Help- One field practice plan

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Oct 9, 2019
23
3
If you have read my last few posts, you will already know my situation. One field. Inner city school. We have three teams and just made cuts. We are a high school program that is really just beginning to build a program. We only really cut the girls that might be a danger to themselves by not being able to catch a ball. We have 52 players across the 3 levels. We are extending practice this year to go from 3:30 to 6pm for the whole group and then having a specific 60 minute practice for infield or outfield. This is my plan right now... But I'm hoping for suggestions.

PRACTICE PLAN
30 Minutes- Jog, Stretch, Throw (same team), water

30 Minutes
Infield- Groundballs
Right field- Outfield- Pop fly's
Left field- Pitchers/Catcher- Square pitching

90 min Station Work
Coach- Station 1- Main field BP

Station 2- Water (chill) Visitor dugout

Station 3- Stretching/ J-Band work
Coach
Station 4- Turf Tee work

Coach Station 5- Batting cage/ Batting Swings

Station 6- BP shagging

Station 7- BP shagging
 

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Mar 6, 2018
33
18
Can the young ladies catch and throw?

With that many, I absolutely would not be hitting on the field. That’s a time killer with too much idle time.

Are all the girls practicing together?

How is the pitching?
 
Mar 6, 2018
33
18
I am assuming the skill level is very low.

And If your batting cage can be divided into two sides.

Divide the players in 7 groups based on skill.

1. Dynamic warmups 5-10 min

2. Throwing/catching. 20 min. (Very important)

3. Station work. (Around 15 min per station) hitting stations will take the most time. So the infield or outfield group will also have a little time for water.

2 infield groups working on ground ball fundamentals. (Split your infield)
2 outfield groups working on fly balls.
1 group hitting off Tee
2 groups hitting front toss in cage (each side of cage)
Identify potential pitchers/catchers and find time for them to work daily. Pitching is single biggest bang for your buck. If you can pitch, you can compete.

Lots of drill work/reps for the first 2 weeks assuming daily practices.

Then spend a lot of time on basic situational with each team.

Next, run some scrimmages with either coach pitching from L screen or live pitch assuming pitcher can throw some strikes.

This eats a lot of time. And I would assume you will get the most bang for your buck learning to pitch, field, catch, throw.
 
Feb 21, 2017
198
28
You are going to have far too much standing around with all those girls and that plan. You have not discussed what your goals are for each team but I think you have two different objectives. Ideally your varsity team objective is to be competitive in your league while your JV is more development so eventually the players improve. You didn't say how many coaches do you have?

One thing I would implement is that if practice is 3:30 pm they need to be warm and ready to go. Put responsibility on them to jog before and not just roll in. The term many coaches use are cleat-on meaning you step on the field cleats on and 100% ready at 3:30 pm, not 3:31 pm. To my kids it means be at the field at 3:15 pm.

I would also have 2 types of practices. Program (all-players) clinic practice for 150 minutes and then Split Practice with everyone for 100 minutes and let one team stay for 50 extra minutes to cover situational drills. I would favor the Varsity with that extra 50 minutes most of the time. By situational that means - Bunt coverage, run downs, cut-offs, ball priorities and similar.

For clinic assuming they do a quick jog before hitting the field.
  • Stretch/Warm-up (10 minutes)
  • Throwing mechanics - Wasserman throwing (10 minutes)
  • Infield/Outfield - what do you mean by this?
Infield isn't that simple as just hitting ball to them especially if they aren't already skilled. Sure my DD's have taken 10,000's of ground balls so no problem but that isn't your group. There are steps.
  1. Mechanics - how to field a ball (a ball at them, to the forehand, to the backhand & high-hops) and ideally you roll them so they get the technique correct.
  2. Specific Plays - Ok, I can field but now what? (again rolling a ball) - Underhand flips, dart throws, receiving footwork for force out, receiving footwork for tag out.
They need to be able do these two things without thinking. and then you can move to full Infield - Around bases or various fielding throwing combinations. Even team USA does the first two, they call those mechanic drills "Every-days" and they do them everyday, I have seen the USA coaches roll balls to the SS and she underhand flips to 2B which are specific plays. The same progression goes for outfield.

Hitting: The issue with the hitting the way you set it up is it is going to be a time suck and players will need feedback so just tossing balls will be a waste of time. Also you really don't want to eat up the field as a station so maximize he cage area:
  • If you have 2 bow-nets you can hit into them off a tee as 2-stations (one girl put ball on tee, one hits, 6-8 swings, switch)
  • You can have underhand toss and practice bunting (1 bunter, 1 toss, 1-2 shag)
  • Cage put a full 10x10 screen in the middle to break it in 2. The batters are in the middle facing away from each other (hitting to end) and do front toss. Coaches behind screen on the far ends of cage facing each other.
  • There are whiffle ball & weighted balls where you can do font toss which can be done like bunting station.
If you do hit on the field put a 10x10 screen down the middle the of the plate (separate the batter boxes) and do two front toss groups one hitting to Right-Center and one to Left-Center. Use hitting mats to create two new Home Plates. I would only do this if you do the separate 50-minute practice and want extra hitting. Also, you can scrimmage between teams but I would front toss and play 6-outs (make 3 outs, clear bases, 3 more outs, switch teams). If you do have your pitchers pitch in a scrimmage start each batter at a 1-1 count.

