The best 10U coach in our rec league (now onto assistant coaching travel) last spring did a ton of fly ball tracking with his players. His team beat everyone based on their defense throughout the season - not just because of that, but in general because his defensive focus.
Your best 5 drills
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- Jun 1, 2015
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Speaking from my 16U rec-level team:
1.) "Blackjack" - Pretty simple situation. Set up a regular defense and they have to get 21 errorless outs. Any errors and I take one point off the list. I usually do this as a warm-up with a 5-10 minute clock.
2.) "Back to Front" - This is a new one I've used and my girls, weirdly enough, LOVE it. 4 infielders plus pitchers - all start facing the outfield. A ground ball is hit - when the ball is hit, the girls turn around and play the ball accordingly (i.e. if the ball is hit to them, field it, if not, cover a bag). The goal is for them not to overanticipate the ball and play it where it happens, especially if a ball is hit between fielders (i.e. the 5-6 hole).
3.) "The Hitting Game" - End-of-practice contest - team vs. batter but every girl for themselves. Regular defensive positions. Each girl gets 5 side-toss hits. Infield plays to 1, outfield to 2. Ground balls in the infield played correctly to 1B or any fly-outs anywhere = 0 points. Ground balls through the infield to the grass = 1 point. Outfield balls past the closest outfielder = 2 points. The first 5 hits are dead, and #6 is live (batter runs). The point total is multiplied by the base they stop running at, but an out on the live hit means the batter loses everything. Highest point total at the end wins. My girls LOVE this game because they love the team-building aspect when on defense plus they love the competitive nature.
4.) "30s" - Base-running drill. Standard line-up at HP for a full-lap sprint. Once the girl ahead reaches a set of cones set up where the runner's lane starts, the next girl goes. The goal is to tag/catch the girl ahead. It's always a contest - try to do the catching but don't get caught. My slower girls hate this because they are paranoid about getting caught, so I emphasize keeping your eyes on the goal AHEAD of you, not the obstacles/threats behind you. You get farther driving out your front windshield vs. your rear view mirrors.
1.) "Blackjack" - Pretty simple situation. Set up a regular defense and they have to get 21 errorless outs. Any errors and I take one point off the list. I usually do this as a warm-up with a 5-10 minute clock.
2.) "Back to Front" - This is a new one I've used and my girls, weirdly enough, LOVE it. 4 infielders plus pitchers - all start facing the outfield. A ground ball is hit - when the ball is hit, the girls turn around and play the ball accordingly (i.e. if the ball is hit to them, field it, if not, cover a bag). The goal is for them not to overanticipate the ball and play it where it happens, especially if a ball is hit between fielders (i.e. the 5-6 hole).
3.) "The Hitting Game" - End-of-practice contest - team vs. batter but every girl for themselves. Regular defensive positions. Each girl gets 5 side-toss hits. Infield plays to 1, outfield to 2. Ground balls in the infield played correctly to 1B or any fly-outs anywhere = 0 points. Ground balls through the infield to the grass = 1 point. Outfield balls past the closest outfielder = 2 points. The first 5 hits are dead, and #6 is live (batter runs). The point total is multiplied by the base they stop running at, but an out on the live hit means the batter loses everything. Highest point total at the end wins. My girls LOVE this game because they love the team-building aspect when on defense plus they love the competitive nature.
4.) "30s" - Base-running drill. Standard line-up at HP for a full-lap sprint. Once the girl ahead reaches a set of cones set up where the runner's lane starts, the next girl goes. The goal is to tag/catch the girl ahead. It's always a contest - try to do the catching but don't get caught. My slower girls hate this because they are paranoid about getting caught, so I emphasize keeping your eyes on the goal AHEAD of you, not the obstacles/threats behind you. You get farther driving out your front windshield vs. your rear view mirrors.
