One of the major goals we have as coaches is to get the players out for the following year. Our athlete's often go through this rollercoaster of emotions throughout practice, a game, a weekend, a season, etc. It is our job to create an environment that focuses on the next task. As long as we are prepared, working hard, and having fun, the outcome will take care of itself.
Program Standards: These standards are discussed with the West Fargo legion players.
1. Barehand the Baseball: You never pick up a baseball, that isn’t moving, with your glove so you should not do this during catch or at any time in practice. We want to make practice similar to a game.
2. Always Touch 1st Base: If you get out in a game always hustle down the line and touch first base. This extra effort is important to how you play the game.
3. Control the Controllable's: There are a lot of variables in this game, especially stats. You cannot control what happens when the ball leaves your bat when your hitting, or the ball leaves your hand when pitching. Control what you can control. Hit the ball hard, execute your pitch, be prepared baserunning and on defense.
Coaches Tips:
1. Build into game speed- Drills building into game like repetitions. You can scaffold the defensive part of practice from fundamentals to game-like speed. Use the stopwatch to your advantage to give player’s a goal for accomplishing a task. This could be catcher pop time or having an infielder field the ball and throw it to first on time.
Help players with their swing and then move into a game-like hitting session. At the varsity age we need a pitching machine to get game-like repetitions. At the youth ages you can simulate any pitcher during BP if you throw from 40 feet away in the cages.
2. Make it Competitive. This could be with a radar gun, stopwatch, applying a reward or consequence to an individual or team drill. Athletes love it when we make the practice competitive, but it is easier said than done. We have to find ways to be creative.
3. Get the Majority of our Athletes Moving. If we have an on field practice or cage practice, how can we get the majority of our athletes moving? Watching one guy swing and the rest standing around can be difficult for the attention span. Incorporate stations, mental repetitions, etc, to get everyone moving.