Drills and Skills Parents,

Week 3 of Drills and Skills Saturday...same time (12:30PM)...same location (Field D)...different stations (Hitting, Kickball, Catching). As always, parent help is encouraged...just jump in and help with setup and stations. Lots of opportunity to help at the catching station (see below for details on the drills and key coaching points).

And...
Don't forget the most important station...playing catch with your player at home. See below for "knock-it-down" drill (better and more fun than "basket-catching" for beginning players).

One more thing...
Sunday June 12 is HFLMYB Red Wings Day at Frontier Field. Tickets can be purchased through our league...I will have some with me Saturday.

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Week 3 - Drills and Skills
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Prep (before session begins):
* 5 Tees, 5 bats, 10 Helmets, 20 baseballs to area behind Field D backstop…align in a row (like golf driving range)…15 feet apart
* Bag of soft baseballs to right field line (behind first base)
* Kickball to home plate of Field D
* Box of animal crackers from chow-hut

Welcome & Warm-up (11AM)
* Location: Field D infield
* Equipment: None
* Drills: Arm circles, jumping jacks, pogo jumps, neck rolls, torso twists, etc.

Station 1 - Hitting (12 minutes)
* Location: Open area behind Field D backstop
* Equipment: 5 tees, 4 soft baseballs per tee, 5 bats, 10 helmets (all kids wear helmets)
* Drills: Hit balls off batting tee. Tees in a row…"firing squad" style
* Coaching Tips for Parents helpers: 1) Safety...only kids at tees can swing bats, all hitters wear helmets 2) Watch the ball, athletic position/knees slightly bent, bat off shoulder, swing hard (swinging hard encourages correct balance) 3) Don't have batters chase balls (safety)...older siblings or parents should retrieve baseballs.

Station 2 - Kickball (12 minutes)
* Location: Field D infield
* Equipment: Kickball
* Drills: Play kickball.
* Coaching Tips: Emphasize baserunning and "go get ball" on defense. Some kids will get it and others not so much...try not to slow game down too much with explanations...keep it moving and fun.

Station 3 - Ball Handling & Catching (12 minutes)
* Location: Field D Right Field Line
* Equipment: Bag of soft baseballs or tennis balls (one ball per player)
* Drills: 1) Ball handling drills (no glove...like basketball drills)...toss to self...two hands, one hand, alternate hand, catch after one bounce on ground, catch after bounce off knee, etc. Kids copy coach. 2) "Knock-it-down"...Toss soft baseball or tennis ball to player who then knocks ball down with back of glove. This teaches fingers-up and active catching, and gives kids confidence since it is easier than catching and they learn how to protect themselves with their glove. 3) 1-on-1 or small group catch with parent helpers. Players wear baseball gloves. Parents toss to kids, kids throw back.
* Coaching Tips: Catch with two hands, fingers out, soft hands, watch ball all the way into hands. Can start with at-the-waist "basket catch" (thumbs out), but try to progress quickly to above-the-waist catch (thumb-to-thumb).

Close (3 minutes)
* Location: Field D backstop
* Equipment: Box of Animal Crackers from Chow Hut

-Justin
justinnaa@gmail.com
585-472-1715

4-year old Baseball Drills & Skills Families,

Saturday April 30 is our first session and pictures. See below for details on Saturday's program (stations, drills, etc.)

All parents are encouraged to join in and help with stations...follow your child from station to station.

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Drills and Skills Baseball - Week 1 - Logistics
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1) UNIFORMS & PICTURES (11:45AM)
 - Meet at the Pavilion for uniform handout and pictures
 - See previous emails for picture order form and optional pre-order online
 - Easiest to Park at St. Catherine's lower lot and walk across foot-bridge (Field D is close to that parking lot. Parking by Lehigh Valley Trail will likely be full by mid-morning Saturdays)     

2) BASEBALL - 12:30PM on Field D (T-ball field)
 - Walk back to Field D after Individual and Team Pictures

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Stations, Drills, and Ideas for Practicing at Home
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Our program is simple...get the kids moving and having fun. We sneak in a little baseball instruction and skill-building too. Each week we'll have three stations that the players (and parents) will rotate through. Stations will change as the season progresses. While we will have a few coaches helping to run things, we need parents to volunteer and help with the stations. Just jump in and help...no experience required.

Each child should bring a baseball-glove and wear sneakers or cleats to each practice. We will supply bats, balls, helmets, and batting tees.

Drills & Skills website page: http://www.hfmbaseball.org/page/show/2519279-drills-and-skills-4-2016-

Drills and Skills Baseball - Week 1 Stations - 45 Minutes
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Welcome and Warm-up (6 minutes)
* Location: Open area behind backstop
* Equipment: None
* Drills: Arm circles, jumping jacks, pogo jumps, neck rolls, torso twists, etc.

Station 1 - Hitting (12 minutes)
* Location: Open area behind backstop
* Equipment: 5 tees, bag of soft baseballs, 5 bats, 10 helmets (all kids wear helmets)
* Drills: Tees in a row…"firing squad" style
* Coaching Tips for Parents helpers: 1) Safety...only kids at tees can swing bats, all hitters wear helmets 2) Watch the ball, athletic position/knees slightly bent, bat off shoulder, swing hard (swinging hard encourages correct balance) 3) Don't have batters chase balls (safety)...older siblings or parents should retrieve balls.

Station 2 - Baserunning (12 minutes)
* Location: Field D infield
* Equipment: None
* Drills: 1) Run bases 2) learn names of bases (yell out base names) 3) Fun game...to try to catch parent/coach who gets 5-step head-start.
* Coaching Tips for Parent Helpers: Hit inside corner of base (not top of base), run hard, explain that base is "safe". No bats (safety).

Station 3 - Throwing (12 minutes)
* Location = Right Field Line
* Equipment: Bucket of tennis balls, 2 blue barrels
* Drills: 1) Throw-get-throw (one ball per player, throw ball, chase it, pick it up, throw it again, to the fence and back) 2) Throw into barrel (pile of balls, barrels on side, 15 feet away, players throw simultaneously, no lines, tons of balls, make a mess) 3) Throw at coach holding barrel above head and also moving around. ("space invaders")
* Coaching Tips for Parent Helpers: 1) Explain mechanics (reach back, step toward target with opposite foot, throw hard) 2) We want players to throw hard (i.e.don't aim it...throw it...distance better than accuracy at this age)

Close (3 minutes)
* Location: Field D backstop
* Equipment: Box of Animal Crackers from Chow Hut

-Justin Smith
HFLMYB Drills and Skills Coordinator
JUSTINNAA@GMAIL.COM
472-1715