My practices may be getting boring...

[Momo'sDad]

Every practice is unique, but grounders are a staple of our team practices. With 10 girls, we split into 2 lines and put 2 coaches with bats out in front of home plate to hit to each line. The throws come directly back to the coaches. We get a bunch of reps in a short amount of time and will rotate players in at 1B to take throws as well. Most of the coaches around here put everyone in 1 line. That's their choice, but over the course of several practices, they end up standing around a lot more than my players will.

As far as practices becoming boring, I've got a rec team right now, and most of the girls have never been taught to throw overhand. So guess what we're spending a lot of time working on? Yes, it's repetitive and yes, it's very basic, but until they learn to throw, players won't be able to get maximum enjoyment out of practicing and playing the game.

I did speak to and send out a note to the parents about this. We have to get that throw down, and we need to put in all the time required to do so.

 

[jazz10NE]

Buy a Diamond Foam Practice Softball or 6. Use them to play a real game in doors or in my case 2 base softball.

Set up home in a corner
set a base about where 2nd basegirl would normally play, in our building its probably 45 feet from home, I sometimes set up 2 here a few feet apart. 1 is for the batter to run to, the other is for the players that are safe.

Split the girls into 2 teams
I pitch the foam ball (play defense) from about 25 feet
I use a lightning rod as a bat (more concentration to hit the ball)

When a girl hits the ball they run to the base,
Fielders have to get ball and throw it to the base just as you would with first base. I allow over running by the batter just like normal.
If a batter is safe they move to the other base (avoids collisions) and they then would go from there back to home. The trick is you don't have to run. I set a max of 3 girls on the base at a time. If a base runner goes home on the hit they must cross the plate before the ball is thrown to 1st. In some cases you can get a double play by getting both batter and runner out with the same play.

This is a different way to get some fun in and still work on game situations, even if you don't have room for a full infield.

 

[IACoach]

We always try to end our practices on a game of some sort. Here are a couple of favorites I have found that the girls love

Goalie Grounders Game
- Divide the girls into two teams forming two lines about 50-60’ apart, with players shoulder to shoulder three feet apart. Place something two feet from each girl at either end of both lines. These are the goal posts. Hand a ball to one of the players. To play the game, the girls take turns trying to throw grounders through the opposing line. They can throw as hard as they want (make sure they're spaced far enough apart). Create a line where the ball has to hit in front of to avoid line drives.
- The player who fails to prevent the ball from going past the imaginary line between goal post is out of the game. The ball must bounce in front of the line to count. If a player's ball is caught on the fly without bouncing she is out - if it is dropped, she stays in. If a ball goes through the line without bouncing, it has no effect. Any throw outside the goal posts has no effect.
- As players are eliminated move the goal posts in until the last player has a goal roughly six feet wide. Hint: if the girls learn to charge the ball, it gives one of their teammates an opportunity to back them up. If there is a question as to which girl allowed the ball to get through the line, the opposing team decides.

Football drill
- Two teams, kick off is a throw, no running with ball, must throw in 5 seconds
- Drop, running with ball, 5 seconds or interception - switch

Horse
- Place three balls Four feet apart down the 3rd base line. Place a runner from "Team A" on 3rd base Place fielders on 3rd base and 2nd base "Team B"
"Team A" runner must reach 2nd base before the fielder fields and throws all 3 balls to the fielder at second base.
If the fielders get all balls to 2nd base before the runner gets there, "Team B" get 1 out. If the runner gets there first, they get 1 Letter, 1st Team to spell S-O-F-T-B-A-L-L "WINS".

This is a killer for the girls with the most desire to win and some speed....Rabbit Drill
- Line up around gym fastest to slowest, spaced even except between the fastest and slowest have a baseline court width, all start running slowest to fastest, pass person in front of you and they are out. Some will drop quick but the diehards go for a long time. You have to shorten the run perimeter as the players start droping. Do this before a break or at the end. Some will be wiped out.

 

[doublesteal]

We have a few games that we always ended our practices with as long as the girls gave a decent effort during practice.

1. Knock Out- This one seemed to be their favorite. Line the girls in a single file line facing the wall.The coach throws the first ball aginst the wall and the first girl in line fields it, she than throws it and goes to the end of the line, if you miss it your out. We had one girl who would purposly would get out early .. so we started the rule that when you get out you do 10 situps or updowns (or any exercise) than each time someone else gets out you do an additional 10 (we have 12 girls so that first girl who gets out is doing 120 situps or updowns) Once the girls get comfortable with it you can add in additional rules, such as a bobble means your out. We found out you have to set up parameters on the wall where they can throw between. It gets competitive, the girls dive and slide for balls like crazy, Last time we played I had 2 players slide into me when I was sitting on the side against the bleachers. (its a good dril to help players dive for balls, I had 2 girls who were scared to dive and after a few games were diving left and right, when I said something they told me they didn't think about that they diving they just didn't want to get out of the game)

2. Queen of the Island - Set up cones in a circle, one girl is in the middle (we have made the circe bigger and put 2 girls in to work on communication) Coach rapidly thows 5 balls within the range of the circle (we have done grounders & pop ups). playes has to field and toss aside to get ready for the next one. You can choose a winner numerous ways, we have done if you miss/drop one your out, or the player who has the most wins.

