Would love to get some new practice ideas, particularly drills that the girls can have fun with. I'm working with 9 and 10 year olds so simple is better!
I teach Shoe String Catches. All of the girls can do this. The girls line up sort of in a C. I sit outside the C and toss a low fly ball to the first person in line. She runs out and catches the ball, low to the ground. I praise them for keeping the ball in front of them and making a good attempt. The girls catch and run past me, putting the ball in the bucket.
I soon have an excited circle of girls running and catching.
At the end of practice we always run pickle drills. It really gets the girls pumped and laughing. I also use it as a mental tool, the last impression on their mind is working as a team and laughing as a team.
I have a stuffed animal : Kung Fu Panda. We prop him up on a bucket and attempt to cream him! Sometimes he's on 1st, sometimes 2nd...The girls win a gimme for the end of practice drill we call Queen Bee. They set up by themselves in front of a square on the fence, and a coach throws grounders to them. They have to protect their square. If the ball hits THEIR square, they are out. If they protect it, they go to the next square, and then to the back of the line for the next round. Throws get harder every round. (they can also get out for making a bad throw back to the coach)..At the end, the girl left standing is the Queen Bee...She gets to call the chant at the end of practice.
I also divide the girls in two teams: 1 in LF, 1 at home. A girl from LF has to field a pop fly, then run in to field a hard hit grounder, and then run in for another grounder, while throwing to 2B each time. Meanwhile, the girl at home starts running as soon as A) the pop fly is caught or B) the pop fly hits the ground. She goes from H to 1B to 2B. The runner tries to beat the third throw to 2B. It is a FUN drill, and they realize QUICKLY how the little bobbles in the field kill them in time! (coaches note: hit the balls fairly quickly, as soon as they field the previous one) AND..you have never seen girls run this fast around the bases!
Have them put on a helmet. machine throws ball to their face and they catch w 2 hands fingers up drill.(make them run to a base for the catch). start at home bear crawl relay race to third and 1st (2 teams) frog hop back. Always end with freeze tag 3 girls it. ( 2 if go between legs to unfreeze)