my team runs alot and im my not fast, so i want to know if its just our team that runs alot
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How much do you run?
Do you run for conditioning or as punishment?
Speed is not an issue if it is for conditioning, other than game needed speed based on position.
I have seen teams run a lot especially pitchers.
Speed is not an issue if it is for conditioning, other than game needed speed based on position.
I have seen teams run a lot especially pitchers.
In pre-season conditioning, I run my guys a lot, but no need for distance, per se. I'll have them take a slow lap around the field, then another but this time they must break into 75% sprint every fifty yards or so as they go around. Finally, they run five or six 90' sprints. It's a little mix of 'lite' endurance, plus speed-building (there are other things involved like plyo and agility as well).
Honestly - does it really matter? You are going to have to run what the coach says to run. Now I'm all for running with a purpose and tie it back into some aspect of baseball (or football since I coach that as well) but overall if you want to play and he tells you to run 1000 sprints then you need to run 1000 sprints.
Reason I'm going with this line of thinking is that the school I'm at now is going through a tough time in football. We've had very little success until the past year or two but the losing attitude and mentality is very strong. I've seen things this year that makes me feel confident that we are on the right path to making things better. BUT the point of this is that the one area that we have shown absolutely NO IMPROVEMENT whatsoever is the mental toughness that comes with conditioning. It doesn't matter what we do my guys gripe and complain about it very loudly. For some reason they think they have the right to publically complain about it.
Now I'm just an asst. coach so my hands are little bit tied but I have kicked guys out of practice over their complaining. I told them if they want to complain then to just go home and don't come back.
The impression I'm getting from your post is that you don't like and / or agree with the amount of running that you're doing. So my questions are - 1) if you complained would your coach listen? 2) if you show him this thread and point out how other coaches do it would he listen? 3) how does any type of running hurt you?
I'm not trying to be a jerk although I probably come across as one but to me the running issue is a moot point - you have to do something and your coach is the one in charge of it. When I played I absolutely HATED running but it was something we had to do so I sucked it up and did it.
You say you're not that fast and that's cool because not everyone can be blessed with speed but if you're slower than molassas on a cold day then there is a problem. You can't be in the lineup because you are hurting the team clogging up the bases. When I played I was a slow guy but I could get to second fairly easily on a ball in the gap. To be able to do that sometimes just running with a stopwatch will get it done and sometimes you have to do other stuff and most times you have to do both.
Baseball is a game built around a series of small / short bursts of speed so most conditioning should be aimed around that. But if coach tells you to go run a marathon it's not going to hurt you. It's not going to make you slower when it comes to game time. If you're worried that it will then do the running on your own after practice or the offseason.
So once again - what does it matter how much you guys run? You're coach probably won't change it and it won't hurt you. Just go out and do it to the best of your ability. Your coach will know if you're giving it all you got or if you're dogging it. Just do it.
Reason I'm going with this line of thinking is that the school I'm at now is going through a tough time in football. We've had very little success until the past year or two but the losing attitude and mentality is very strong. I've seen things this year that makes me feel confident that we are on the right path to making things better. BUT the point of this is that the one area that we have shown absolutely NO IMPROVEMENT whatsoever is the mental toughness that comes with conditioning. It doesn't matter what we do my guys gripe and complain about it very loudly. For some reason they think they have the right to publically complain about it.
Now I'm just an asst. coach so my hands are little bit tied but I have kicked guys out of practice over their complaining. I told them if they want to complain then to just go home and don't come back.
The impression I'm getting from your post is that you don't like and / or agree with the amount of running that you're doing. So my questions are - 1) if you complained would your coach listen? 2) if you show him this thread and point out how other coaches do it would he listen? 3) how does any type of running hurt you?
I'm not trying to be a jerk although I probably come across as one but to me the running issue is a moot point - you have to do something and your coach is the one in charge of it. When I played I absolutely HATED running but it was something we had to do so I sucked it up and did it.
