2019 COACHING MANUAL - Amazon Web Services...Shelburne Little League Baseball Coaching Manual 2019 9 Sports Specific Conditioning & Warmups Objectives The objective of a baseball warm

2019

COACHING MANUAL

Prepared by SLL Board Representatives

Shelburne Little League Baseball Coaching Manual 2019 1

Table of Contents

Our Mission Statement 2

Overview 3

• Welcome Coaches and Assistants

• Coaching Requirements

• 10 Steps to a Great Season

Drills 8

• Sports Specific Conditioning & Warmups

• Keys to a Good Practice

• Good Coaches Tend to…..

• Running a Successful Practice – The Shupak Way

• Youth Baseball Drills - Marty Shupak

• Tee Ball and Single A League Fundamentals

• Double A, Triple A and Major Fundamentals

• Hitting

Sample Practice Plans 33

Coaches Toolbox 44

• Agreements

o Player

o Coaches

o Parents

• Sample Letter to Parents

• Talk to Your Team with These Two Scripts

• Positive Charting

• Pitch Count Info / Log

• Example Practice Plan

• Accident Report Form

• Coaching Committee Members / League Liaisons

Rules of Play 62

How to Keep Score 68

Safety 74

• Concussion

• Accident Reporting

• Pre / Post Game Field Responsibilities

• Thunder

Additional Resources 81


Our Mission Statement

Shelburne Little League aspires to be an outstanding educational-athletic

organization that provides a high-quality experience to every athlete. A high-

quality experience is one in which every athlete develops the qualities of

citizenship, discipline, teamwork and physical well-being by espousing the virtues

of character, courage and loyalty.

Our Athletes:

• Are coached using the principles of Positive Coaching.

• Have fun playing the game.

• Feel like an important part of the team regardless of performance.

• Learn "life lessons" that have value beyond the playing field.

• Learn the skills, tactics and strategies of the game and improve as a player.

We recognize that the coach is the one who most directly makes this all possible.

It is our goal to provide every coach with tools to be successful as a Positive

Coach. We are committed to create a positive culture in which coaches, parents,

fans, officials and athletes work together to develop superior citizens rather than

superior athletes


OVERVIEW


Welcome Coaches and Assistant Coaches

Shelburne Little League (SLL) has partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance

(PCA). By forming this alliance, PCA and SLL share a commitment to provide youth

athletes with a positive sports experience.

The main goals are to prepare youth athletes for success on and off the playing fields

emphasizing character, education and life lessons through sports. The PCA motto of

“Transforming Youth Sports So Sports Can Transform Youth” is a comprehensive

statement of those goals.

The SLL Board of Directors believes that PCA represents the future of youth sports

and have made an early commitment with the program. We are the second youth sports

organization in Vermont, after CSB Youth Hockey, to partner with PCA.

As the name PCA suggests, the primary method used to achieve these goals is through

coaching. Coaches of team sports play an instrumental role, along with parents and

teachers, in the education of children. Coaches should always be teaching; rules,

fundamental skills, game strategy and life lessons. The bottom line is that coaches

leave an impression, so we need to make it a good one.

A good coach will find teaching moments in many situations, both good and bad.

Every game, whether it’s a win or loss, provides the opportunity to educate players.

The education can come in the form of learning the rules, how to be humble in victory

or gracious in defeat, or the importance of respecting teammates, coaches, the

opposing players and umpires.

SLL is a very dynamic organization and can play a significant role in the development

of any child that participates in the program.

The overall organization has approximately 300 players on 27 teams involved in seven

levels of baseball; Tee Ball, Single A, Double A, Triple A, Major League, 13 Year Old

Babe Ruth, 14-15 Year Old Babe Ruth, and three levels of softball; Mini League,

Minor League and Major League. A child could start Tee Ball at the age of six and

continue until they play Babe Ruth as a 15 year old. That’s a ten-year opportunity to

successfully educate and positively develop the youth of Shelburne, Hinesburg, and

Charlotte. This manual will provide you with resources and tips to help make your

coaching experience successful.

Thank you for being a critical part of our organization. The Shelburne Little League Board of Directors.


Coaching Requirements 2019

In 2019 all new coaches are required to complete:

1. A volunteer application and give permission for Shelburne Little League to conduct

a background check.

• The application can be found at: https://ll-production-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/11/volunteer-app18.pdf

• Hard copy of the application can be found on following page

• It is the responsibility of the team managers to ensure that all coaches

complete the form and return the information to League President,

Scott McDade at [email protected].

2. Please Read, Understand and Practice all of the principles highlighted in the

coach’s agreement. We would also appreciate if you could sign this and turn it

into your team manager or league official. Copy also located in Coaches toolbox

section.

http://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/SLLCoachesAgreement_1.pdf

https://ll-production-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/11/volunteer-app18.pdf

https://ll-production-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2017/11/volunteer-app18.pdf

mailto:[email protected]





Volunteer Application


10 Steps to a Great Season

Are you a new Coach or Assistant? This manual was developed by SLL coaches to

help you have a successful season. These tried and tested tips will get you off to a great

start and help you create a memorable coaching experience for yourself and your

players.

1. Read this manual. Coach by our mission statement.

2. Start your season off by holding a parent meeting and outlining your goals and

expectations.

3. Have every player sign the Players Agreement.

4. Involve parents as your helpers early in season. You can’t do it all yourself.

5. Ask and expect 100% individual effort. Make this your most important criteria.

6. Have a practice plan for every practice.

7. Keep practices fast paced and players moving at all times. Whenever possible,

make drills into a game.

8. Look for positive group, and individual, examples and share these publicly with

your players after every practice and game.

9. Have Fun. A team visit to the ice cream stand is a great way to celebrate a

victory or a loss.

10. Keep things simple . . . appropriate for the age group you’re coaching.


DRILLS


Sports Specific Conditioning & Warmups

Objectives

The objective of a baseball warm up is that before you even touch a ball, you need to

get your body ready to throw and be explosive. Shoulders are delicate and the athlete

should have a complete full body warmup before starting practice/game. Below are

some ideas for a complete full body workout. An athlete should get their heart rate up

to get the muscles warmed up. As the heart rate is up, there are both dynamic, as well

as static stretches to stretch all major muscles. For Dynamic warm ups, the stretches

should be about 10 yards, down and back. Static stretching can be done in 1 spot. A

proper warm up should be approximately 15-20 minutes

Dynamic Warm ups

• 5-10 minute jog

• 10 yard apart (dynamic stretching)

• Shuffle/ Karaoke (Full Body, Elevating Heart Rate)

• High Knees / Butt Kickers (Elevating heart Rate, Legs)

• Shuffle, Shuffle Side Lunge (Groin/inner leg)

• Toe up Calf/hammy stretch (Hamstring/Calf)

• World’s Greatest (Elbow to ankle) (Groin/Inner leg)

• Lunge and Twist (backwards Lunge and Twist) (Legs/back)

• Quad Stretch (with touch toes) (Quads/Hamstrings)

• High Kicks (Hamstrings)

• Open/Close the gate (Hips/Groin)

Static Stretches/stretches in 1 spot (Upper body stretches)

• Arm circles

• Arm across

• Arm over the head

• Windmill

• Wide leg stretches

• Pushups (5-10)

End warmup

• shuffle , shuffle explosive sprint 5-10 yards

• Straight steals 5-10 yards

• Lying down explosive start sprint


In order to be explosive, an athlete needs to have a strong lower body. Below are some

plyometric workouts to increase power. It is recommended that you put these exercises

in an interval type format.

Explosive Movements Conditioning

• Squats

• Jumping Jack Squats

• Same side Lunge Jumps

• Lunge jumps (switching feet)

• Side to side High Knees

• 1 legged toe touch

• Squat Jumps

• Jump roping

• 2 feet

• Single foot

• Alternating feet

• Burnout 20 seconds

• Agility Ladder work

• 1 foot in each

• 2 feet in each

• Icky Shuffle

• 2 in/2 out (leading with front foot)

• Backwards Icky Shuffle

• 1 leg in each

• Carioca crossover


Keys to a Good Practice

Planning and Preparation

One of the most important factors to running a successful practice is planning. Know

what you are going to do before you even get to the field. Solicit as many parent

volunteers as you can to keep the kids moving and active. The younger the players,

the more important this is. Try not to have any players idle during the practice.

Consider running 2 or more drills simultaneously in different parts of the field to cut

down on idle time. Prepare a written practice plan – you can always change it as you

go – but the last thing you or your players want 10 minutes into a practice is for you to

be wondering “Hmmm, what should we do next…?”

During games it is important to keep the game moving. Make sure your lineups and

positions for each inning are made well before (not during!) the game. Confirm that

your players know their positions before the inning starts, and that they have their

gloves ready and hats on. Players should run to their positions. Have your catcher get

their gear on so they are ready to go out there immediately after the 3rd out is made.

Make sure your first baseman and one outfielder bring a ball with them to warm up the

infielders and outfielders.

Safety

Safety needs to be of the utmost importance, especially with the younger players who

may not have been exposed to team sports yet. Coaches are the best role models for

safe behavior. Make sure players understand – from the very first practice – what it

means to play and practice safely (i.e. no one picks up a bat until they are ready to hit,

no one throws a ball until they are certain the person they are throwing to is ready, etc.)

Fun!

Most important is to structure your practices to ensure your players are HAVING

FUN! Get as many parent volunteers as are willing, and always stress the importance

of teamwork and effort, and de-emphasize the importance of winning and losing. Be

sure to stress good sportsmanship, by making sure players shake hands with the

opposing team after games, thank the umpires, etc. Address instances of poor

sportsmanship right away. Keep things moving especially for the younger kids.


Good Coaches Tend To…..

Be Positive

Remember that baseball is a game of failure, and players can get frustrated. Even at

the highest levels, it is filled with failed attempts at hitting, pitching, throwing,

catching and fielding. Players, especially young ones, need a coach who role models

a positive mental attitude and good sportsmanship, and communicates in an

encouraging and respectful way, both verbally and non-verbally. We can’t expect the

players to be positive and good sports, if we don’t show them how.

Stress Teamwork

Baseball is a team sport, and successful coaches focus on brining all the players –

sometimes with vastly different abilities – together as a team. Make sure that while

you are teaching skills, you also emphasize team effort, inclusion for all and having

fun.

Be Organized

Again, planning is key. Allow for flexibility, but know what you want to accomplish

before you hit the field.

Be Consistent

Instructions and terminology that are inconsistent can confuse young players. Make

sure all the coaches on your team are instructing the players and teaching the skills in a

consistent manner. If one coach teaches hitting one way for example, and another

teaches it a totally different way, the poor kid is being set up for confusion and

disappointment. Try to establish a routine with your practices, so the players generally

know what to expect.

Be Flexible

It rains sometimes; players are late; coaches are late; parents complain; fields are

double-booked. Roll with it, get help where you can, and have fun.


Do Their Homework

Coaches should take the time to learn the basic fundamental skills of the game, and

how to properly teach them before they begin to teach them to their players. They

don’t have to be experts, but they should know the basics and how to properly instruct

a player to throw, catch, field and hit, as well as what drills can effectively help

reinforce those skills. There are no lack of good books, online videos and other

resources that can teach you the fundamentals.

Show, Don’t Tell

Kids tend to be visual learners, and most people don’t learn a skill until they’ve

actually tried it. With that in mind, try not to spend an inordinate amount of time

talking about skills. Most time should be spent showing and teaching skills. The

younger the kids, the more doing and less talking you should do.

Listen

Players need to know their coach is there to help them improve their skills and be a

role model for good sportsmanship.


Using “Youth Baseball Drills” – Marty Shupak

When designing a youth baseball practice, I strive for two things. First, my practices

are rarely much longer than an hour and 15 minutes; therefore, the practices are

spirited, and I have the attention of most of the players throughout. Second, I always

use a warm-up or cool-down drill to break up a series of skill drills or to end practice

on a high note. And I try to relate these drills to the particular baseball fundamental

stressed at practice.