3. King of the Mountain (this name doesn't fit but thats what the girls call it) - Divide into 2 team. Set boundries like a volley ball game. Each team takes turns throwing the ball on the opposing teams side trying to get it past the end line without it being caught. Rules are it must bounce atleast once before going out of bounds, a ball caught beofre it bounce the thrower is out. A ball fielded behind the end line the fielder is out. It helps our girls comminicate with who is getting a ball thrown where and backing each other up. It gets quick sometimes so it works on reflexes as well.

4. Thunderball - we use a wiffleball when we are indoors so it doesn't travel as far. Set up the bases and split into 2 teams. Team A bats first and team B is fielding. Team B divides into 3 groups, 1 group at 1st base, 1 group at 3rd base and 1 group in left field. One player hits (sometimes we use a tee sometimes we soft toss) one player from 1st & 3rd sprint to get the ball the player in left must sprint to the pitchers mound. The players from 1st & 3rd relay the ball (or throw it themselves into the pitchers mound) The person who hit the ball is running the bases, for each base they touch before the ball gets to the mound they get a point (they can only round the bases once so no more than 4 points.. allthough when we are ourdoors we tell our girls a homer over the fence is 5 points but nobody has yet to do it). Have the players in the field rotate so the same person isn't sprinting to the mound everytime. Once everyone on Team A has batted switch sides. We started easy, than went to the pitcher could only go within the circle to get a ball, to now the person on the mound has to have 1 foot in contact with the mound at all times. Its teaches angles to the ball, sprinting for passed balls, relays & quick accurate throws. Losing team gets a punishment usually of the winning teams choice.

 

[obbay]

Thank you- great ideas!

However, rolling is not really good for young kids who may be afraid of the ball. They will be ill prepared for a real ground ball. But then I guess you make them wear a mask instead of learning how to field it.

Actually that's kind of insulting for no reason.

I guess it depends on if the "real ground ball" is being hit by a 45 yo man or a girl the same age. The thing I find is that most need to learn the muscle memory and correct movements. in the process they develop confidence. I always start throwing the balls to them before hitting to them. I've seen plenty of baseball-dad coaches hitting softballs at fielders that are scared silly and teach them nothing. Actually, oldest DD (10 yo at the time) caught a one-hopper in the windpipe hit by one of these well-meaning but clueless dads. that's probably the reason I advocate for masks on my infielders.

The practice I have in March is not the same as April is not the same as May and /or June. they get progressively more intense as the skills develop.

Your post indicates to me that you think Howard Kobata is wrong too, but I believe in him and his method. Different strokes for different folks.

I still think hockey players look like sissies for wearing helmets. are they?

 

[redhotcoach]

Once you are outside and have longer practices, don't feel bad about doing some of the same things every practice. Several college practices that I get our practice ideas from, all start with the same warm ups, throwing, and ground ball routines on most practices. I call them "everydays", it takes my girls 30-45 min to get through them, non of the drills neccessarily need a coach, so if your rushing from work or whatever, that gives you time to plan the rest of practice.

My practices are 2 1/2 hours. I could go longer and the girls would like to, but that is the longest we can get the field.

I always end with some kind of competition like several had mentioned earlier.

 

[PA SB Dad]

If it is just rolling it, the kids can do it amongst themselves for more self-reliance, foot workout and quickness.

However, rolling is not really good for young kids who may be afraid of the ball. They will be ill prepared for a real ground ball. But then I guess you make them wear a mask instead of learning how to field it.

I actually agree with SB on this one!

I do roll balls to the players in the early practices simply because it is easier and quicker to roll the ball for the specific skill I want the girls to work on (back hands, bare hand, one hoppers, cutting the ball off by taking a path toward 1B rather than toward 2B, etc). If I tried to hit those every time, it would be a long wasted period of time.

However, the girls do need to learn to play the ball off the bat. I saw that this winter indoors. The girls were fine with any ball rolled to them, but once I started hitting them, their first step was always BACK. You need to break this habit by getting the girls used to seeing the ball off the bat and coming to it, not backing away.

 

[Mike]

Your a riot Screwball, your screename is applicable. Do you think practice goes something like this.......roll grounders for 1hr then go home? We do the drill candrea demonstrates every practice as part of a throwing/dynamic warm up, they work on all the principles that Howard Kobata teaches during that WARM UP. Any idiot can grab a bat and start belting grounders and call it practice.

I do agree with one thing you said....Softball practice can be boring at times, get used to it.

 

[IACoach]

For some rolling is the only option during early season practices. Our school gym where we practice has a strict rule against using bats and normal softballs so rolling/throwing softies it is. Agree fielding off the bat is different but when it is cold/raining we have no choice.

Our warm up routine is the same each practice - throwing fundamentals and then fielding fundamentals. From there we drill down to what ever is needed.

 

[obbay]

Thank you all for your recommendations! I've saved them all so we can work them in and see what flies.
this is a big help!