Looking for practice/warm up ideas

[undergroundga]

Thought about starting 2 threads, but didn't want to become redundant.

1. We currently rent practice space during the winter for 2 hrs. We work our girls pretty hard. This season more than before because we've incorporated about an hour of circuit conditioning and ladder drills. We plan our practices out and work to maximize our time. There is very little standing and girls are busy the whole time.
To my asst coaches chagrin I think it's time to break the practice monotony and throw in some games and have a light hearted practice. When we first started practicing girls were really excited and had a blast, especially with the conditioning work. But the new is wearing off. So I'm fishing for ideas to throw a little fun into all the work being done.
Thought about a game of kickball or maybe teaching the girls how to play pepper. But I know some of you have got to have some great ideas to spice practice up.

2.I've also been thinking about how we can change our warm up routine during tournaments.
We currently do the traditional every one meets an hr before the game, stretch, hit at a couple stations, throwing progression, fielding/pitcher warm ups. Before every game.
I'm starting to think that we might be wasting(waste might not be the best word) too much energy. So, I'm also fishing for ideas on ways to compact warmups without so much needless repetition but still provide a proper warm up and get girls focused on the task at hand.

Just looking for ideas on ways to break out of the status quo.

 

[Ken B]

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[CoachHarley]

I have a 10u team. We use a plunger stuck in a tee placed at home and hit under inflated soccer balls off of it. The girls have to swing really hard to get it to go anywhere and the fielders have to use 2 hands to field it. They love it.

 

[BuckeyeGuy]

To point 1, how about getting completely away from stick/ball/diamond related stuff? Frisbee football is fun, and can be played indoors in smaller spaces (though larger spaces are better, of course). Or yoga, that's big right now. http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_71/11628000/11628789/1/print/916790_916790.pdf Free PDF

To point 2, John Wooden said, "I believe in learning by repetition to the point where everything becomes automatic...the best teacher is repetition, day after day, throughout the season." I know you're not coaching national champion UCLA, but it's hard to argue with his success lol!

 

[Softball_2]

What age and what level of competition?

 

[FrozenRope]

Just change up your drills. If you do the same stuff over and over and over....you're going to get stale......as will your players. We change up our warm up for throwing every practice. Some days its standard short to long back to short. Some days its short hops and backhand tosses. Some days its crow hop catch. Some days it's star drill catch with multiple balls in a hot potato fashion.

Mix up hitting. Sure...do you drills. Every once in a while line up all your coaches/helpers as pitchers with wiffle balls and do hard front toss from 20 feet rotating after 5-6 pitches. The girls that aren't hitting shag the balls for the coaches pitching. Get a TON of live swings in a short time.

Add in some conditioning competition. Do relay race suicides. They never had so much fun sweating.

We do "Hot Shot" training. Half the team 1B, half at 3B. 2 Coaches with tennis rackets near home plate hitting "Rockets" at them. Great to train the reflexes to stab the hot shots. Sure they will take some off the shins, but the tennis balls only sting. Softballs create bruises and tears!!!

Keep it fun....you'll get far better results.

 

[undergroundga]

We have been changing thins around a little bit. and adding in different fastpaced drills.
This is our first year with such an emphasis on agility and conditioning. It's amazing the impact it is having in their legs!