The purpose of this book is to teach coaches how to make baseball practices fun

while improving the skill level of the players. Most coaching parents also work a full

day and therefore find it difficult to make the preparations necessary for a successful

season.

However, this book has done much of the legwork for coaches and provides the

preparation they need for productive practices. The parent-coaches who use the drills

need not be experts in every aspect of the game. However, coaches should know the

fundamentals and be able to convey them in a fun way. These drills, if performed with

discipline in an organized and efficient manner, serve the dual purpose of being

instructional and fun. This isn't to say that every drill must be fun, but practices

should include a variety of drills.

Some drills focus on specific positions or don't involve the whole team at once.

When you use these drills, adopt the "station" method of coaching. Setting up

different stations and using assistant coaches or parents to lead a different drill or

activity at each guarantees that players won't stand around doing nothing for long

periods of time.

With the immense growth of youth sports and the advent of longer seasons, many

youth players are over coached and under taught. I have learned that it is better to

under coach kids than to over coach them. A player is better off mastering four or five

basic skills than being confused and burdened by trying to learn too many. I have

always held to the same three goals. I want players to (1) improve as individuals, (2)

improve as a team, and (3) have fun!


Tee Ball and Single A League

Fundamental Baseball Skills

Holding the Ball

Place the index and middle fingers over the seams of the ball – preferably where the

two seams come closest together. Place thumb on the bottom of the ball on the left

seam. Place the same pressure on the ball as one would hold an egg.

Drills

Place a ball on the ground, 20 feet in front of each player. Ask the player to

sprint to the ball, pick it up, and freeze in throwing position with the ball high in

the air. Check each player’s grip when they freeze.

Making it Fun

Run and Grip! -- Create two teams. Organize a relay race with one team

running between home and 1st base; the other team running between home and

3rd base. One player sprints from home to 1st (or 3rd), picks up a ball, and freezes

in throwing position. A coach or parent checks for the proper grip. If the grip

is correct, the player runs back to home and tags a teammate who repeats the

exercise. The first team to finish, wins.

Throwing the Ball

• Bring your throwing arm back and up, turn your front shoulder directly toward

your target.

• As you start your delivery, pick up your lead foot and stride toward the target.

As your lead foot touches the ground, rotate your hips toward the target.

Release the ball in front of the body and follow-through. Keep your eye on the

target.

• Follow-through with your arm until it falls in front of your body. Make sure

your feet land even with one another . . . always keeping your balance.

Drills

Warm-ups: Pair up all of the players. Ask each player to kneel on one knee - on

the same side as their throwing arm. Separate them from their partner by about

20 feet. Ask the player to bring their throwing arm back and up, turning their

front shoulder toward their partner. The player should then follow through with

their throwing elbow touching their opposite knee.

Making it Fun


60-Second Drill -- Pair up a player with a parent/coach. Each player throws a

ball to the parent/coach as many times as they can during a 60-second period.

Count the number of consecutive successful throws. If there is an errant throw,

the player’s score reverts to zero. This will help to ensure the player focuses on

proper mechanics rather than rushing their throw.

Catching the Ball

• Keep your eyes on the ball.

• Have both hands ready, with your arms relaxed, extended toward the ball.

• Bend your elbows to absorb the force of the throw.

• Watch the ball into your glove and squeeze it with your bare hand on the

outside of the glove-hand.

• Catch balls above the belly with “fingers up.”

• Catch balls below the belly with “fingers down.”

Drills

• Underhand toss drill from a parent/coach to get used to watching the ball

into the glove.

• Shuffle from left to right with a parent/coach tossing the ball with each

shuffle

• Place a coach/parent in the middle of a small, gloveless, player circle.

Toss the ball randomly around the circle emphasizing the use of two

hands.

Making it Fun

• Count the number of catches in a row. Start the count over with every

dropped ball.

• Create a relay race where the player must sprint to 1st or 3rd base from

Home Plate. The coach throws the player the ball. If the player catches

the ball, they may throw the ball back to the coach, run back to home

plate, and send the next runner/catcher to 1st or 3rd base.

Fielding Ground Balls

• Knees slightly bent, body leaning forward

• Hands out; not on knees

• Keep your glove open as you go to the ball

• Center the ball in the middle of your body

• Lay the glove on the ground so that the ball can roll in.

• Keep your head down and watch the ball go into the glove.

• Go to the ball!

• The coach should see the button on the fielder’s cap when they field the

groundball.


Drills

• Organize four players in a circle. Ask them to push a ball randomly to each

other. As the ball reaches them, they should push the ball toward another

player. This will help them develop their hand-eye coordination with

grounders.

• Parent/coach rolls grounders at increasing distances to each player . . .

moving from 10 ft. to 20 ft. to 30 ft., etc.

Making it Fun

Organize a relay race. One team races from Home Plate to Shortstop, the other

from Home Plate to the 2nd Base defensive position between 1st Base and 2nd

Base. A coach throws a ground ball to each fielder. When the player

successfully fields the ball, they may run back to Home Plate and tag the next

player to run to take their ground ball. The first team to finish wins.

Hitting the Ball

• Grip – Hold the bat firmly without squeezing. Put your hands together with

your middle knuckles lined up.

• Stance – Feet comfortably wider than the shoulders. Toes pointing toward

Home Plate. Knees bent. Upper body bent slightly at the waist. Bat at 45-

degree angle to the hands. Elbows out from the body and pointed to the ground.

• Stride – Take a small stride with your front foot toward the pitcher.

• Swing – Focus your eyes on the ball on the tee. Keep your head down and still.

Swing slightly down on the ball. Watch the bat hit the ball – keep your head

down. Extend your arms and follow through.

• Finish – Stay balanced when the swing is over. Don’t watch the ball after it is

hit. Drop the bat and run to 1st Base.

Drills

Borrow the hitting net from the baseball shed. Hit 10 straight balls into the net

while other players are at ground ball, throwing, and catching stations. Rotate

hitters after 10 swings.

Making it Fun

• Borrow the hitting net from the baseball shed. Hit 10 straight balls into the

net while other players are at ground ball, throwing, and catching stations.

Rotate hitters after 10 swings.

• Count the number of times the hitter can hit the ball into the center box of the

net. Challenge the hitter to increase that number at each succeeding practice.


Running the Bases

Swing the bat, drop the bat, and run with your eyes on 1st base. Run over the base and

turn to the right. Keep your eyes on the base, not on the batted ball. Develop trust in

your base coaches.

Drills

• Ask the player to stand at home plate with bat in hand. When the coach claps

his/her hands, the player drops the bat. Time how long it takes to run to 1st

Base. Record the time.

• Repeat the drill from Home to 2nd Base.

• Repeat the drill from Home to 3rd Base.

Making it Fun

Split the group into two teams. Organize a relay race starting at Home for both

teams. One team runs the bases from Home-to-1st-to-2nd-to-3rd-to-Home and

tags the next player. One team runs from Home-to-3rd-to-2nd-to-1st-Home and

tags the next player. Each player must touch all the bases. If they miss a

base, they must go back and touch. The first team to have all of its players

touch all bases successfully, wins.

Pitching

• Use a simple “four-count” motion with your pitchers. This four-count method

keeps things simple and will teach pitchers the right mechanics.

• Start the right-foot (for a right-handed pitcher) with the heel on the pitching

rubber or sideways against the edge of the pitching rubber. Take one short step

back with the left foot.

• Pull the left leg forward and lift it (two!) straight up in the air – straight in front

of the pitcher’s body – not swung behind the pitcher’s body. Test your pitcher

to see if they can stop at (two!) with their leg lifted in front of them.

Remember, their back must be straight if they are able to balance on one

leg.

• Throw the glove hand straight at the hitter and bring the throwing hand back

with the hand on top of the ball, turned toward the sky. (Three!)

• Pull the throwing arm forward, always leading with the elbow so that the

pitch comes from over the top. Push, push, push (four!) off the rubber with

the back leg. Follow-through with the throwing arm, finishing with the elbow

touching the opposite knee.

Note: If the pitcher struggles pushing off the rubber, instruct them to raise their

front leg slightly higher at (three!). This will automatically put extra pressure

on the back leg and cause the pitcher to get the shove they need. Push hard

toward home plate!


Drills

One-Knee Drill

• Drop the throwing side knee to the ground with the opposite knee up.

• Keep the hand on top of the ball as it’s taken out of the glove.

• Watch to be sure the pitcher keeps their elbow above their shoulder

Tee Drill

• Assume the same “one-knee” position

• Place a batting tee on the pitcher’s throwing side – close enough so that if

the elbow drops, it hits the tee.

• The presence of the tee will force players to consciously think about not

dropping their elbow below their shoulder.


Double A, Triple A and Majors

Fundamental Baseball Skills

Holding the Ball

Hold the ball ‘sideways’ across all 4 seams so that the ball will have backspin (rotate

bottom to top) when released. This grip will improve the aerodynamics of the ball and

help it track to where it is thrown, and the ball won’t drop as much. Three-finger grips

(index, middle, ring finger) laterally stabilize the ball. To make the ball move turn it

90-degrees from the cross-seam grip so that the two seams run parallel and ‘point’ at

the hitter. Place index and middle finger on seams and thumb directly underneath to

secure the ball. This is a sinker or two-seam fastball. The ball will drop, track inside, or

track outside depending on how it is released.

Throwing the ball

The ball has eyes. Look where you want the ball to go and keep your eye trained on

the target during the follow through.

Arm Stretching

Please be sure to require arm stretching exercises before a player throws the ball.

The player can accomplish this by wrapping his throwing arm around his neck,

grabbing his throwing hand with his non-throwing hand, and pulling gently.

This will stretch the player’s shoulder. Another stretching option involves

pairing up your players. One player puts his or her hands behind their back and

asking their partner to gently push their arms and elbows together. After doing

this for a count of 20 – switch positions

Technique

• Locate the target for the throw.

• Point the non-throwing shoulder at the target.

• Set the fingers on the throwing hand across horseshoe-shaped seams.

• Step with the lead foot (left foot for a right-hander, right foot for a left-

hander) directly toward the target.

• Raise the throwing arm so that the elbow is above the shoulder. (“Thumb to

the thigh, knuckles to the sky.”)

• “Lead with the elbow.” Be sure the player’s elbow cuts through the air ahead

of the hand.

• Follow-through over the top, finishing with the throwing hand touching the

opposite hip.

• Encourage your players to practice this with their parents or mentors every

single day. It is fun for the players and fun for their mentors.


Minor Drill

Perform the “Quick Hands” drill. This drill will increase the speed and

accuracy of their throws under pressure. Split your team in two and create

throwing partners 30-40 feet apart. Create a race to see which pair of players

can successfully throw and catch the most times in a 30 second period. If a ball

is dropped or thrown away, the partners score reverts to zero.

Making it Fun

Long-Toss Golf – Place a cone in the outfield. Draw a large circle with

limestone around the cone – this represents a golf green. Each player tosses a

ball toward the target. Award 3 points for hitting the cone; Award 2 points for

landing the ball on the green on the first bounce; Award 1 point for a ball that

rolls onto the green. Run the drill for ten rounds – the player with the most

points after ten rounds wins. Note: You can do the same drill from the outfield

to home plate.

Major Drill

Perform the “Long-Toss” drill. This will strengthen your players’ arms.

Start your players at 30 feet apart and then back them up gradually. Stop when

you get to 75 to 80 feet. Be sure to teach them the crow hop as they begin the

throw from long distances.

Making it Fun

Cutoff Relay Race – Create four groups of three players. Players stand in a

straight line with the others in their group, beginning at the spot where they pick

up the ball. All groups start at the same time. An outfield picks up the ball

lying on the warning track and throws to his first teammate. That teammate

turns his body, catches the ball, turns to the third teammate (toward his glove-

hand), and throws to the next teammate. After three rounds, the team that

finishes first, wins.

Catching the Ball

• Keep your eyes on the ball.

