Practice Structure

[greg99]

Sorry if this 1/2 rant and 1/2 looking to see if this type of practice was typical, struck a nerve with you conflicted

To the other posters, thanks for you opinions on a different way to incorpatate live pitching in practices. I will offer them as suggestions to DD's coach.

 

[KCM]

The whole team sitting there live pitching with coaching can get slow and not good usage of time (my opinion).

What we do is split up the kids (got 15 everyday, very glad). Take 3 with their bats to the batting cage and a coach using pitching machine. Keep 2 pitchers and a coach throwing into the net. Then place the infield, a catcher, a pitcher, 2 hitting and 2 outfield. The 2 batters get to hit 3 and then run on last hit. Keep rotating, fielders to bat, batters to cage, cage to field and switch out the pitchers every 6-8 hitters. Let the girls play something not their norm, as I coach I learn a lot about my players do the quick moving and different areas. Also this is not every day, usually Friday and day after a good game.

 

[Atlantabell]

I have a few concerns about the way my DD's team has been practicing lately. I have been noticing that about 80% of the girls only practice at their "primary" position. The main reason I have picked up on this is in the last 4 practices my DD has only left the circle for maybe 10 mins in the OF, which consisted of about 3 balls hit her way. Now, I'm happy that she is in the circle but thats not the only position she will play.
The team does do the ground ball drill where 2 coaches are hitting grounders to SS and 2nd base, so she is getting ground balls. I haven't seen an outfieild drill but I haven't made all the practices. I guess I'm just griping and needed a place to gripe to. The practices were fine in the fall and kinda started going down hill in Jan/Feb. The coaches, IMO, have been putting way to much emphases on "live" pitching. So the girls are in the primary position, for 75% of the practices. Softball is slow to begain with, lets not make it any slower. I don't think more than 15 balls got hit last night and maybe just 4 to the OF, and they didn't even do any drills. Just live pitching with players in position. I am beyound frustrated.

The coach has a DD on the team. Shes a solid player. The coach is on her ALL THE TIME. just over coaching. now she doesn't do this to anyother player. The parents all say, How long to the coach's DD gets an attitude and/or starts crying. I can't blame the DD, she gets constently. Everything the coach says is true, but come on, lets say it once and move on. Its a team practice not the coach and DD practice. it gets pretty hard to take some practices and I'm not sure its helpful for anybody.



Thanks for reading my rant, just needed to vent.

Just read your post, has it gotten better as you moved toward tournament time?

 

[Atlantabell]

This is typical of some travel parents. They come on these boards and complain about their coaches, but never say anything to the coach in person.

 

[Atlantabell]

If a coach wants to make good use of practice time, then everyone has to keep working. Yes, sometimes you have to have the whole team doing something, but most times you need station work or different drills going on at the same time. As for live pitching, it is a good idea, but it is time consuming if you assume that all players have to hit during live pitching. A player does not have to hit live pitching in order for it to be effective. Just allowing a batter to stand in the box and see live pitching while she stands in the box helps. It's more about seeing live pitching and getting used to seeing it. Even if a player sees six straight balls, she develops a better eye.

As to outfield, we drill our outfield a great deal. We drill everything a lot. And guess what, we get slammed for that by parents also. A coach can't please everyone and any coach who tries will go crazy.