You say you're not that fast and that's cool because not everyone can be blessed with speed but if you're slower than molassas on a cold day then there is a problem. You can't be in the lineup because you are hurting the team clogging up the bases. When I played I was a slow guy but I could get to second fairly easily on a ball in the gap. To be able to do that sometimes just running with a stopwatch will get it done and sometimes you have to do other stuff and most times you have to do both.
Baseball is a game built around a series of small / short bursts of speed so most conditioning should be aimed around that. But if coach tells you to go run a marathon it's not going to hurt you. It's not going to make you slower when it comes to game time. If you're worried that it will then do the running on your own after practice or the offseason.
So once again - what does it matter how much you guys run? You're coach probably won't change it and it won't hurt you. Just go out and do it to the best of your ability. Your coach will know if you're giving it all you got or if you're dogging it. Just do it.
im always going to run what ever the coach tells me to, i just didnt know if we ran more than most teams
Coach_May
we have run alot of things from 110yd sprints, miles, triangles- home to left field pole to right field pole back to home, 720 yards of lunges, gassers, a combo of stadiums and laps around a track timed, and something we do something called the seal deal which is abs, sprints, blirpies*, alot of shuffles and a mile all in one
Homerun04
we run for conditioning not for punishment,im a catcher, and until the season starts we all run the same things
coach2709
God gave me many things but i was not blessed with speed or endurance. which is one of the contributing factors to my dislike of running. i believe some running is necessary but i do think we run a good bit. 1) if i were to complain my coach would listen, but the only thing he would do is make things harder for me. 2)my coach wants our team to be known for working harder than any other team, i understand wanting to be the toughest and hardest working and i respect him for that, 3)sprints im good for the first few but i die after a while, distance im good for the first mile or so with in reason but after that i dont usually make a time. im not as slow as "molassas on a cold day" but i admit to dogging it on the times that i think i cant make. i know at the end of the day when im icing my shins after along day of running he is making us run so that we will be ready for the season.
Coach_May
we have run alot of things from 110yd sprints, miles, triangles- home to left field pole to right field pole back to home, 720 yards of lunges, gassers, a combo of stadiums and laps around a track timed, and something we do something called the seal deal which is abs, sprints, blirpies*, alot of shuffles and a mile all in one
Homerun04
we run for conditioning not for punishment,im a catcher, and until the season starts we all run the same things
coach2709
God gave me many things but i was not blessed with speed or endurance. which is one of the contributing factors to my dislike of running. i believe some running is necessary but i do think we run a good bit. 1) if i were to complain my coach would listen, but the only thing he would do is make things harder for me. 2)my coach wants our team to be known for working harder than any other team, i understand wanting to be the toughest and hardest working and i respect him for that, 3)sprints im good for the first few but i die after a while, distance im good for the first mile or so with in reason but after that i dont usually make a time. im not as slow as "molassas on a cold day" but i admit to dogging it on the times that i think i cant make. i know at the end of the day when im icing my shins after along day of running he is making us run so that we will be ready for the season.
It sounds like your coach is just trying to make you guys the best you can be. The bottom line is if you want to be a part of the team you have to be willing to do what he asks you to do. I hated to run. But I found the more I ran and the better shape I got myself in the easier it was for me. You will find the same thing out for yourself.
One thing I would do from time to time is make my catchers run in full gear. I would also have them do all their warm up throwing in full gear. I was always harder on my catchers than anyother position. The reason was is its the toughest position on the field and I want the toughest guys back there. And I want them to take pride in the fact you have to be a tough guy to play that position.
The better shape you are in the better player you will be. Try to take a positive approach to the running and conditioning and think about how much better your going to be for doing it. Good luck to you.
One thing I would do from time to time is make my catchers run in full gear. I would also have them do all their warm up throwing in full gear. I was always harder on my catchers than anyother position. The reason was is its the toughest position on the field and I want the toughest guys back there. And I want them to take pride in the fact you have to be a tough guy to play that position.