• Have both hands ready, with your arms relaxed, extended toward the ball.

• Bend your elbows to absorb the force of the throw.

• Watch the ball into your glove and squeeze it with your bare hand on the outside

of the glove-hand.

• Catch balls above the belly with “fingers up.”

• Catch balls below the belly with “fingers down.”


Fly Balls

Run first, catch second. Run to the ball with glove tucked - you’ll be much

more efficient running then catching, rather than trying to do both at the same

time. Don’t run with glove hand outstretched toward the sky - you’ll run flat-

footed and your eyes will start to ‘bounce’ and you’ll miss the ball anyway. Run

on the balls of your feet with the glove tucked in almost like carrying a football.

Track the ball with the glove away from the face for as long as possible, then

raise the glove to catch the ball. Players who have trouble with this skill can be

hit fly balls minus their glove to train them to run to the ball without the glove

outstretched.

Footwork for outfielders

Know the situation before the ball is hit to you. If there is the potential for a

runner to tag and you have time to ‘camp out’ under the ball, time the catch such

that your momentum is carrying you toward the infield as you catch then throw

the ball to the base. Astute baserunners base their decision to tag partly on the

positioning of the outfielder catching the ball. If the fielder is late to the ball, or

his momentum is carrying him away from the infield, most runners will

successfully tag and advance.

Line Drives and Bloopers

CF should remind the other two fielders to back him up if he goes in hard for a

ball. Knowing there is back up will enhance the fielder’s aggressiveness

charging line drives and would-be singles.

Ball hit directly over your head

As soon as you realize what is happening, turn and run taking your eyes off the

ball. You can run a lot faster with your head positioned forward rather than

backpedaling. You will outrun the ball if it stays in the park. When you get to

the spot you think the ball will be, turn and ready your glove and look all at the

same time. Trust your peripheral vision it is tuned to detect movement first

before you’re consciously aware of it. The ball will be within catching distance

as fly balls slow after they reach their apex in flight. If you are at the fence, look

to rob a HR.

Outfield Positioning

Fielders need to know how far they are from the warning track, and how many

steps it takes them to hit the fence on a full run. Once you hear the warning track

gravel under your spikes, start counting. It’s usually One, Two, Three Boom!

You’ve hit the fence. Practice going back on balls to reduce fence shyness.

Practice line drives straight at the outfielders, practice hooking and slicing liners

to build confidence.


Centerfielder - Before each pitch gauge the distance to the fence, then look at

the right fielder, left fielder, SS , 2B then in at the batter.

Left Fielder - Fence, foul line, CF, 3B, SS then batter.

Right Fielder - Fence, foul line, CF, 2B, 1B then batter.

A good outfielder has no time to daydream between pitches.

Fielding Ground Balls

• Toes pointed slightly out; Weight on the balls of the feet; Knees slightly bent;

Body leaning forward; Hands out - not on knees

• Lay glove open as you come to the ball

• Center the ball in the middle of your body

• Keep butt low at all times

• Lay the glove on the ground so that the ball can roll in.

• Keep your head down and watch the ball go into the glove.

• Go to the ball; charge everything that you can!

• See the button on the fielder’s cap when they field the groundball.

Infielders

Getting a jump on the ball. Take one step back from where you ultimately wish

to be if the ball is hit to you. As the pitcher delivers the ball get up on the balls

of the feet and lean forward as the ball approaches the plate. As the pitch

approaches the hitting zone, one step forward is taken, hands are out, knees are

bent. If the ball is hit to you, you will already be moving and reaction time will

be shorter.

Outfielders

Expect a bad bounce. Outfields tend to have rougher surfaces than infields. Plus

the outfield grass is wet in the morning and during night games. Slow looping

single - charge the ball so that you can field it on the apex of a bounce. You’ll

have more options if the ball is higher in the air. Match how aggressive you’ll

play a ground ball to the game situation. Never take your eye off the ball to look

at a runner.

Noone on base - charge the ball and field it cleanly, and expect a bad bounce

knock it down anyway you can. If you let the ball roll to you, a smart baserunner

will be on second base.

Men on base - charge the ball, field it at the apex of the bounce and fire it to the

cutoff. If it takes a bad bounce, your back up will have to field the ball (the

fielder who missed the ball will direct the location of the throw).


Hard line drive (one-hopper) - catch it cleanly or knock it down, you won’t have

time to charge the ball if it’s hit hard, and the runner won’t advance as far either.

Basic Drill

During BP infielders can practice their pre-pitch preparation sequence. Will also

develop anticipation skills as the player learns to ‘get a jump’ on the batted ball

by watching the position of the bat, pitch and type of swing.

Advanced Drill

Long-range pepper. Coach stands in batter’s box with full infield. Ball is

pitched. Ball hit randomly to fielders. Develops confidence and anticipatory

skills.

Hitting the Ball

Overstriding

Many problems in hitting are due to overstriding. Striding too far forward in

conjunction with the swing causes the plane of the swing to drop below the ball

and can lead to the head being pulled out and off the ball (Too many moving

parts). Lengthen the stance to shoulder width or wider to start. Keep widening

until the batter reliably hits the ball in BP. To add power, use the elasticity of the

large hip and trunk muscles to whip the arms and shoulders through the hitting

zone with the feet anchored to the ground or with a minimal step.

Timing

In addition to usual tee work, you can try soft toss from behind the hitter. The

hitter assumes his stance looking forward. The coach tosses the ball from

behind the hitter. The ball appears in the field of vision and the batter must

quickly and compactly swing to hit the ball. Trains out hitches, overstriding and

develops trust in their reaction times such that they know they can wait longer

on the pitch and still hit it.

Building Confidence/Aggressiveness at the Plate

Batting Practice should be at least 3/4 game speed. If you can’t throw that hard,

get closer to the plate and hide behind a screen. The closer you are the faster the

apparent speed of the pitch.

Batting Practice Coaches

Throw the ball. Do not put an arc on the throw by tossing the ball too slowly. A

ball moving in two directions (forward and down) is much harder to hit than one

moving in just one direction (forward). Pick a spot over the plate and keep your

eye on it as you throw - don’t look at the batter.


Pitch Sequence

To develop pitch location awareness throw 5 pitches outside (from the middle of

the plate to just off the plate); 5 pitches middle in; 5 pitches up and 5 low in the

zone; then 5 over the plate. Let the batter know what’s coming; announce to the

batter “OK, 5 pitches outside” and so on. Look for proper technique to swing at

each type of pitch and look for strengths and weaknesses in each batter.

Consistent pitches and repetition helps the hitter recognize location and

prioritize their selections when they are in a game situation. It also helps develop

a ‘good eye’ at the plate.

How to get out of the way of a pitched ball

Mix in a few sponge balls. Aim for the hitter’s lead shoulder. Fall back away

from oncoming pitch and turn head toward umpire, letting go of bat.

Running the bases

Leaving the batters box

After the ball is hit, be sure to completely follow through with the full extent of

your swing. This will ensure maximum power behind the batted ball. For a

right-handed batter the momentum of the swing carries you away from the base.

Allow the follow through to wind out and then reverse it by pushing off with the

right foot. The right foot will be more firmly planted or anchored than the left

after the follow through. Stumbling or falling down in the box is caused by

arresting the follow through and trying to run too soon or off a left foot anchor.

Emerge from the box with the head up focused on 1st base. Run through the

base, don’t leap, jump or dive into the base.

Stealing 2nd Base

Know how many steps it takes you to run full speed from a standing start from

1st to 2nd base. Let’s say it’s 20 steps. Running is an automatic process that is

disrupted by thinking about running. You may be able to increase your speed by

mentally driving your step interval faster by counting faster - try it.

Sliding into second - The purpose of sliding into 2nd or 3rd base is rapid

deceleration without overrunning the base; avoiding the tag is secondary. To get

to 2nd base quickest and be in a position to advance on an overthrown you can

do a ‘pop-up’ slide. A pop-up slide starts about 2-3 steps from the bag. Slide

with head up, most friction on side of calf of bottom leg. Lead foot is elevated.

Back cleats dig into bag as calf of bottom leg acts as spring to ‘pop-up’ the

runner balanced on the base. The main difference with a pop-up slide compared

to a regular slide is that the pop-up slide carries more speed into the bag and that

momentum is enough to assist in driving the runner upright when he hits the

bag.


When to go from 1st to 3rd on a hit to center field

If the ball isn’t in the center fielders glove by the time you reach 2nd base

continue on to 3rd. Few center fielders can throw you out.

Pitching

Problem

Pitch consistently rides high out of the strike zone.

Establishing Control of the Pitch

Lead foot placement. If the ball sails high, you need to lengthen your stride

toward the hitter. Hold the ball up prior to each pitch. Present it to the batter so

they see it. Wind up and release the pitch toward the plate. Try to release the ball

low to emulate an age-appropriate pitcher. A longer stride will save your arm,

bring the ball down and provide a game-like practice experience.

Enhancing Control

Pitch from the stretch (Reduce the number of moving parts). Diagnose the

pitcher’s mechanics backwards from the result of the pitch backward to the

initial grip of the ball. Working backwards can help preserve early prerequisite

movements that are correct while making adjustments ‘downstream.’

Stride

Too often the length of the stride, when delivering the pitch, is too short. This

causes the ball to track high. Stride length (the distance from the front of the

pitching rubber to the toe of the lead foot) should be 90 - 95% of body height.

So a 5-ft tall pitcher should stride 4.5 ft to 4’ 9” toward the plate upon delivery.

The longer stride will lower the release point and keep the ball down. Plus the

distance the ball must travel to reach the plate has been reduced by almost 10%.

The lead foot should plant pointing directly at the plate or slightly closed (5 to

10-degrees) from vertical. Examining the stride length will fix most control

problems.

Developing Velocity

Velocity is entirely dependant on arm speed. Arm speed is dependant on lower

body strength and timing. The elastic potential power of the large and strong leg,

hip and trunk muscles is converted into hip and trunk rotation to whip the arm

forward.

• Start from the stretch position.

• Load and balance weight on plant leg - nose and navel vertically aligned.

• Hands in glove navel height or higher.

• Lift leg, swing arm back


• Elbow raised to shoulder level cocked at 90-degrees vertical, fingers on

top of the ball

• Lead with front hip - Force is sideways toward the plate

• Lead foot extends and rotates almost 90-degrees and plants (long stride)

• Plant leg fully extends, foot flexes to impart torsion to rotate the hips from

lateral position toward the plate (navel spins 90-degrees to whip the arm)


Hitting

Golden Rule: Keep your eyes on the ball!

Bat Size: Light but right, and not too long

Age Bat Length

Under 7 Tee Ball

7 27

8 28

9-10 28/29

11 29/30

12 30/31

13-14 31-32

Watch them swing the bat:

• Does the barrel drop and make are large “U” like swing

• Are they swinging it too easily?

Old School Style – Can they hold the bat straight out from their shoulder for 5-8

seconds?

Grip: Relax the hands and Forearms

• Put the bat in your fingers, not in your palm.

• Line up your middle (Knocking) knuckles

• Keep your fingers loose

• Choke up (for better control of the bat head)

Stance

Plate and Feet Positioning: Make sure you can reach the outer half of home plate

• Touch Bat end one inch past outside corner of the plate

• Feet should be shoulder width apart to start (Athletic Position)

• Keep weight on the insides of the balls of your feet

• Hitters knees should bend, lean forward with head,

• Stay square so you can see the ball and be able to square the hips when swinging

• Bat on Shoulder with top of grip resting on the shoulder

• Lift bat off shoulder

o Elbows form a Triangle with Hands

o top hand even with the shoulder on top of the strike zone

• Head upright and level with your Chin tucked behind your front shoulder with

your eyes looking at the pitcher


Process of the Swing

1. Load

2. Step (Light Turn)

3. Finish Turn and Swing

4. Follow Through

Load: “You have to go back to go forward”

• Always better to load early

• Occurs immediately before stride as the pitcher begins movement toward

home plate

• Bring the bottom hand toward the catcher

• Knob pointed toward Catchers Toes

• Bat and Hands should be just off the back of the shoulder

• Weight (Hips) should slide back over the inside of the back foot.

