groups in the field, one group to the batting cage.
• Position three fielders in the OF, two/three at SS, 2B and P
• Hit fly balls and line drives into the outfield.
• Relay the throw from OF to 2B to P.
• Rotate the groups, giving each group a chance at each spot.