The better shape you are in the better player you will be. Try to take a positive approach to the running and conditioning and think about how much better your going to be for doing it. Good luck to you.
thanks
I tell my boys when they complain that the other teams in our region aren't working this hard yet. That gives us a leg up. Right now our team is in off season workouts/arm care/conditioning. They come home every day tired/sore/exhausted/complaining. The season starts March 1. It's called a weed out process. The borderline players that can't handle it are weeded out. The players that can hit it 400 feet and throw it 90+ are gonna be there whether they can run or not. Sounds like you have a chance to increase your weaknesses while impressing the coach with your mental toughness. Be thankful for the opportunity.
PHS_CATCHER - I want to thank you for your honesty in your response about the running. Sadly I think most people your age would try to make the coach out into a bad guy and unreasonable but it seems that you just told the facts of the matter. So thank you for that.
Overall if you look at the last part of what you put to me you should have a "wake up" moment.
You're saying you struggle with sprints and that you sometimes dog it on distance. Honestly, this sounds like a mental toughness issue on your part. You get tired and you know you're slow so you start using it as a crutch. Look it's natural to do think like this because in my opnion human beings are just naturally lazy - I know I am. But you have the ability to fight through that wall you have put up in your mind.
When I was in college playing baseball we had this conditioning drill we did EVERY single day for two weeks. Like you the Good Lord blessed me with looks and not speed. We had to do something like 25 laps around the gym floor in 10 or 15 minutes. I'm telling you it was a rough thing because you had to keep a fast pace or you wouldn't make the time. To make matters worse every second you were over the time you had one lap. In the time that I played I only made the time ONCE. Every day after practice all my buddies left and I went back to running. In fact my coaches left (although I'm sure they checked up on me) and I kept running. Honestly I have no idea if I made up every single lap because I just shut my mind down and took off. I didn't really count laps because I just ran. Maybe I did the exact number and maybe I was short or maybe I did too many - I have no idea. But I know this - all that running made me tougher mentally. When the going gets tough no matter what's going on in my life I think back to that time and think if I could get through that I could get through anything.
I think that's what your coach is going for with all the running you're doing. He says that nobody is going to outwork you guys and it looks like he's trying to prove that. Honestly, I've never been a big fan of "we're going to outwork you" philosophy. Reason is - how do you know if you truly are outworking the other team? Are you going to go spy on them to see what they are doing? If you do that then you're not working and they are now outworking you. My philosophy is - we are going to work hard to make you a stronger / better person as an individual so we can come together as a team and control the things we can control. We can't control how prepared the other team is but we can control how prepared we are. I'm not saying you're coach is wrong because he's not. He's doing the right thing in trying to make your team tougher.
Keep at it and make it a personal challenge to make your times in the running better. Make yourself a better person by pushing your thresh hold for what you can endure and fight through. Like I said earlier - running won't hurt you even if it's not baseball specific. It will help you become a better person if you let it.
Good luck and keep us posted as to how you are doing. When you have that personal victory in running get on here and spread the good news. In a few months I want to post an "atta boy" to you for an improvment in your time. If you do that your coach will take notice.
Overall if you look at the last part of what you put to me you should have a "wake up" moment.
quote:sprints im good for the first few but i die after a while, distance im good for the first mile or so with in reason but after that i dont usually make a time. im not as slow as "molassas on a cold day" but i admit to dogging it on the times that i think i cant make.
You're saying you struggle with sprints and that you sometimes dog it on distance. Honestly, this sounds like a mental toughness issue on your part. You get tired and you know you're slow so you start using it as a crutch. Look it's natural to do think like this because in my opnion human beings are just naturally lazy - I know I am. But you have the ability to fight through that wall you have put up in your mind.
When I was in college playing baseball we had this conditioning drill we did EVERY single day for two weeks. Like you the Good Lord blessed me with looks and not speed. We had to do something like 25 laps around the gym floor in 10 or 15 minutes. I'm telling you it was a rough thing because you had to keep a fast pace or you wouldn't make the time. To make matters worse every second you were over the time you had one lap. In the time that I played I only made the time ONCE. Every day after practice all my buddies left and I went back to running. In fact my coaches left (although I'm sure they checked up on me) and I kept running. Honestly I have no idea if I made up every single lap because I just shut my mind down and took off. I didn't really count laps because I just ran. Maybe I did the exact number and maybe I was short or maybe I did too many - I have no idea. But I know this - all that running made me tougher mentally. When the going gets tough no matter what's going on in my life I think back to that time and think if I could get through that I could get through anything.