• Back Shoulder, Hip and Knee should be in line with the inside of the back

foot

Step/Stride with a Light Turn:

• When the load is completed and the pitcher reaches his release point. The front

foot should come off the ground

• A Soft, controlled step towards the pitcher with the front foot without the head

moving forward

• Keep your front hip and shoulder closed

• Your foot should land softly parallel to the plate on the ball of your foot near

your big toe. While keeping the weight on the insides of your feet.

• Stride should be short, so that your head can stay back and remain still.

• Hands should stay at shoulder height slight back beyond your back shoulder

• Once the front foot lands, the Back foot/Knee begin to turn down and in towards

the front foot (Light turn)

Turn/Rotate (Squash the Bug): Use hips and hands to swing the bat

• When stride toe lands, the back knee begins to turn down and in toward the

pitcher,

• Back heel comes up first as the front heel lands on the ground

• At the same time, a slight pull with the front hand begins forward with and

keeping the front elbow in a downward motion (keeps elbow from flying out)

• Back elbow stays below the back shoulder; it stays close to the body while

working down and across the chest. Attacking the inside half of the baseball


Hands

• Your hands should stay short and quick as they come forward in a downward

motion. Bringing the knob of the bat down at a direct angle to the baseball

(Karate Chop with lead hand, punch with back hand). This should help keep

your hands above and inside the baseball.

• The hands are sent in a linear path, literally throwing the barrel into centerfield,

meaning the front arm will straighten out to the ball; back arm will be in process

of straightening out at the baseball.

• Bat levels off by the time the barrel reaches the rear hip

• While bringing the barrel to the ball, allow the barrel of the bat to be in the

hitting zone as long as possible.

• At contact, your bat should level off like an airplane landing, your back (top)

hand should be facing up, while your front (bottom) hand should be facing

down. Bat Should rest in upper palm where the fingers start

• Batter will then “whip/flick” the bat with fingers, wrists and forearms without

rolling over

o Rolling the wrist at contact will not allow for consistent contact

o Front hand is like throwing a Frisbee (tennis ball thrower)

o Back arm is skipping the rock (dog ball chucker)

• Continue your swing through contact, as if a plane were taking off.

• Extending both arms as far as possible towards the pitcher

• Keeping Head steady throughout swing

Hips/Back Foot

• As your hands come forward, you will pivot (Squash the bug) on your back foot

and drive your back knee to the pitcher, while keeping a strong front side (Legs

form an “A” with a straight locked front leg)

• Essentially throwing your back side into the ball. This violent turn allows the

hips to open toward the ball, all while keeping your head back, while fighting

against a firm front side

Follow Through

• Hands and bat finish between upper back and top of shoulders (preferably with 2

hands on bat); with the knob of the bat pointing up and the barrel pointed down.

Allowing your hips to rotate all the way through the ball. (Front Foot will open

slightly due to violent hip action). Back instep, back knee, belly button facing

where the ball was hit. Chin on back shoulder, with head in a straight line above

the back hip with the upper body perpendicular to the ground

• Make sure to keep both hands on the bat through contact. This will allow you to

get everything out of your swing. However this may force your head to come up

early.


• If you should release the bat, make sure it’s after contact. This will allow

you to keep your head down longer, but you may lose some power out of

your swing.

• Releasing the head of the bat into the ball the same way you would release the

head of a hammer into a nail. We would never force the head of a hammer into

the nail we would release the angle of the hammer when it approaches the nail.

Drills

• Wrist Flicks (Side toss)

• Hip Turns

o Bat Behind your back

o Taking swings with Hips

o Coach can have them hit their hand when they turn

• Belly Button Drill

o Knob to Belly Button, End of Bat to Net/Wall

o Get in Stance and Swing

o Goal is to Miss or lightly scratch the net

o Make Sure hitters do not step open when they swing

• Back Elbow Net Swings

o Place Back foot against wall/net

o Load and Swing

o Goal is for the barrel to come forward and not hit the net behind them

• Tee Work

o Line front foot up just behind the stem of the tee

• One Hand Drills

o Top Hand Swings

o Bottom Hand Swings

• Side Toss

o One Ball

o Two Balls, As you toss them, tell the player which ball to hit

o Inside: Throw 6-12 inches in front of Front Foot

o Regular: Toss at front Leg or just in ahead of front foot

o Outside: Toss towards the middle of their stance (make sure you are out

of the way)

• Under Hand Front Toss

o Whiffle balls

o Behind an L-Screen

o Work Inside and Outside

▪ Tell Them where you are going

▪ 2 In and 2 Outside

▪ Random Tosses

• Overhead Front Toss

• Regular BP


Look on Youtube for other drills. There are a ton of them out there.

Put the players in stations and keep them moving. There should be very little down

time. Make sure to have contests for each drill. Teach Pride, praise what you are

looking for out of your players. Teach them when they aren’t doing things right.

Keep it Fun!


SAMPLE PRACTICE

PLANS


Some Suggested Go-To Drills There are hundreds and hundreds of drills you can use, and a quick search on the

internet or in the library is a good place to start. Here are a few to get you started.

Towel Drill

Using clothespins or something similar, pin up a few different size towels to the

backstop at about chest height. Line the players up at an appropriate distance (i.e.

closer for tee ball, farther away as the kids get older), and have them throw the ball one

at a time and try to hit the towels. Start with the largest towel and as they get the hang

of it, graduate them to smaller and smaller towels. This is a good drill for accuracy

and proper throwing mechanics. This can also be done as they field grounders to

simulate throwing accurately to first base.

Soft-Toss

Coach kneels 8-10 feet to this side and slightly behind the player in the batter’s stance.

Coach tosses the ball so that it crosses the plate in the strike zone. Player hits either

into an open field, or into a fence.

2-Sided Infield Drill

If you have several parents eager to help out but aren’t sure what to do with them, this

drill can take up to 6 adults. Line half the kids up at SS position, and the other half at

2B. If you have enough adults, put one at 1B and one at 3B. If you don’t have

enough, put kids there, and rotate them through. Two adults stand to the right side of

homeplate – one hits grounders to SS. When the SS fields the ball, they throw to first,

and go to the back of the line. The person at first tosses the ball to the other adult

standing to the right of the plate. Meanwhile there are two adults standing to the left

side of homeplate – doing the same drill with 2B. Players at 2B throw to 3B. Run

them through several times and then have them switch lines. This is a good way to get

all the kids active and throwing and running.

Basic Fielding Drills

Line players up at SS or 2B. An adult plays 1B. Coach at home plate hits grounders to

each player. The player has to field the ball cleanly and make an on-target throw to

1B. If they bobble the ball, or muff the throw, they are out (if you choose, players

move to play 1B when they get out). Continue until you have only 1 player left.


Another basic infielding drill is to put a player at each infield position, 2 or 3 to a

position (taking turns), and hit grounders to each position. Player attempts to field the

ball cleanly and make an on-target throw to 1B.

Line Drill

This is a great drill for some of the older kids who will be using cut-offs and relays

during games. Line the players up in 3 or 4 straight lines, 4 players to a line. Each

player should be a good 50 feet from the next person in their line. The player at one of

the ends of the line starts with the ball. They throw to the next person in line, who

catches it and quickly releases it to the following person in their line, and so on up and

down the line until it comes back to the player who started it. This is a good

competition drill to see which lines can do it the quickest. The key here is to teach the

proper technique for lining up, catching and turning and quickly releasing the ball at

the intended target. Have the players rotate so each one gets a turn at each position in

line.

Follow the Ball

This one is a little confusing at first, but it’s a great way to get the blood pumping and

thus a good drill to begin with after warmups. Start with a person at every infield

position except pitcher. The extra players line up behind SS. The drill is called Follow

the Ball because after you throw the ball, you run to the position you just threw it to.

Coach starts with the ball at homeplate. Coach rolls the ball to SS to start the drill. SS

fields the ball and throws to 1B, then quickly runs to play 1B. 1B catches the ball and

quickly throws to 2B, then runs to 2B. 2B catches the ball, throws to 3B, and runs to

3B. 3B throws the ball home, then runs to be the catcher. The catcher rolls the ball so

the next person at SS, runs to the back of the line at SS and the drill starts all over, but

now everyone is in a different fielding position. The drill ends when everyone is back

to the position they started. Try to see how long they can do it without dropping the

ball. You can also time them to see how fast they can finish one circuit around the

infield.

Flyball Drill

Line the players up in each of the 3 outfield positions. Coach stands at homeplate and

hits flyballs to LF, then CF, then RF. Position one coach just in the outfield grass to

take the throw-ins. The key coaching point here is proper positioning to catch

flyballs, and proper technique for throwing the ball back to the infield. If you have

enough adults, you can have one each for LF, CF, and RF. This greatly reduces the

amount of idle time for each player. If hitting to 3 fields simultaneously, be sure to use

enough people to take the throw-ins.


Sliding Drill

Kids love to slide, but it can be dangerous if they haven’t learned the proper technique.

A great way to do this is with one of those wetted down slip-n-slides. But if people

don’t want to get soaked, or if you don’t have access to a slip-n-slide, a good

alternative is to start by teaching them on the grass and not on the dirt basepaths – it’s

much easier to slide on grass. It’s important that kids have on their baseball pants,

preferably with slider shorts on underneath. No bare legs! Start them back 30 or so

feet from the target, which could be a base, or even a piece of cardboard. Teach them

the proper sliding technique (tuck one leg underneath the other as they begin their

slide). Doing this a few times will help them understand how far away from the base

they should be when they begin their slide, and to end their slide when touching the

base.

Base Stealing Drill

Have 2 players at catcher, 2 at SS and the rest in a line at 1B. Coach stands on the

pitcher’s mound and throws to the catcher. When the ball crosses homeplate, the first

runner in line at 1B takes off to 2B, and the catcher tries to throw him out. SS takes

the throw down. Alternate between catchers, SS and runners until everyone has a

chance to steal, throw and tag. Lots of things to coach on here, including proper

catcher’s technique with runners on base, proper way to throw a runner out, proper

way for runners to steal and slide, and proper way to tag runners out.

Base Running Drill

The most important thing to teach young players is to run through 1B when a play is

being made on them. Also teach them to take an aggressive turn as they round first

base on a ball hit out of the infield. A good drill is to have a stopwatch and time them

going from home to first, have them run through the bag, and also from home to 2B,

having them slide into the bag. And if you want to really drill them, you can also time

them from home to 3B and home to home.

Base running tag: one player on each base, including homeplate, and one or two

players equally placed between each base. (Adjust according to the number of players

you have.) When coach says “go”, players run around the bases and try to tag the

person in front of them. Once you are tagged, you are out. Keep going until one

person (or any number decided in advance) remains. Players should be positioned so

the faster players do not continually tag the slower players.


3 Ball

Do this drill in the outfield or other open area. One at a time, players take turns

running and catching a quick sequence of three increasingly hard-to-catch balls thrown

by the coach. Player stands 30 or 40 feet away from coach in a ready position. Coach

throws the first ball to the players left or right, so the player has to move to catch it.

As soon as the player catches it (or doesn’t), the coach throws the next ball so that the

player has to run to catch it. As soon as the player catches (or doesn’t) the second ball,

the coach throws the final ball, so the player has to dive or really run to catch it. (As

soon as the player catches each ball, he/she should drop it to get ready to catch the next

one.) The next player in line gathers the 3 balls up, tosses them to the coach and the

drill resumes.

Bucket Ball

This is a great drill to end practice with. Place an overturned 5-gallon bucket on

homeplate. Line the players up at the SS or 2B position. Have someone hit (or roll) a

grounder to the first person in line. The person fields the ball and makes a throw to

home. The object is for them to hit the bucket. Work through the line until everyone

has a few chances to hit the bucket.

