Baseball Drills and Skills Saturday...Field D...12:30PM.

This week...100% baseball! No pesky pictures or uniform handouts!

This week's stations...hitting, baserunning, throwing...same as last week (next week we'll mix it up). I won't be there, so Scott Hammond will be kicking the group off. Parents...please jump in and help with stations...no experience necessary...just bring the energy! (see below for coaching tips)

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Week 2 - 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
* Bucket of tennis balls to right field line (behind first base)…2 blue barrels
* Box of animal crackers from chow-hut

Welcome & Warm-up (6 minutes)
* 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 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. We want strong/fluid/athletic/natural throwers...who cares if they don't have accuracy at this age.

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

Remember...#1 priority is fun!

See link for more practice ideas at home...this is the T-ball coach packet. Look for the drills marked for T-ball.
http://www.hfmbaseball.org/page/show/232699-coaches-corner

The file is named "2016 T-Ball Pre-Game Practice Plan and Drills.pdf"

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