Fun drill for 7 and 8 rec league girls softball.

We always start our practices off with throwing. Wrist tosses first. Then throws broken down (ready-break-throw). Then regular throwing from different distances (10 ft, then back up to 15 ft, then 20 ft, until one side is on the first base line and the other side is in line with second base). Usually takes about a half hour.

Then we do like others said, defensive groupings. Infield and outfield drills.

Then stations for hitting where the girls pair up so one person is hitting and one person is setting the balls on the tees (usually have one station for soft tossing and periodically one station for bunting).

If there is time and the girls put in good effort we will end practice with a game.

Tennis racket with tennis balls. Have them wear helmets and hit them pop flies. Goal is to have ball bounce off helmet. At that level no too high, but teach them to get under a ball without getting hurt.

Make sure that you are teaching correct mechanics on throwing and hitting. Most 8U coaches do not. Hitting and throwing mechanics are usually not what you think when you're coaching 8U for the first time. I was pretty ignorant at the time and didn't know it. Probably still am.

I have coached rec ball softball for 10 yrs and boys baseball before that.. 6u to 14u.. nothing burns me up more than girls/boys not knowing how to catch and throw the ball properly.. it is the absolute in the game and that has to be accomplished for them to have fun playing and keep them coming back every yr.. I think all rec leagues loose kids by not teaching the basics ..

msbigdawg said:

I have coached rec ball softball for 10 yrs and boys baseball before that.. 6u to 14u.. nothing burns me up more than girls/boys not knowing how to catch and throw the ball properly.. it is the absolute in the game and that has to be accomplished for them to have fun playing and keep them coming back every yr.. I think all rec leagues loose kids by not teaching the basics ..

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Absolutely! I will say one thing about this right now, however, as I'm currently coaching 8U rec softball.
Some girls (and boys too) flat-out refuse to learn what you're trying to teach them.
If you took a few of my girls that listen and apply what I'm teaching, and compare them to the girls that don't seem to really care, you'll have 2 completely different views of my coaching skills.
I think with Rec, early on, you get such a huge variation in why the girls are there....makes it really hard to teach some of them!

MacLobo .. you are correct and to add some of these kids really don't want to be there the parents force them to try and get them into some sort of social interactions. I have seen it all even had girls come to every practice come to opening ceremony get team pic taken and never return. She was one of those you speak about.. lots of times ill pair up my worst and best to warm up arm just so they see where they are lacking in throwing skills to try and get a competive side to come out in them to be a good. I never single them out and put on spot light always work in groups on weak ones... but then again there are always gona be some that just don't have the motor skills or the drive to want to learn. Its frustrating to say the least. Ill always end a practice with some sorta throwing game to keep it all fun and light and end on a good note. As in Rec ball u never want or can afford to loose any kids for the leagues sake of having nuff for teams.. REC BALL FOR SOME IS THIER HIGHLIGHT AND WILL NEVER GO PAST THAT LEVEL...buit all you can do is encourage.. One thing we have implemented last yr to try and over come these issues, after league is over we offer skills night for anyone that wants to learn and improve.. We do it every Wed to work around high school summer ball sched. We have several coaches that split up and work stations on three fields so girls can go work on what they want to improve and we bring in some of the high school girls to help too. They look up to the HS girls and take stuff in better sometimes coming from them than a coach or dad.. Our mission statement is to teach and not get hung up on the W/L record as we are here to prep for next level. That's being said some coaches just don't get that and seem to let girls slip to side if skills aren't where they should be.. This is why we are doing the skills night to hopefully catch the ones that are slipping and keep the interest.. Whats really cool and comforting is when you look at your local HS rosters and see all the girls you taught skills to make it to that next level from Rec