Ping

You use half the field – home to 2B is one foul line, home to 1B the other. Soft toss,

or short toss to the hitters. A foul ball is out. A swing and a miss is an out.

Everybody bats. The defense is infield, short outfield and then deeper outfield. A ball

that gets fielded cleanly by the infielder is out. A ball that gets pas the infielder, but

hits the ground before the middle fielder is a single. Past them and before the OF is a

double. Past the OF is a triple. Nobody runs bases. Coaches just keep track of

runners and who scores. The pitcher or soft toss moves so the kids can hit to the side

of the field. The fielders rotate inward each inning. It’s a good game because it’s soft

toss or short toss – so it’s BP. Half the field makes them wait and focus. The fielders

get a lot of action too. Especially as the batters learn the game and adjust. The kids

like it because the pace of the game is very fast. Lots of at bats, lots of fielding

chances.


Tee Ball Sample Practice Plan

Here is a basic, simple outline for age appropriate T-Ball practice. Adjust as you see fit. Practices at

this level shouldn’t exceed 60 minutes or so. Much longer, and kids tend to get bored and distracted.

Try to arrive a bit early to get the equipment and field ready and to welcome the players and parents.

Welcome, Warm up and Team Building 5 – 10 minutes

Begin with a very simple 1 – 2 minute overview of the practice schedule. This helps establish routing

and gives kids a chance to get focused. Then get the kids ready to go by leading them in a warm-up

lap around the bases, and some basic arm and leg stretches. Keep it fun so they remain focused.

Conclude with a team cheer.

Throwing and Catching 15 minutes (3 drills / 5 min ea)

Drill 1: Standing about 10 to 20 feet away (more or less depending on skill), Coach throws to

players’ glove side (opposite side as skills advance). Instruct proper way to catch and

hold ball – watch ball into glove, use two hands, squeeze glove closed.

Drill 2: Player throws to Coach. Instruct proper ball grip and mechanics (aim, point, throw).

Drill 3: Pair players up and have them throw to each other while coaches instruct and reinforce

proper mechanics.

Batting 15 minutes (3 drills / 5 min ea)

Make sure coaches control bats!

Drill 1: Coach teaches players how to correctly step up to the tee and approach the ball. Proper

stance, proper grip on the bat, level swing, step into the swing, pivot, follow-through.

Drill 2: Players hit off the tee into the fence.

Drill 3: Players take turns hitting off tee and running through first base.

Fielding 15 minutes (3 drills / 5 min ea)

Drill 1: Rolls soft grounders to players. Instruct proper “ready position” for fielders, glove up, let

ball roll into glove and cover up with other hand. Head down – coach should see the

button on the top of the hat when players field ground balls.

Drill 2: Coach gently tosses ball to players’ glove side (opposite side as skills advance), simulating

pop-ups.

Drill 3: Coach rolls balls a few feed to the left or right of the fielder. Player tries to cleanly field

and throw to a coach or other player simulating a first baseman.

Baserunning 5 minutes

Drill 1: Base running tag. One player on each base, including homeplate, and one or two players

equally spaced between each base. (Adjust according to the number of players you have.)

When coach says “go”, players run around the bases and try to tag the person in front of

them. Once you are tagged, you are out. Keep going until one person remains. Players

should be positioned so the faster players do not continually tag the slower players.

Drill 2: Run through first base. Use a stopwatch to time them going from home to first, ensuring

that they run through first base. You could also time them home-to-home. Or forget the

stopwatch altogether and just have them run without being timed.

Conclude Practice 5 minutes

Take a few minutes to reinforce what they did well, ask if they have questions, end with a team cheer.


Single A or Double A Sample Practice Plan

Here is a basic, simple outline for age appropriate A or AA level practice. Adjust as you see fit.

Practices at this level shouldn’t exceed 60 - 90 minutes or so. Try to arrive a bit early to get the

equipment and field ready and to welcome the players and parents.

Welcome, Warm up and Team Building 10 minutes

Begin with a simple 1 – 2 minute overview of the practice schedule. This helps establish routing and

gives kids a chance to get focused. Have kids pair up and throw to each other to loosen their arms up.

Have them start slowly, and relatively close together, throwing harder and from farther away as their

arms warm up.


Drill 1: Long toss. Pair players up and have them stand far away from each other. Teach them

proper crow-hop technique while throwing to other player.

Drill 2: Coach throws baseballs to players left and right, above and below the waist, teaching

proper way to catch glove-side and backhand, fingers pointed up, and fingers pointed

down.

Drill 3: Coach throws soft liners and pop-ups to players’ left and right, having players run to make

the catch.


Drill 1: Soft toss. Coach kneels to the side of and slightly behind the player in the batters stance.

Coach tosses the ball so that it crosses the plate in the strike zone. Player hits either into

an open field, or into a fence.

Drill 2: Tee work. Players hit off tee either into the field, or into a fence or backstop. Coach

instructs proper hitting technique – grip, level swing, keeping the weight back, quick to

the ball, follow through, pivot and turn, eyes on the ball.

Drill 3: Take 5 players – one is the batter and the others each play an infield position except

pitcher and catcher. Batter hits live coach pitching. Rotate positions so everyone gets a

chance and every position including batter.


Drill 1: Basic infield drill. Put players at each infield position, 2 or 3 to a spot. Coach hits

grounders from homeplate. Players take turns fielding and throwing to first. Rotate

through all positions. Stress importance of ready position, fielding with two hands,

charging the ball.

Drill 2: Outfield fly balls. Coach throws or hits fly balls to LF, CF and/or RF. Instruct proper

catching technique with both hands in front of the body, proper way to get under the ball

(sprint first, if unsure, first step should be back not forward, don’t run with your glove out,

etc)

Drill 3: Double play drill. Line up players at SS and 2B with a coach or player at 1B. Coach hits

or rolls grounders to SS and 2B with the intent of turning a double play. Teach proper

pivoting, tagging, dart throws, quick turns, quick release, etc.). Rotate players through

each position.


Baserunning 10 minutes

Drill 1: Player starts at home plate and runs to first. Coach acts as first base coach and tells runner

to either run through 1B or continue to 2B. Stress importance of running through 1B, and

taking a proper turn when advancing to 2B.

Drill 2: Coach acts as 3B coach. Players start from 1B and run to 2B, and must pick up coach

while running, who tells them to either stop at 2B, advance to 3B or home.




Triple A or Majors Sample Practice Plan

Here is a basic, simple outline for age appropriate AAA or Majors level practice. Adjust as you see

fit. Practices at this level should be about 90 minutes or so. Arrive a bit early to get the equipment

and field ready and to welcome the players and parents.

Welcome, Warm up and Team Building 10 minutes

Begin with a simple 1 – 2 minute overview of the practice schedule. This helps establish routing and

gives kids a chance to get focused. Have kids pair up and throw to each other to loosen their arms up.

Have them start slowly, and relatively close together, throwing harder and from farther away as their

arms warm up.


Drill 1: Line Drill. See list of Suggested Go-To Drills for description. Great for relays and cut-

offs. Stress the importance of proper technique for lining up, catching, turning and

quickly throwing Always turn to your glove-side, and catch the ball with the other hand

near the glove for quick release.

Drill 2: 3 Ball. See list of Suggested Go-To Drills for description.

Drill 3: Bullpen Session. Have kids throw 20 or so pitches from regulation distance. Catcher can

be player or coach. Stress importance of grip, push-off, balanced wind-up, stable follow

through, keeping front shoulder aimed at target, and ready to field the position after

delivery. Rotate players through.


Drill 1: Soft toss. Coach kneels to the side of and slightly behind the player in the batters stance.

Coach tosses the ball so that it crosses the plate in the strike zone. Player hits either into

an open field, or into a fence.

Drill 2: Tee work. Players hit off tee either into the field, or into a fence or backstop. Coach

instructs proper hitting technique – grip, level swing, keeping the weight back, quick to

the ball, follow through, pivot and turn, eyes on the ball.

Drill 3: Batting with live pitching, either coach pitch or kid pitch, either as scrimmage or batting

practice. If scrimmaging, break up into two balanced teams. Don’t keep track of outs,

and switch sides after everyone has batted once through the order. Switch positions each

inning.


Drill 1: Various position-specific drills. Each position requires unique and specific skills,

including backing up plays, covering bases, etc.

Drill 2: Outfield fly balls. Coach throws or hits fly balls to LF, CF and/or RF. Instruct proper

catching technique with both hands in front of the body, proper way to get under the ball

(sprint first, if unsure, first step should be back not forward, don’t run with your glove out,

etc)

Drill 3: Double play drill. Line up players at SS and 2B with a coach or player at 1B. Coach hits

or rolls grounders to SS and 2B with the intent of turning a double play. Teach proper

pivoting, tagging, dart throws, quick turns, quick release, etc.). Rotate players through

each position.


Game Situations 10 minutes

Drill 1: Advanced baserunning, including stealing bases, first and third situations, learning to pick

up the 3B coach as you come toward 2B.

Drill 2: Basic signs, how and when to read them.



COACHES TOOLBOX


Players Agreement

Please read carefully and sign

✓ I will always give 100% effort.

✓ I will continuously learn and improve my skills.

✓ I will learn from my mistakes. They are an important part of

learning

✓ I will be a team player and respect the Rules, Opponents,

Officials, Teammates and Self. I will never be disrespectful

to anyone.

✓ I will take victory modestly and be gracious in defeat. I play

for fun.

✓ I will learn the rules of baseball and play by them.

✓ I will do my best to be on time for practices and games; and

inform my coach of planned absences and tardiness.

✓ I will respect and help keep the dugouts/recreational facilities

clean.

I _____________________________________ will honor the Shelburne Little

League Players agreement in my words and actions. If I am unable to practice the

behaviors above, I may jeopardize my privilege to play little League Baseball in

Shelburne.

_____________________________________ _______________________

Print Players Name Date


Coaches Agreement

Please read, initial each item and sign.

You are the most important person in our organization.

You determine the kind of experience our athletes have with sports. We are committed to the

principles of Positive Coaching. We expect our coaches to be “Double-Goal Coaches” who want to

win and help players learn “life lessons” and positive character traits from sports.

1. Model and teach your players to Honor the Game. _____

Teach the elements of ROOTS – Respect for: Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates, and

one’s Self.

• Appoint a parent to be “Culture Keeper” for the team if possible.

• Share with your players’ parents your desire for them to Honor the Game.

• Drill Honoring the Game in practice.

• Seize teachable moments to talk with players about Honoring the Game.

2. Help players redefine what it means to be a “Winner” in terms of Mastery, not just the

Scoreboard: _____

• Teach players the ELM Tree of Mastery (Effort, Learning, and bouncing back from

Mistakes).

• Use a “Team Mistake Ritual” (like “Flushing Mistakes”) to help players quickly rebound

from mistakes.

• Reward effort, not just good outcomes. Look to recognize players for unsuccessful effort.

• Encourage players to set “Effort Goals” that are tied to how hard they try.

• Use Targeted Symbolic Rewards to reinforce effort and team play.

3. Fill your players’ Emotional Tanks. _____

• Use encouragement and positive reinforcement as your primary method of motivating.

• Strive to achieve the 5:1 “Magic Ratio” of 5 positive reinforcements to each

Criticism/correction.

• Schedule “fun activities” for practices, so players will enjoy their sport.

• Use the “Buddy System” to teach players to fill each other’s Emotional Tanks.

• Develop “player coaches” by asking for player input and asking rather than telling them

what to do.

• Learn to give “Kid-Friendly Criticism” so players will be able to hear it. Criticize in private,

“Ask Permission,” use the Criticism Sandwich and avoid giving criticism in non-teachable

moments.

4. Have Conversations during Team Meetings with your players at every practice and every

game. _____

• Review Honoring the Game, the ELM Tree and the Emotional Tank throughout the season.

• Remind players about these three concepts before and after every game.

