Make Practices More Productive And Fun …this simple adjustment does the trick

Creating an optimum practice environment: keeping kids active, having fun and being productive.  It can be argued, this is priority number one for a youth baseball or softball coach.  The mission of Baseball Positive, in a nutshell, is to help make youth baseball and softball an activity all kids ‘want to come back to next year’.

Surveys of why kids quit baseball can be found everywhere.  There are a variety of reasons.  The one reason for quitting, consistently at the top of these lists is, ‘It wasn’t any fun’ or ‘it was no longer fun’.

How can we make practices (and games) more fun?

Watch 0:30-1:10 (in the background) outfielders training drop step and going back

Making Games and Practices More Active and Fun

Two places to improve the fun in games is getting more strikes thrown by pitchers (so the ball is put into play more frequently) and training all nine players that they have defensive responsibilities on each play.  When all the kids are moving and involved, games are more fun.

There is a single modification coaches can make in practices that profoundly changes the experience for their players.  This simple adjustment keeps the kids moving, active and learning throughout practice.  And increases the single most important factor in skill development - massive repetitions.

What is this easy adjustment in how we run a practice? ...We chuck the bat and deliver balls in drills by rolling, throwing, and tossing.

Watch 3:50-4:15; 4:55-5:10 Footwork For Playing the Outfield. Minnesota Twins' Miguel Sano in learning the Outfield 101 being coached by Joe Lepel and Oswaldo Arcia in right field.

College and Pro Coaches Run Drills Without Using A Bat

Stop!  Don’t click away.  Give me a moment to explain.  During my first spring training as a member of the Cubs organization, our outfield instructor, former major league player Jimmy Piersall, ran drills extensively without using a bat.  When I first arrived on the Wichita State campus as an assistant coach in the early 90’s, many drills were run with coaches rolling, throwing and tossing the ball.  In the years that followed, as I observed other college and pro programs, there was one constant: coaches running many drills without using a bat.

The videos to the right show multiple of examples of coaches running drills without using a bat.

Yankee Minor Leaguers. Using a machine (same concept: Accurate delivery, Quick pace, Massive Reps) - Watch 0:15-0:35. A Yankees infield coach instructs three prospects how to turn a double play as a second baseman: Jorge Mateo, Tyler Wade and Gleyber Torres...

A key to skill development is repeating the same good actions over and over and over.  For this to happen we need to consistently deliver the ball to the same spot.  What percentage of the time can we, using a bat, hit a ball ten feet to the second baseman’s right while standing at home plate?  What percentage of the time when rolling the ball from 20’ away?

When using a bat, we shank the ball, pop it up, line it past the player or hit it too wide.  Gosh, sometimes we even swing and miss [:o  These inevitable errors by the coach slow the activity, learning and fun for the kids.

College and pro coaches run fielding drills every day without a bat, why don’t we do the same in youth baseball and softball?  My theory is youth coaches, when attending a college or pro game and see the coach standing at home plate hitting balls around the field in pre-game warm up.  The misunderstanding is we are watching a warm-up activity.  These college and pro coaches run drills much differently during practice.

Productive Drill Structure

Fielding Clinic -- TOTAL TIME: 1 min, 15 seconds -- Watch: 2:25-2:40 (15 sec) | 3:50-4:10 (20 sec) | 4:55-5:05 (10 sec) | 5:25-5:40 (15 sec) | 7:10-7:25 (15 sec)

An effective drill session has 3-4 groups of players on different parts of the field.  The groups are in compact spaces with coaches delivering balls to the players by hand.  This environment is fast moving and, most importantly, gives the players massive repetitions, repeating fundamentally sound actions.

When I was coaching in college, driving to high school games to scout players, I went past hundreds of youth practices.  In most every instance the same thing was going on:  a coach at home plate, with a bat in their hands, with the entire team spread out around the field.  Most of the players were standing around waiting while one ball was being hit by the coach.

This irony was these moments occurred just after finishing a college practice where our coaches had been rolling and tossing balls to our players in many of our Drills.  Just the other day I drove past my local high school where the girls’ softball team was practicing.  And there it was again!  Fifteen or 16 girls standing around the field, waiting, while the coach stood at home plate hitting a single ball.  While doing this, there were two buckets full of balls sitting next to the coach ...not being used.

How Fast Should Balls Be Delivered in Drills?

A misconception about ground ball drills is the ball needs to be delivered fast.  Developing fielding skills is more about footwork, timing, and angles. The act of catching the ball is a result of applying these developed skills to the catching aspect.  Youth coaches are notorious for hitting rocket ground balls to their kids.  Many of these kids (yes, even the 11’s and 12’s) are still trying to master fundamentals …and working to overcome an understandable fear of the ball. 

Another common mistake is delivering balls straight at players.  In almost every case, we want to make our players move to get the ball.  This develops timing, agility and makes the activity more fun.  When making plays in a more dynamic way our players also build greater confidence.

We want to deliver balls in such a way, so the players have time to work on their approach to the ball, get their feet and bodies in a good position.  Set them up to have a good chance of cleanly fielding the ball, so to then work on transitioning to make a throw.  When the primary thing on their mind is getting their teeth knocked out, executing good fielding fundamentals does not make it up the priority list.

The Best Shortstop on the Planet  

A few years back I watched a TV interview with Brendan Ryan, who was the Seattle Mariners’ shortstop, and at the time regarded by many as the best defensive shortstop in the game. This was during spring training.  He was still recovering from an arm injury.  The sportscaster asked him, “Brendan, how do you get any work done when you can’t throw?” 

Having played shortstop and instructing fielding for years, I wanted to jump through the TV screen and hug Brendan when I heard his response.  He said, “Paul (Silvi), I can do everything.  All fielding and throwing skills are based on footwork.  I do all the drills; I just don’t finish with a throw”.  He went on to say, without being prompted, “You know, Paul, I see youth coaches spending way too much time teaching hands, when they need to teach kids how to use their feet.  Paul, my feet make my hands work”

Running Drills

Watch: 0:00-0:20 —— Cardinals outfielders participate in fielding drills during a morning workout at their spring training facility at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla.

When running most ground ball and fly ball drills, have the coach positioned 20’-40’ from the player, depending on the drill, and roll, throw or toss the ball.  Tell the players in advance what actions they are working on and where the ball will be delivered.  Repeat the drill, with the ball going to that same spot 5-6 times for each player.   Complete that set of reps, then alert the players that you will be delivering the ball to a new spot.

Some coaches say, “But in a game, the ball comes off the bat, comes at them fast and they don’t know where the ball is going to be hit”.  Correct! But games come later …and, over the past century or so, kids have always missed a lot of balls in the games.  Good reason to try something new :)  On a serious note, we want to recognize that we are not going to turn any kid into Brendan Ryan in a few practices.  Skill development is a process.  We want to create a process that provides them the best chance of improving and building confidence. 

Repetitions Develop Skills and Build Confidence

In practice our objective is to help kids develop skills, while keeping them active and having fun. Consistency in pace and ball location is so important. Most importantly, again, is repetitions.  Skills are learned best when the same action is repeated over and over.  We want to make the most of our limited practice time, so when game time comes our players are confident in their ability to perform.

Let’s run our youth baseball and softball practices like college and pro coaches.  Ditch the bat and roll, throw, and toss balls in many of our drills.  We will get more accomplished, the kids will keep moving, have fun, get better, and grow their love for the game!

COACHES, please comment below with ways you keep your kids more active and engaged during practices.