For what it is worth, if you focus on fielding then your team will get better faster and if you can't field & throw you are not getting to bat anyway during the games.

Hope some of this helps.

CoC
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Some very structured plans offered here! Nice!

Could also consider
Alternating days with teams.
Offense one day M-W
Defense the next T-Th
Scrimmage Friday's

This gives coaches the opportunity to develop different talent levels of teams.
Can oversee specific team needs without so much shuffle shuffle.

Scrimmage fridays!!
Team continuity and game time experience.

*Consider since 3 teams seperating either frosh team or jv team players into the
A or B team talent levels.
( practice with stronger team)
This will give them opportunity to STEP UP to a talent level goal, and not hang back all season.
Helps grow program.
 
Mar 4, 2018
126
28
Do not use the main field for batting practice. You have 52 players and 7 stations, so roughly 7 kids per station.

7 kids standing around doing nothing in station 2. Get rid of station 2 altogether, not needed.
1 kids hitting and 6 kids watching the hitter hit in station 1
7 kids shagging balls in station 6
7 kids shagging balls in station 7
That is half of your team doing pretty close to nothing for half of the practice. Very inefficient use of the main field.

Use the main field for ground ball work. Use the outfield for outfield work. Setup some Bownets in the outfield our foul territory for extra tee work.
 
Oct 9, 2019
23
3
Okay. So I think I have a good plan going forward. We only have three coaches and 52 girls on a JVb, JV and Varsity team. Also only have the one field with not much surrounding grass.... Most of it is uneven gravel. Practice is from 3:35-6pm with a specialized practice from 6:05 to 7pm.

Softball Stations program

3:35- 4:05 (30 min)
Jog, Stretch, Throw, water

4- 4:30 (30 min)
Everyday Drills "Every Days"

1. Infield
At, backhand, forehand, short hop, long hop, pop fly.
  • Rolling, throwing, bat
    • Barehand
    • Pancake
    • Glove

2. Outfield (left field)
  • Pivot foot/ drop step
    • Groups spread out, lines, point and dropstep run
  • Soft toss headers
    • Left, right, going back, coming forward
    • Throw ball up, player must get body behind the ball to head it
  • Pivot step Qb toss
    • Left, right, straight back
  • Ground ball throw
  • Pop fly catch and throw
  • Mix off the bat/throw/machine

3. Pitchers catchers
  • UTDT
  • Push UTDT
  • Walk through
  • Wind-up

4:30-6:00 (90 min) (20 minutes a group)
Hitting/Jogging Group (1 team a day)

Station 1 (1 coach with machine)
  • Main field hitting/base runners
    • 1 pitching net, 1 pitching machine, 1 full net at 1st base, 1 full net behind catcher, 1 hitting mat at home
Station 2
  • 4 Turf tees
    • Ichiro's
      • Three strides and hit the ball
      • Load up weight going back to go forward.
      • Focus on striding, not lunging to the ball/pitcher, don't gain ground.
      • Move legs only, not body or head.
      • Land on big toe, front door closed not open, heel in the air, when heel drops then body swings.
Station 3
  • Batting cage
    • Underhand 2 player toss
      • Separate Lane in half, 2 pitching nets, two athletes under hand toss to hitters
    • Hitting swings
Station 4
  • Outfield Jogging


Defense Group (other 2 teams)

Station 1
  • Main field infielders at positions
Station 2
  • Main field outfielders at positions
Station 2b
  • Pitcher/catchers, bullpen, right field. Full net per pitcher behind catchers
Station 3
  • Bands/stretchinge
Station 4
  • Outfield Jogging
 
Feb 21, 2017
198
28
Two comments:

#1) I don't see base running in the plan. You don't have to do it everyday but it can be difference between winning and losing. Good base running puts pressure on the defense and can cause them to make errors. Drills:
  • Home to 1B, breakdown
  • Home to 2B, Use a ? turn
  • Tag up at 3B (claps or similar so take lead, back to bag, go when the ball drops or touches a fielder). They need to learn to read this, the coach should only say "tag" as a reminder when the ball is in the air. Also you can do more than one 3B so get more reps.
  • You can also do Home to 2B & 2B to Home to help them make efficient turns, take 2 bases whenever you can.
  • Also teach any pitched ball in the dirt (especially at Freshman/JV) go until the catcher proves they can get throw you out.
#2) Outfield is not a drop step, it should be a hop. I have heard some softball college coaches say they don't like the hop but trust me on this...it is the way they do it at the highest level. The video below shows perfect example at the 2:18 mark, that guy is pretty good.

 

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