• Ask questions and encourage players to speak and contribute during team meetings.

• Use the Winner’s Circle after a game to reinforce the positive things players did.


5. Be familiar with the rules, techniques and strategies of baseball as spelled out in the

Shelburne Instructional coaching Manual and the Shelburne Little League rules manual.

_____

• Be alert to the physical safety of the players

• Teach the basics, giving all players an opportunity to improve their skills.

• Organize practices that are fun and challenging

• Maintain open lines of communication with players and parents.

Thank you for all your time and effort!

I will honor the Shelburne Little League Coaches Agreement in my words and actions.

_________________________________ _______________________

Coaches Signature Date


Parents Agreement

Please read, initial each item, sign and return to the coach.

1. I pledge to get my child to practice and games on time. I understand that it can be embarrassing

for my child to be late and that I may be putting him/her at risk by not providing adequate time for

warm-up. I pledge to pickup my child on time. _______

2. I pledge to use positive encouragement to fill my child’s Emotional Tank because athletes do

their best when their “Emotional Tank” is full. I understand that fewer than 1% of youth sports

participants receive college scholarships and that the top three reasons kids play sports are a) to

have fun, b) to make new friends, and c) to learn new skills. The game is for the players, and I will

keep sports in the proper perspective. _______

3. I pledge to reinforce the ELM Tree of Mastery with my child (E for Effort, L for Learning and

M for bouncing back from Mistakes). Winners are people who make maximum effort, continue to

learn and improve, and do not let mistakes, or fear of making mistakes, stop them. I understand

that children are born with different abilities and that the true measure is not how my child

compares to others but how he/she is doing in comparison to his/her best self. ______

4. I pledge to “Honor the Game.” I will set a good example for my child. No matter what others

may do, I will show respect for all involved in the game including coaches, players, opponents,

opposing fans, and officials. Officials make mistakes. If the official makes a “bad” call against my

team, I will Honor the Game and be silent! ________

5. I pledge to refrain from yelling out instructions to my child. This is the coach’s job. I will limit

my comments during the game to encouraging my child and all players.______

6. I pledge to refrain from making negative comments about my child’s coach in my child’s

presence. I understand that this plants a negative seed in my child’s head that can negatively

influence my child’s motivation and overall experience. _________

I will honor the Shelburne Little League Parents Agreement in my words and actions.

________________________________ _______________________

Parent’s Signature Date

________________________________

Print Child’s Name


Sample Letter to Parents

Here is a good example of a letter to parents from the coach (from qcbaseball.com)

Dear Parent(s):

I wanted to take this opportunity to put in writing my coaching philosophy and my goals for your

child and the team this season. Youth baseball can be an exciting and fun opportunity for your child

to learn new skills, make new friends, and have fun. As fun as it can be for your child, different

expectations from the coach, parent(s), and player can take away from that positive experience in a

number of ways. As you read through this letter please make sure that my philosophy fits with your

expectations of what you want for your child and how you believe the team should be run. If not,

this is your opportunity to let me know.

Coaching Philosophy

• I believe that kids gain confidence and a love for the game through positive feedback from

parents, coaches and other players. Skill level develops at different rates for kids, but effort and

having fun can always be achieved, I try to always provide positive feedback for effort.

• I think it’s important that a coach takes more than a casual interest in the players. I strive to talk

with all the players 1 on 1 at some point during the practices and games. I may not be successful

getting to every player each day, but I want them to know that I’m interested in what they have to

say and more importantly, I want them to know that their coach likes him/her as a person.

• I believe in trying to make practices as fun and entertaining for the kids as possible, while

providing practice and instruction they need to improve. I’ve found that kids expect and respond

to well-structured and organized practices. Attention span is often limited with this age group, so

I will strive to keep them moving and active.

• Teamwork and developing friendships is an important part of any team sport. I always try to tell

the kids how important it is for them to support each other and to always be positive towards their

teammates.

• Competition is an important element of any sport and as kids grow they naturally become more

competitive. I don’t talk to the kids about “needing to win a game” or “how important it is that

we win”. I feel my role and that of the parents is helping the kids develop the ability to deal with

competition in a healthy way. Effort and attitude is my focus. If we can achieve that, then

chances are we’ll win the number of games that we are capable of winning.

I will work on teaching fundamentals and skills during practice, but I believe the game is their time. I

will give instruction during the game if I feel it will help with their performance during the game, but

in general I try to let them enjoy the game. I don’t think any of the kids want to be told what they did

wrong during the game. I hope as parents you will do the same. At this age, one missed ground ball

can ruin the game for some kids. If your child misses a ground ball, tell them how proud you were

of the effort they made to get in front of it. Strive to make them feel good about their contribution.

My goa is to have every child feel that they played a great game that day.


Objectives

With this age group, I have 5 primary coaching objectives which I believe are equally important.

1. Help your child develop the skills necessary to be successful at this level and to prepare your

child for next season.

2. To have fun and have the kids develop a love for the game.

3. Lean about the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship.

4. Give positive reinforcement based on effort rather than results.

5. Provide a safe and healthy environment for all the kids on the team.

Playing Time and Positions

For this age group there is a drastic difference in skill level among the kids. I want to give the kids an

opportunity to play a number of different positions and I’ll make sure each player gets a chance each

game to play in the infield for a couple of innings. I will not have a player pitch or catch that I don’t

feel has the ability to play the position at this time. This really is a safety issue as much as anything.

Plus, I want to put kids in positions where I feel they have the best chance of being successful. That

doesn’t mean they won’t have the ability by the end of the season and I will always work with the

kids at those positions during practice if they are interested.

Team Rules and Discipline

We will have a few team rules that we will make at the first practice. Rules may be added during this

season if necessary. I use a “penalty bos” for the kids when they are not behaving or break a team

rule. This takes the child away from the team and they are not allowed to participate in practice for a

few minutes.

Player Expectations

• Have fun and always give your best effort.

• I expect players to always show respect for the coaches, parents and other players on the team.

• Spend time outside of practice playing baseball.

Parent Expectations

• Please try to get your child to practice and games on time. I know this can be difficult at times

and impossible at other times, but it’s really hard to conduct practice or get ready for a game

when players continually show up plate. If you know your child will be late or won’t be able to

make it to a practice or game, please let me know in advance if possible.

• Help out with team volunteer opportunities. We have a number of items that require parent help.

• Get involved in playing baseball with your child. This may be helping out at practice or playing

catch in the yard on days we don’t practice. Kids love it when their parents get involved.

Repetition also crucial for skill improvement. There simply isn’t enough organized practice time

for the kids. They need to work on the skills they learn at practice at home also.

• Please encourage good sportsmanship by demonstrating positive support for all players, coaches,

and officials at every game and practice. Please cheer for your child during games, but try to

keep from yelling instructions to them. Remember this is their opportunity to enjoy playing in the

game. Much of the fun is lost if their Mom or Dad is always yelling instructions.

• Please let me know if you have a problem with me or something that is happening. Same holds

true if your child isn’t happy about something. I want to know if there is a problem right away.

With this age group, very small things can cause a child to be upset. These problems can be fixed

very easily if I know about them.

• Safety is a primary concern for me. Unfortunately, I can’t watch every child every second. If

you see any situation that you believe is a safety concern, please step in and help. Make sure you

follow up with me so I know what has happened.


I’m looking forward to a fun and rewarding season. If you have any questions or concerns, please

don’t hesitate to call me.

Sincerely,

Name

Phone number

E-mail address


Talk To Your Team With These Two Scripts

PCA has developed Positive Coaching Scripts to help coaches introduce positive

coaching principles to their teams. Scripts shouldn’t be memorized and recited word-

for-word. Read through the script and then put the ideas into your own language,

words you feel comfortable using when you talk to your team.

A Script for Redefining “Winner”

Baseball is a great game. It’s a lot of fun to play, and it’s also a way that we learn

important lessons that can help us later in life. I know that I learned a lot from playing

competitive sports when I was your age.

I want to tell you about a goal I have for the team and for each of you individually this

season. I want each of us to “Act like a winner to be a winner.”

There are two kinds of winners. What is one kind of winner? What does “winner”

mean to you? (Answer likely to be something like “The one who has the most points at

the end of the game.”)

One kind of winner is the team that has the most points on the scoreboard at the end of

the game. And we want to be that kind of winner. We want to work as hard as we can

to win as many games as we can. There is another kind of winner though that is just as

important. That is a winner in life. We want to learn from this season how to be a

winner in everything we do, not just baseball.

To be a winner we need to start acting like a winner. And a winner is someone who is

working for mastery of whatever activity he or she is doing. So in baseball we want to

work toward mastery to be the best baseball player and team we can be. And we want

to learn how to achieve mastery at anything we want to be good at.

To help understand the way that we achieve mastery, we use the example of a tree that

we call the Tree of Mastery. If you climb the Tree of Mastery you will be successful.

We say that the Tree of Mastery is an ELM tree because there are 3 things you need

to do to climb the ELM Tree of Mastery:

E is for Effort. We want to give our best effort every time we come out on the field. I

am more concerned that we try our hardest than I am if we win. We could win against

a weak team without giving it our best effort, and that doesn’t really mean anything.

On the other hand we could play a team that was stronger than we are and try our very

hardest and lose. I would be proud of us in that case because we were acting like a

winner by trying our hardest even though the other team ended up winning the game

on the scoreboard. So the first part of the ELM Tree is E for Effort.


L is for Learning. We want to continue learning and improving every week in

practice and every time we play a game. If we continue to learn, we will get better

and that is more important than whether or not we are better than some other team.

We could be better than another team without learning and improving if that team is a

weak team. And we could be weaker than another team but be learning a lot and

getting better all the time. It’s more important to me that we learn and improve than it

is to beat a team that isn’t very good. And it’s more important that we learn and

improve even if we lose to a team that is stronger than we are. So the second part of

the ELM Tree is L for Learning.

M is for how we respond to Mistakes. Most people think it’s bad to make a mistake.

But mistakes are part of the learning process. You can’t learn something as

complicated as baseball if you are afraid to make a mistake. And people that are afraid

to make a mistake often don’t even try very hard.

I want you to know that it is okay to make a mistake on this team. We want to learn

from our mistakes and not let them discourage us or keep us from working hard.

So, is it okay to make a mistake on this team? Yes, it is. And the third part of the ELM

Tree is M for how we respond to a Mistake.

Acting like a winner involves three things. It means”

1. Giving your best effort every time

2. Continuing to learn and improve, and

3. Not letting mistakes (or fear of making a mistake) stop you.

If you do these three things, you are acting like a winner, and you will be a winner in

life as well as baseball. Now let’s have a great practice. Give it your best effort, learn

as much as you can, and don’t worry about making a mistake.

A Script for Honoring the Game

I love the game of baseball, and I hope you do too. A lot of great things happen on the

baseball field. I feel that it is an honor to be involved in the sport. That’s why I want to

talk to you about honoring the Game.

Now, I am sure many of you have had parents or coaches talk to you about

sportsmanship, or what it means to be a “good sport.” What does it mean to you to be a

good sport? Sportsmanship is important, but in order to get the most out of this

baseball season, I want you to honor the game.


We say the Honoring the Game goes to the ROOTS of the matter — R-O-O-T-S.

Each letter in ROOTS stands for an important part of baseball that we must respect.

The R stands for Rules. The first O is for Opponents. The next O is for Officials. T is

for Teammates, and the S is for Self.

R is for Rules : The rules of baseball are what allow us to keep the game fair. Respect

for the rules is important, even when it’s possible to break them without getting

caught. I want you to play by the rules, even if you think you won’t get caught if you

break them. Breaking the rules dishonors the game, even if it means that we win.

O is for Opponents: Without opponents, we could have no game. A good opponent

makes us do our best. Some- times your opponents are friends of yours. I want you to

respect your opponents, and remember they are out there to have fun just like us. I

want you to try your hardest to win, not because you hate your opponent, but because

you want to play your best. I promise that I will show respect for opposing coaches and

teams, and I expect you to do the same.