I think that's what your coach is going for with all the running you're doing. He says that nobody is going to outwork you guys and it looks like he's trying to prove that. Honestly, I've never been a big fan of "we're going to outwork you" philosophy. Reason is - how do you know if you truly are outworking the other team? Are you going to go spy on them to see what they are doing? If you do that then you're not working and they are now outworking you. My philosophy is - we are going to work hard to make you a stronger / better person as an individual so we can come together as a team and control the things we can control. We can't control how prepared the other team is but we can control how prepared we are. I'm not saying you're coach is wrong because he's not. He's doing the right thing in trying to make your team tougher.
Keep at it and make it a personal challenge to make your times in the running better. Make yourself a better person by pushing your thresh hold for what you can endure and fight through. Like I said earlier - running won't hurt you even if it's not baseball specific. It will help you become a better person if you let it.
Good luck and keep us posted as to how you are doing. When you have that personal victory in running get on here and spread the good news. In a few months I want to post an "atta boy" to you for an improvment in your time. If you do that your coach will take notice.
If college baseball is your goal, you should get on the conditioning "bandwagon" now. Your college coaches will expect you to be in excellent physical condition throughout the year.
The major reason for college freshman not making "it" as a freshman baseball player is coming in out of shape and not being able to run because of it---it is the first means for a college coach to cut you.
And if you think you run a lot in HS wait until you get to college
And if you think you run a lot in HS wait until you get to college
quote:Originally posted by TRhit: And if you think you run a lot in HS wait until you get to college
You said that you aren't good at running. Get good at it. If you are lucky enough to move on, THAT's what your future will look like. Good luck and resolve that you will work harder than everyone on your team.
The catcher is the only player on the field who has to run to first base several times each game in full catching gear to back up plays at first. And he better not be that far behind the batter who is running to first without the weight of catching gear.
The good news is, you aren't required to like running.
The good news is, you aren't required to like running.
quote:Originally posted by twotex: The good news is, you aren't required to like running.
Bravo, sir.
quote:Originally posted by PHS_CATCHER:
my team runs alot and im my not fast, so i want to know if its just our team that runs alot
I can't determine what it is you really want to know?
If you aren't fast, then for sure you need to running more and training smart.
PHS CATCHER,
I use to hear the same thing from my son who caught for 4 years in high school. During Fall they would run 8 laps around the track, then do sprints back and forth 20 yards apart. They would then do weights and field drills which included sprinting to 1st,jog around the rest of the bases then sprint the next time to 1st and 2nd and so on catchers were required to "duck walk" to 1st base followed after practice ended of 10 poles.
He is now in his 3rd year of college practice and runs more then he ever did before and when he is not practicing because school breaks, he goes out and runs for an hour each night.
He never before understood why his H.S. coach ran him so much now he knows. After the first week of Fall ball this year he came home laughing that all the freshman were standing over trash cans and throwing up. Trust me, you will thank your coach later if you plan on playing after H.S.
Good Luck to you
I use to hear the same thing from my son who caught for 4 years in high school. During Fall they would run 8 laps around the track, then do sprints back and forth 20 yards apart. They would then do weights and field drills which included sprinting to 1st,jog around the rest of the bases then sprint the next time to 1st and 2nd and so on catchers were required to "duck walk" to 1st base followed after practice ended of 10 poles.
He is now in his 3rd year of college practice and runs more then he ever did before and when he is not practicing because school breaks, he goes out and runs for an hour each night.
He never before understood why his H.S. coach ran him so much now he knows. After the first week of Fall ball this year he came home laughing that all the freshman were standing over trash cans and throwing up. Trust me, you will thank your coach later if you plan on playing after H.S.
Good Luck to you
IMHO, conditioning that is not baseball related is just a complete waste of time and takes away from valuable practice time.
