I will admit I know minimal about the sport and am trying to learn as much as possible. I've got 13 girls from a six year old who never has thrown a softball to an eight year old that played select last fall.
What training tools are best? Tee, balls, what else?
What are the best resources for teaching them the proper swing, throw, etc?
How important is the practice field? We were assigned a grass field, I'm thinking the closest thing to a real infield would be much better.
What stations /drills would you suggest?
Any input or help is greatly appreciated!
Over the past 25 years, I've coached Travel and High School Fastpitch Softball. All of my Travel experience has been with 10U & 12U with players that had little or no experience. I found the following DVDs very helpful (I bought them when they were VHS tapes).
Sue Enquist (one of the most influential coaches in fastpitch softball):
...Bunting & Hitting Progressions for Younger Players
...Teaching Infield Play to Younger Players
...Teaching Baserunning to Younger Players
Jerry Johnson (long time, respected coach):
...Slap Hitting for Beginners: Featuring Hard Slap, Soft Slap, Drag, Chop, Push Bunt and more
...Series of 5 Pitching DVDs for the Younger Pitcher
Henry CHristowski (another long time, respected coach):
...The Complete Guide to Beginning Pitching
...The Complete Guide to Beginning Catching
I have reviews on each of these DVDs / VHSs.