O is for Officials: It is very important to respect officials. Often, this can be the most

difficult part of Honoring the Game, so we need to remember to keep it as a focus

when we play. Officials have been selected and trained to en- force rules, and they

have a very hard job. Without the officials the game would be unsafe and unfair.

Officials are not perfect (just like coaches, athletes and parents!) and sometimes make

mistakes. However, there is no excuse for treating officials with disrespect when they

make errors. I want you to show respect for officials, even when you disagree with the

call. I promise to do the same thing.

T is for Teammates: A big part of baseball is the team. Being with your teammates

should be fun. Later in life you will often be part of a team, and it is important to learn

to work together. I hope you feel a commitment to each other as teammates and that

you will agree to always play as hard as you can in practice and games. Please

encourage and support each other on and off the playing field.

S is for Self : Some people only Honor the Game when their opponents do, but I want

us to Honor the Game no matter what the other team or its fans do. I want us to be the

kind of team that Honors the Game even when others aren’t because we set our own

internal standards. And we live up to them no matter what. We have so much respect

for ourselves that we would never do anything to dishonor the game.

Honor the Game starting right now at this practice, especially when we scrimmage.

> Who can give me an example of how we Honor the Game of baseball?

> What does each letter stand for?


Positive Charting

As coaches we tend to think that we add value by finding things that are done

incorrectly and improving them. But it is equally important to find things that are being

done correctly and to reinforce them. Positive Charting is a method for increasing the

number of "right things" that your players do. It also creates a wonderful positive

atmosphere in which players are more receptive to being corrected because they feel

appreciated. Effective Positive Charting helps you reach the Magic 5:1 ratio, which

best keeps players' Emotional Tanks full.

Here's how Positive Charting works:

1. Write the name of each player in a box on the Positive Charting Form. If there is

a specific action you want to look for with that player (for example, hustling

back on defense, blocking out for rebounds) write it in the space marked "Look-

For."

2. Look for the positive things players do. Whenever you see one, jot a note under

the player's name. (Over time you'll develop your own shorthand. The key is to

write enough so you'll remember it when you get to step #5 below.) Remember

to look for the team-building things that players do to encourage each other as

well as their physical actions.

3. Be honest. Don't be tempted to make something up or write something that isn't

true about any player. This is the hard part - you have to find something positive

about each player. It may be a small thing, but you can find it if you look hard

enough.

4. At your next practice, begin with a quick team meeting in which you review

your positive charting with your team. Take each player in turn and share with

the group the positives. This should take no more than 30 seconds or so per

player. Enjoy the positive energy of your players during practice. You could do

this at every practice.


Positive Charting Form

Date:___________________

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes:

Player:

Look For:

Notes


Pitch Count Information Available on SLL website - https://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/PitchCountInformation.pdf

https://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/PitchCountInformation.pdf


Pitch Count Log Available on SLL website - https://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/PitchCountLog.pdf

https://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/PitchCountLog.pdf


Example Practice Plan

Task Description/Comment

Attendance/Introduction All Coaches

Safety Discuss expectations for running a safe session and emphasize it each

practice.

Warmups (15 mins) All Coaches

Dynamic warms ups (10 mins) Warm up arms / legs with series of dynamic stretches

Arm circles Start out small circles progress to larger circles rotating from front to

back

Arm stretch Elbow by ear, opposite arm pulls back steady but gentle

High Knees/Super Mans High knee pull up – emphasizing knee/quad stretch.

Butt Kickers Heel to butt

Throwing (5 mins) Each player peers up and warms up throwing at a modest distance.

Breakout Sessions (15 mins – each station) Group Rotations

Throwing & Catching Progression (15

mins)

Seated Throw Focus on mechanics and accuracy, not speed or velocity. 10 ft apart

Knee Throw Knee in front focus on shoulder rotation - 15 ft apart

Foot planted Throw Front foot point toward partner, rear foot planted – 20 ft apart

Glove point and throw Focus on body motion and follow through – should be snapping wrist

and not pushing ball.

Relay drill

(speed of change and accuracy of throw).

Line 4-5 kids up and focus on receiving the ball and body position ready

for throw, quick transfer glove to throwing hand and hitting target.

Fielding Infield and Outfield (15 mins)

Partner Shuffle Rolls Peer up Player, spread apart by 15/20 feet one player rolls ball and other

player fields it and shuffles to left, shuffles to right. Done without

glove. 10 balls and switch.

Short hop series Partner up, start on knees and each player short hops it to each other

focusing on glove position staying down. Progress to standing up and

finish with simulated throw.

Ground Ball Roll Focus on clean fielding and quick return. Wide Base, Butt down hands

out front. 3-4 in a row rolled by coach and returned back. Switch.

Field/Catch/Throw Drill for grounders

& line drives.

Setup players in 3 positions for fielding (2B or SS), 1B and home plate.

Coach hits to SS/2B and then player throws to 1B, 1B throws to

Catcher. Rotate.

Open Fly Drive Coach works with players on body position and proper pivot for fly

balls, makes sure first step is in direction of ball. Coach hand tosses ball

allowing player to pivot in each direction (left and right). Use bat as

starting line if needed. Line up players and coach lobs and force player

to throw after catch.

Hitting (15 mins)

2 Active Tees – partner load 1 player hits off tee and partner loads balls – both players need helmets

and aware of each other. Idea is to focus on level swing and solid

contact.

2 cages going with coach pitch to each or

possibly side toss for some.

1 player per cage while coach pitches 20 balls and rotate. It’s up to the

coach to determine pitch velocity based on player’s skill.


Accident Report Form Available on SLL website - http://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/ShelburneLittleLeagueAccidentReportForm.pdf

http://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/ShelburneLittleLeagueAccidentReportForm.pdf

http://www.eteamz.com/shelburnell/files/ShelburneLittleLeagueAccidentReportForm.pdf


2019 Coaching Committee & League Liaisons Members

2019 Shelburne Little League

League Liaisons

Name League Cell E-Mail

Pat Whitman T-Ball 802-355-6490 [email protected]

Scott McDade A 802-238-0352 [email protected]

Dan McLean AA 917-783-6318 [email protected]

Don Aherns /

Chris Konowitz

AAA 802-734-6351

802-999-2102

[email protected]

[email protected]

Chris Berger Majors 802-999-1160 [email protected]

Casey Lee Babe Ruth 802-598-8378 [email protected]

Kim Smith /

Jason Galipeau

Softball 603-318-6907

802-238-7977

[email protected]

[email protected]

Pat Whitman Player Agent 802-355-6490 [email protected]

Scott McDade President 802-238-0352 [email protected]






















RULES OF PLAY


Rules of Play – Single A

Time

• 90 minute time limit with the first 45 minutes being a practice/skill building combined session

with joint coaching. The second 45 minutes will be a game. Each team must bat an equal

number of times.

Coaching

• Coaches may coach from the field. Parents may not coach from the field unless instructed by

the coach and confirmed volunteer application processed.

Batting

• FACEMASKS REQUIRED

• All players will be in the batting order. The away team bats first.

o The batting order should be reversed each game OR the coach should begin with the

player who was due up when the last out was made in the last game.

• A batting tee MUST be used after 6 pitches.

• Each half-inning ends when the defensive team records 3 outs OR the offensive team bats

through the order - whichever comes first.

• There is no leading or stealing by the base runners.

• The team at bat may only have one batter outside the dugout (the batter).

• A parent for the batting team must be behind home plate collecting passed balls in a bucket to

move speed of play.

Pitching

• All pitching is to be done by a coach from the team on offense. Players that demonstrate

ability to pitch can start pitching half way through season. Pitchers will throw 3 pitches per

batter with the coach stepping in to pitch. Player pitcher limited to 3 batters per game.

• The coach will pitch until the batter puts the ball in play OR until the player swings at 6

pitchers. After 6 pitches, the batting tee will be brought out and the batter will then put the

ball in play from the tee. There are no strike outs or walks.

Fielding

• All players will hustle off and onto the field.

• All players will play in the field.

• Players must be rotated into different positions in each inning.

• Coach should backup catcher during the game.

• Catcher should be ready before the team at bat ends

Dugouts / Fields

• No glass bottles allowed in the dugouts. All dugouts must be clean at the end of each game.

• Home team prepares the field for play (water, rake, lime, paint..etc).

• Visiting team put fields away at end of game (rake, tarp..etc)

• A background checked adult must remain in the dugout at all times during play.


Rules of Play – Double A

Double A will be subject to all of the rules and regulations, as spelled out in the Little

League Rules and Regulations for Baseball Divisions, with the following amendments:

Time

• Games have a 2 hour time limit. Semi-Final and Final games are six innings.

Batting



• Each half-inning ends when the defensive team records 3 outs OR 5 runs are

scored - whichever comes first.

• There is no 10 run rule in effect in AA, keep the kids playing (by coaches

agreement).

• Stealing home is allowed.


Pitching

• All pitchers are subject to the Little League International pitching rules. (section

V-1-Pitchers: Age is determined by Little League rules)

• Pitch counts should be kept by both teams for any player who throws a pitch.

This is on the honor system, and must be disclosed to the other team upon

request.

• After 3 walks per inning, coach pitch with whatever the count is once 4 balls

have been thrown to a subsequent batter. New pitchers do not get an additional

3 walks.

Fielding


• 10 players are allowed in the field if both teams have 10 players. If one team has

11 and the other 10 (or any combination other than 10 & 10) 9 players will play

in the field.


Game Score / Pitch Counts

• Home team manager is responsible for sending game scores and pitch counts to

[email protected] at the completion of the game.




Rules of Play – Triple A

Triple A will be subject to all of the rules and regulations, as spelled out in the Little League Rules

and Regulations for Baseball Divisions, with the following amendments:

Time

• Games have a 1:45 time limit. Semi-Final and Final games are six innings.

• Game CAN end in a tie, half win in standings is awarded.

• There is no time limits in semi-final and final games.

Batting



• Each half-inning ends when the defensive team records 3 outs OR 5 runs are scored -

whichever comes first. (rule does not apply in playoffs)

• The 10 run mercy rule is in effect for all games. Rule 4.10€ If after 4 innings, 3 ½ innings if

the home team is ahead, one team has a lead of 10 or more runs, the manager of the team with

the least runs shall concede victory to the opponent. Note: If the visiting team has the lead the

home team must bat in their half of the inning.

• Stealing home is allowed.

• Slide or avoid at all bases is in effect failure to comply results in an Out.


Pitching

• There is No Baulk rule at this level. Warning and Correction ONLY as this level.

• All pitchers are subject to the Little League International pitching rules. (section V-1-Pitchers:

Age is determined by Little League rules)

• Pitch counts should be kept by both teams for any player who throws a pitch. This is on the

honor system, and must be disclosed to the other team upon request.

Fielding


• 10 players (4 outfielder positioned on grass) are allowed in the field if both teams have 10 or

more players. (9 players in field during playoffs)

• Catcher should be ready before the team at bat ends.




Umpiring

• Home team will provide an adult umpire if there is only one youth umpire, assistant coach if

necessary. Can be shared by agreement.




Rules of Play – Majors

Majors will be subject to all of the rules and regulations, as spelled out in the Little

League Rules and Regulations for Baseball Divisions, with the following amendments:

Batting


• All players will be in the batting order (including during playoffs).


Fielding







Home team manager is responsible for sending game scores and pitch counts to




GENERAL RULES

• No glass bottles allowed in the dugouts


• Players should hustle off and onto the field.

