Coaching little league softball

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Aug 11, 2014
13
0
Was wondering how some coach little league softball when you have so little time with girls. We practice twice a week between an hour to 2 hours. We are limited because of weather on the north east. The thing is it's a tough because it's either teach the girls the game or the fundamentals of the game. These are 11-12 yr old girls that are from beginners to have played a few yrs. any thoughts?
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
- Lots of fundamentals, lots of repetition
- Lots of stations with no more than 3 kids per station
- Lots of drills with 3-4 lines

We often do fielding drills in three lines throwing into a bownet at 1st base (so line at 3rd, ss, 2nd with balls being fielded and thrown to a proxy receiver).

We also when separating the girls normally do it by skill level so if you have a station you can do advanced skills with the better players, and more basic skills when you have a lower skilled group. Keeps the advanced players interested, the newer players interested

Basically maximize the amount of times they touch, field and hit the ball every practice.

And the last 1/3 of the practice you bring everything together as a team drill (as they are still a team that needs to play together)

And #1 - make sure you have pitching. If you don't have pitchers, this is your #1 priority to solve. Catchers are #2. I am not big on spending practice time on this, bt if you don't have these skills already you need them so your games go smoothly and on time.

Extra: Do NOT do the drill where you put everyone in fielding positions and you hit it to them one at a time. That drill is a waste of time you don't have.
 
Last edited:
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
The parents have to realize that the girls need practice at home. There is always something that a parent can do to help. Sometimes, they just don't realize it.
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
Agree with above post. One thing I would add, is if you have a few extra to run some drills, it's nice to be able to take someone one on one if there is a major flaw. Also make sure your more skilled players are setting a good example for the newer players.
 
Aug 11, 2014
13
0
I'm one of the 3 coaches. The manager runs this like an old school baseball practice doing what you said in the last sentence. What do you recommend for hitting practice? We have one very good pitcher and 2 ok pitchers. We do have a couple girls that have been catcher but by no means great.
 
Dec 7, 2011
2,368
38
From my experience, having coached both LL and then TB, be careful putting too much dry repetitive rigor into practices. LL is a place where young girls can learn to not like the sport really quick, if you don't keep it fresh & exciting. I tried to embed skills repetition into fun little competitions along the way.
 

obbay

Banned
Aug 21, 2008
2,199
0
Boston, MA
Focus the first half of the season on training and fundamentals, then in the second half or last third you can step it up and get more competitive. Set your sights on where you want them to be at the end of the season rather than what place in the standings. As RB said most importantly- KEEP IT FUN!

Several things you can do and what HC is doing isn't one of 'em.-

On One team we used to split the players in two groups- one coach would take a group out in RF and do soft toss BP hitting to the others while the other coach worked the other half on IF, then switch.

Hitting Stations (1 per coach), Soft toss whiffle golf balls into a Juggs net, front toss those yellow balls filled with sand (we call em "grapefruits") Hit off a tee into a net - get loose then 5-10 one-hand swings each hand and then 10 with two hands (you determine the actual no. of swings.)

Candrea bucket drill is great for IF (I live in the Northeast and this is a great drill if you get practice space indoors,) Search Youtube for this.

Practice Running bases - thru 1B and around all 4, hitting the inside corner/quarter. develop races/games with this- you would be surprised how many kids really get into this!

Teach sliding - Make this fun, at that age many are probably afraid and/or don't know how.

Teach bunting and work that into BP - Front pitch with game balls

Cutoff relays - make lines of players spaced about 40' - 60' apart. they practice receiving the ball, turning and throwing to the next player in line. After they get comfortable with this, we have races.

Teach drop step by having them go out for a pass where you are therowing them a football that they receive with two hands, including glove. After they get used to the idea and you get used to passing to them, do this using a softball.

That'll get you through a lot of practices!
 
Last edited:
May 4, 2014
200
28
So Cal
I'm one of the 3 coaches. The manager runs this like an old school baseball practice doing what you said in the last sentence:
"Extra: Do NOT do the drill where you put everyone in fielding positions and you hit it to them one at a time. That drill is a waste of time you don't have."

What do you recommend for hitting practice? We have one very good pitcher and 2 ok pitchers. We do have a couple girls that have been catcher but by no means great.


You need to sit your manager down and tell him the drill he is doing isnt going to help. Not enough reps and BORING for everyone... This is where your people skills will be put to the test...you must convince him to let you try multiple stations

with 3 coaches and 12 girls you can get 3 stations of 4 kids, 2 stations of 5 with 3rd coach working pitcher/catcher....
You can have an infield station where shortstop throws to first (or net) and second throws to 3rd - for less advanced players you can do short to third and second to first...

You can have outfield station working fly balls and grounders and relays/cuttoffs


As for batting drills - same thing: 3 stations of 4 girls (this is where a 4th coach would help as 3 girls per station would be better)

1. Soft toss
2. Tee work
3. Wiffle Ball circle
4. Machine/Live Pitch (coach pitch and/or kid pitch but I warn you this drill is slow)

Of the 4 drills the tee work will be the most important. These girls/parents should invest in a tee and net they can do on their own at home... your job at practice is to point out the main flaws in swing so they can work on correcting and give them tips/drills to correct the swing
 
Aug 21, 2011
1,345
38
38°41'44"N 121°9'47.5"W
I'm one of the 3 coaches. The manager runs this like an old school baseball practice doing what you said in the last sentence. What do you recommend for hitting practice? We have one very good pitcher and 2 ok pitchers. We do have a couple girls that have been catcher but by no means great.

That drives me up the wall when I watch coaches hit infield/outfield to the kids, whether it's boys or girls. One person fields the ball and 11 stand around watching. It's like fingernails on a chalk board to me and I have to walk away when I see it.

As mentioned, drills, drills and drills. Another thing to remember when doing drills, is to Stop the drill at the peak of it's success. Too many times I see coaches telling the young ball players that they are going to continue the drill until everyone gets it correct. HUGE MISTAKE! Around 5 minutes per drill, then move on. I go in with a list of several progression drills that we do. It's one after the other after the other. By season's end, it's a completely different looking team than the first practice.

Good luck
 
Apr 28, 2014
2,316
113
DD had a great coach from when she 7 till last year who would run two practices a week then offer another, optional, day for practice. We had 5 teams in the rec league and everyone was invited to the optional practice. It worked out great.
Another thing he did that at the time I thought was unproductive, but later learned helped a ton was to set up the jugs machine and let the girls see some speed. Not dialed up, but speed.
This helped the girls learn to face speed without going live with pitchers.
 

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