It seems like it will be a long summer, but there other teams in the same situation. You'll quickly see what is critical to work on, but keep coaching the kids up and you'll have a great time. You'll win some you should have lost and lose some you should have won. If you put in the work at practice you won't believe how many plays they'll make at the end of the year that they didn't at the beginning. Enjoy it!!!
10u practices
- Thread starter HasBeenorNeverWas
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Pitchers and catchers arrive 30 minutes early to work on those positions.
Get a contract. In the contract address many things (see other threads on this) but one is that if practice starts at 5:00pm, that means they have their cleats on and are on the field at 5pm, not rolling into the parking lot at 5pm. You're late, you bat last in the next game (or whatever).
The practices should get progressively more challenging. Starting with defensive basics. Pick some of these for practices 1, 3 and 5.
Demonstrate throwing techniques, and ball catching glove rotation (use a pitching machine for repetitions). Partner up and roll balls to each other - Bare handed ground ball fielding on knees. Move to bare handed fielding standing (ready position) and finally with glove on. Demonstrate footwork on ground balls (roll balls). Demonstrate fly ball catching, drop steps. Demonstrate technique for catchers catching a pitch (use pitching machine for reps). Pitchers work with catchers.
Practices 2,4 and 6 Offensive basics.
Demonstrate how to hold a bat properly (not too weak nor too strong in hands). Demonstrate posture, balance, and load hitting from ground up. Demonstrate sac bunt technique. USE THE TEES for the first few offensive practices. Resist using the pitching machine for hitting until the players understand and can swing properly. Base running (this is greatly overlooked).
Once you feel progress has been made move on to game related situations. But always start practice with a review of basics. From attention to detail comes successful outcomes.
Demonstrate throwing techniques, and ball catching glove rotation (use a pitching machine for repetitions). Partner up and roll balls to each other - Bare handed ground ball fielding on knees. Move to bare handed fielding standing (ready position) and finally with glove on. Demonstrate footwork on ground balls (roll balls). Demonstrate fly ball catching, drop steps. Demonstrate technique for catchers catching a pitch (use pitching machine for reps). Pitchers work with catchers.
Practices 2,4 and 6 Offensive basics.
Demonstrate how to hold a bat properly (not too weak nor too strong in hands). Demonstrate posture, balance, and load hitting from ground up. Demonstrate sac bunt technique. USE THE TEES for the first few offensive practices. Resist using the pitching machine for hitting until the players understand and can swing properly. Base running (this is greatly overlooked).
Once you feel progress has been made move on to game related situations. But always start practice with a review of basics. From attention to detail comes successful outcomes.
- Aug 12, 2014
- 647
- 43
I coached a 10U rec team last year. We'd do a 10 minute warmup, then 20 minutes of throwing. Then we'd break into stations and work on fielding and hitting. Sometimes I'd work one-on-one with pitchers or catchers (almost all of our pitchers had coaches). We'd do some baserunning once a week. Then we'd do something fun for the last 20 minutes or so. We'd mix in some scrimmaging as well.