PRE-GAME FIELD RESPONSIBILITIES • Tarps must be rolled up around tubes and stored under bleachers between fields

• Chalk goes on infield dirt; paint goes on outfield grass

o Outfield paint only needs to go on once a week, after mowing

• Sweep caked-on dirt from the tops of base foundations to ensure bases securely

hold

POST-GAME / PRACTICE FIELD CLEANUP RESPONSIBILITIES • Always remove bases and store in dugout

• Sweep your team’s dugout

• Dispose of garbage and recycling from your team’s dugout

• Raking

o Always rake away from the grass

o Baselines: rake up or down the baseline, not side to side (to prevent

valleys)

o Raking to fill holes will help prevent bad hops

o DO NOT rake over base foundations

o Fill in and tamp holes at pitcher’s mound, batters boxes, and 2nd and 3rd

bases where players slide

o Rake dirt toward the top of the pitcher’s mound

o Most importantly: don’t remove dirt from the fields

• Cover pitcher’s mound and home plate with tarps; DO NOT LEAVE TARPS

ON THE GRASS

It is BOTH TEAMS’ responsibilities to work together to achieve these goals

Thank you for your help keeping these fields in great shape!


HOW TO KEEP SCORE


How to Keep Score

Keeping score in Little League is important, as it helps us not only identify (and be

able to accurately recount later) what happened during the game, but it also helps us

keep track of who has played which positions and gives you more information to help

you manager your team.

There are many different ways to keep a book, and different people may have different

notations that work for them. That’s fine, as long as you are able to go back later and

make sense of what happened during each player’s at bat. With that in mind, the

following is excerpted from BaseballScorecard.com. Don’t worry if you’ve never

done it before and it looks like Greek. Once you do it a few times you’ll get the hang

of it.

Getting Started

Game Data

Once you've familiarized yourself with the scorecard layout, it is time to start

filling it in. Normally at the top you'll find places to log information such as team

names, date, and time. Some scorecards also contain spaces for location,

temperature, weather, team win-loss records, and several other statistics. Some

cards will even provide space for umpire and coach names. Fill in as much as you

want, but be sure to fill in the team names, date, and time. If you don't, you won't

know what game you were scoring when you find the scorecard in the bottom of

a drawer a few months later.

Player Data

Next, find where you'll be entering player data. This will be a grid with inning

numbers and other designations running across the top and spaces for the players'

names, numbers and positions down the side. Fill these in when the batting order is

announced. Before entering the player positions, you should be aware of one

standard way of recording them. Instead of alphabetic abbreviations, most people

assign numbers to the positions. The standard position numbers are shown below.

1 Pitcher

2 Catcher

3 1st Base

4 2nd Base

5 3rd Base

6 Shortstop

7 Left Field

8 Center Field

9 Right Field

Designated hitter is represented by “DH”


These numbers are easy to remember if you start with the pitcher and then work

your way around the bases. The only hitch is the shortstop. You would think that

the numbers for shortstop and third base should be reversed. One explanation that

I've read was that the shortstop was not originally considered part of the infield. It

was originally part of the outfield as a "short fielder." I don't know if this is true or

not, but it does explain the number system.

Finally, you'll notice an area where you can register the statistical totals. Some of

these, such as runs and hits, are totaled after each half-inning. Others, such as

player and team totals, are tallied after the game has been played. We'll discuss

this section later.

Scoring

Scorekeeper Shorthand

Scorekeeping is accomplished by a sort of "shorthand," which is basically a

combination of position numbers and abbreviations. Refer to the “Scoring

Abbreviation” page to see some common numbers and abbreviations used

throughout a game.

Batter Up!

Let's see what we need to do as each player has his turn at bat. We'll confine

ourselves to the top of the lineup.

If you've familiarized yourself with the position numbers, you'll see that the

center fielder, second baseman, catcher, and right fielder are the first batters up.


Smith singles to center field. A lot of pre-printed scorecards will have a diamond

representing the field in the middle of each box. To mark Smith's single, we'll

darken the line from home to first and place a 1B next to it. I also like to draw a

line to show where he hit the ball.

Lawson's up next and he strikes out swinging. A "K" is placed in his box to

indicate that he struck out. If it was a called strike three, a "Kc" or a backwards

"K" would be placed in the box. A circled "1" is also placed in the box to indicate

that it was out number one.

Henry is batting next, but while he is batting Smith manages to steal second. The

line from first to second should be darkened and an "SB" along with a number to

indicate who was at bat is written to indicate that Smith stole second during

Henry's plate appearance. I like to use the player's jersey number for this. It makes

it easier for me to keep track of things. Other people use the player's position

number. So, I could have just as easily written "SB2" instead of "SB17".

Henry manages to draw a walk. The line from first to second is darkened and

either a "BB" or "W" is written to indicate the walk. I prefer to use BB for "Base

on Balls."

Jones is now at bat and hits it to the short stop who tosses it to the second baseman

who tags the bag to get Henry out. The second baseman then throws to first to get

Jones out. A classic 6-4-3 double play, which is what is written in Jones' box. Of

course, both outs must be recorded. So a line is drawn halfway between first and

second in Henry's box and is marked with a '33' to indicate that Jones was the


batter. A circled '2' is also entered to indicate that Henry was the second out.

In Jones' box a 6-4-3 is written along with a 'DP' for the double play and a

circled '3' to indicate the third out. A 'DP' could also have been entered in

Henry's box to indicate that he was caught up in the double play as well. One

other method is to draw a line connecting the two boxes.

The '6-4-3' above is an example of how all players who were involved in putting the

runner out are given credit.

Since this is the third out, a slash is drawn across the lower right-hand corner of

Jones' box to indicate the end of the inning. This is what the scorecard should look

like after the first half-inning.

Take a Swing

Hopefully, the above examples will give you an idea about how scorekeeping is done.

Give it a try next time you go to out to the ballgame. Also, don't be afraid to

experiment. What works best for others may not be best for you. I am always open

to suggestion and would appreciate any that are offered. So, if you come up with

something that works well, I would be glad to hear about it.


Substitutions

Later in the game…..

I've never seen a game where at least one substitution was not made. There are many

reasons to replace a starter: pitchers get tired, batters aren't hitting, players get

injured, someone's ejected, or the manager makes a strategic move. Whatever the

reason, sooner or later you're going to have to mark a substitution on your

scorecard.

So, how do you do this? It depends on the substitution.

For batter substitutions, I draw a line between the last scorebox of the previous

batter and the first scorebox of the new batter.

If the new batter is a pinch hitter, place "PH" in the position box. If he is taking a

position in the field, use the normal position numbers. If players are moved around in

the field, you'll want to show that on your scorecard. Usually, I make a note by the

player's name indicating the move.

When a substitution is made for the pitcher, place a line under the score box of the

last batter the previous pitcher faced.

After the Game

Back in the dugout…..

Now that the game is over, you can tabulate all the data you’ve compiled. If yu

haven’t been keeping up with it during the game, now is the time to add up the

statistics for each inning; runs, hits, errors, passed balls, and men left on base. You

can also add up the data for each pitcher; innings pitched, batters faced, strikeouts,

walks, hits, runs, earned runs, wild pitches, batter hit, and balks.

Professionally printed scorecards may contain several fields to tally a batter’s

performance; at bats, runs, hits, singles, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in

and others. It’s up to you to decide how much you want to do.


SAFETY




ACCIDENT REPORTING PROCEDURES &

RESPONSIBILITIES

Accidents to Report

1. Report any incident that causes any player, manager, coach, umpire, volunteer,

or spectator to seek professional medical treatment.

2. Report any injury or incident that you feel might possibly be serious enough to

require professional intervention.

3. Report any incident that could have resulted in serious injury. Reporting such

incidents will bring potentially hazardous situations and conditions to the

attention of the Board.

When to Report

1. All such incidents described above must be reported to the Safety Officer within

24 hours of the incident. (Eric Boyce 607-259-6627)

2. Serious injuries should be reported immediately to the Safety Officer, League

President, or other board member. (Eric Boyce 607-259-6627 and

Scott McDade 802-238-0352)

Information to Report

1. Name & telephone number of the individual involved.

2. The date, time, and location of the incident.

3. A detailed description of the incident.

4. A preliminary estimation of the extent of the injury.

5. The name & phone number of the person reporting the incident.

LIGHTNING SAFETY

In the event that thunder is heard or lightning is seen, teams are required to suspend

play for a minimum of 30 minutes from the last clap of thunder or the last bolt of

lightning.


Important DO’s & DON’T’s for Managers and Coaches

DO…..

1. Call 911 in the event of any serious medical emergency.

2. Reassure and aid children who are injured, frightened, or lost.

3. Provide or assist in obtaining medical attention for those who require it.

4. Know your limitations.

5. Arrange for a mobile phone to be available at practice game locations.

6. Check fields & equipment for hazards before all games/practices.

DON’T….

1. Administer any medications.

2. Provide any food or beverage other than water, to an injured player.

3. Hesitate in giving first aid if needed.

4. Be afraid to ask for help if you’re not sure of the proper procedure.

5. Transport injured individuals.

6. Leave an unattended child at a practice or game.

7. Hesitate to report an injury to the league Safety Officer or other Board member.

8. Hesitate to report a potential safety hazard to the Safety Officer or other Board

member.

OTHER SAFETY NOTES

1. Managers are required to bring medical release forms to all games as well as

first aid kits to all games & practices.

2. No games or practices should be held in unsafe weather conditions, poor

lighting, or other unsafe conditions.

3. Playing fields should be regularly inspected for holes, damage, stones, glass, and

other dangerous objects.

4. Only managers, coaches, players, and umpires are permitted on the playing field

and in the dugout during games and practice sessions.

5. Batters must wear approved batting helmets and masks during practice and in

games.

6. Catchers much wear a catcher’s helmet, mask, throat protector, shin guards, and

chest protector. Male players must wear a protective cup.


GENERAL RULES

• No glass bottles allowed in the dugouts


• Players should hustle off and onto the field.

PRE-GAME FIELD RESPONSIBILITIES • Tarps must be rolled up around tubes and stored under bleachers between fields

• Chalk goes on infield dirt; paint goes on outfield grass

o Outfield paint only needs to go on once a week, after mowing

• Sweep caked-on dirt from the tops of base foundations to ensure bases securely

hold

POST-GAME / PRACTICE FIELD CLEANUP RESPONSIBILITIES • Always remove bases and store in dugout

• Sweep your team’s dugout

• Dispose of garbage and recycling from your team’s dugout

• Raking

o Always rake away from the grass

o Baselines: rake up or down the baseline, not side to side (to prevent

valleys)

o Raking to fill holes will help prevent bad hops

o DO NOT rake over base foundations

o Fill in and tamp holes at pitcher’s mound, batters boxes, and 2nd and 3rd

bases where players slide

o Rake dirt toward the top of the pitcher’s mound

o Most importantly: don’t remove dirt from the fields

• Cover pitcher’s mound and home plate with tarps; DO NOT LEAVE TARPS

ON THE GRASS

It is BOTH TEAMS’ responsibilities to work together to achieve these goals

Thank you for your help keeping these fields in great shape!



ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

Here are a few sights that we found to be very helpful. Spending some time on them

will greatly increase your knowledge about baseball specifically and coaching in

general.

www.littleleaguecoaching.org

www.littleleague.org

www.qcbaseball.com

www.youthbaseballinfo.com

There are also books available, here are a few titles we found to be helpful.

The Baseball Clinic: Skills and Drills for Better Baseball (by John Stewart)

The Baffled Parent’s Guide to Great Baseball Drills (by Jim Garland)

Play Baseball the Ripkin Way (by Cal and Bill Ripkin)

Coaching Youth Baseball the Ripkin Way (by Cal and Bill Ripkin)

Winning Baseball for Beginner to Intermediate Play (by Trent Mongero)

Youth Baseball Coaching (John T. Reed)

http://www.littleleaguecoaching.org/

http://www.littleleaguecoaching.org/

http://www.littleleague.org/

http://www.littleleague.org/

http://www.qcbaseball.com/

http://www.qcbaseball.com/

http://www.youthbaseballinfo.com/

http://www.youthbaseballinfo.com/

Documents

2019 COACHING MANUAL - Amazon Web Services...Shelburne Little League Baseball Coaching Manual 2019 9 Sports Specific Conditioning & Warmups Objectives The objective of a baseball warm