I hate to see kids running hills, suicides or whatever.
Why not make it competitive by running the bases? IMHO, I think base running is way overlooked. If you want to condition the players, then run the bases, the more they run the bases, the better they will become at it.
Get creative with base running and the kids will not even realize that they are conditioning.
I hate to see kids running hills, suicides or whatever.
Why not make it competitive by running the bases? IMHO, I think base running is way overlooked. If you want to condition the players, then run the bases, the more they run the bases, the better they will become at it.
Get creative with base running and the kids will not even realize that they are conditioning.
quote:Why not make it competitive by running the bases? IMHO, I think base running is way overlooked. If you want to condition the players, then run the bases, the more they run the bases, the better they will become at it.
this may work in LL, but the older kids get the more important running becomes.
my observation only, seeing the results of my own son's coaches running programs.
baseball can be a slow game that many believe has no need for running for conditioning, especially in youth ball. as players climb the levels, running will separate the herd. stronger legs for pitchers,catchers. position players get to balls a little quicker,runners a little faster. i don't see a down side, other than most don't like it.........until they see results.
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Wow PHS...that reads just like the menu board at DQ©!
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- "we have run alot of things from 110yd sprints, miles, triangles- home to left field pole to right field pole back to home, 720 yards of lunges, gassers, a combo of stadiums and laps around a track timed, and something we do something called the seal deal which is abs, sprints, blirpies*, alot of shuffles and a mile all in one."
Wow PHS...that reads just like the menu board at DQ©!
.
quote:Originally posted by Coach_May:
How much do you run?
Hopefully, 360 feet.
Nice post and remember when your running the bases your putting alot of strain on the inside with turns. If you run the bases for conditioning your not really running the bases to get better at running the bases because the kids focus will be on the running not running the bases properly. It actually can be counter productive to teaching proper base running.
Run the bases to teach running the bases with situations put into the equation. Situations where they have to make decisions. Situations where they have to make reads. Situations where they have to rely on the base coach. Reads off live balls and fungos while your also working on your defense and your cut plays.
I prefer to have a conditioning phase built into each practice which will be determined by what we are trying to accomplish that day. Somtimes that will mean some sprint work. Somtimes that will mean some spring to jog , jog to sprint. And sometimes if the effort is where it needs to be and depending on the game schedule that week it may mean practice was enough.
Young players coming into a solid HS program are in for some things they are not used to doing. Throwing everyday for the first time. Stretching properly and warming up properly before practice ever begins. Dynamic stretching as well as properly preparing for practice. Conditioning to get better as a player. Conditioning to maintain what you have built up coming into the season. If your having to work guys into shape once the season begins your way behind the teams that are properly preparing for the hs season. And as a player your way behind your competition that has properly prepared and trained for the season before the season arrives.
But the bottom line is if your desire is to be part of a program then whatever conditioning the coach has in store for you is what you will do. Or you will choose not to be a part of that team.
Run the bases to teach running the bases with situations put into the equation. Situations where they have to make decisions. Situations where they have to make reads. Situations where they have to rely on the base coach. Reads off live balls and fungos while your also working on your defense and your cut plays.
I prefer to have a conditioning phase built into each practice which will be determined by what we are trying to accomplish that day. Somtimes that will mean some sprint work. Somtimes that will mean some spring to jog , jog to sprint. And sometimes if the effort is where it needs to be and depending on the game schedule that week it may mean practice was enough.
Young players coming into a solid HS program are in for some things they are not used to doing. Throwing everyday for the first time. Stretching properly and warming up properly before practice ever begins. Dynamic stretching as well as properly preparing for practice. Conditioning to get better as a player. Conditioning to maintain what you have built up coming into the season. If your having to work guys into shape once the season begins your way behind the teams that are properly preparing for the hs season. And as a player your way behind your competition that has properly prepared and trained for the season before the season arrives.
But the bottom line is if your desire is to be part of a program then whatever conditioning the coach has in store for you is what you will do. Or you will choose not to be a part of that team.