What are some drills or ways in which you ensure that you maximize your practice time? How do you keep everyone working on something rather than having a lot of standing around? How do you run this with only 1 or 2 coaches? ETC...
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IMO, the practice period most likely to have "down time" is (on field)BP. So we do a number of things to insure that everyone is working to get better, like:
1)Dividing our players into specific groups, like "A" infielders, "B" infielders, "A" outfielders, etc. You then can set the rotation where you always have infielders on the infield, outfielders in the outfield and so forth. One round of our BP might go like this; "A" IF hitting on field, "B" infield and "A" outfield on defense, "B" outfield running bases, and Group "C" (catchers and extras") in cages. It takes extra prep time, but we designate ahead of time on a BP organization sheet where each person will play defense during BP.
2)On the BP organization sheet mentioned above we will designate "hot" outfielders. These guys play the ball live off the bat. If a ball is hit foul or gets by them somehow the other OF (behind them) will retrieve it and the hot OF gets ready for action. Putting cones down in a shallow arc and requiring the OF to field balls on the ground in front of the cones increases effort.
3)We also have a manager (we have only two coaches, too) keep a fielding chart during BP and the coach not throwing keeps a stop watch to time the IF's on ground balls. If the IF exceeds the stopwatch time you set, you rule it a hit or an error. We stole this idea after hearing the coaches from Vanderbilt talk about it at the ABCA clinic a few yrs ago. Players get credit for put-outs, assists, errors, and "ESPN" plays daily, and we keep their fielding percentages. Posting practice fielding %'s is a motivator that keeps them hustling.
4)We also often use BP's (like the Six Outs BP Andy Lopez explains in his book "Coaching Baseball Successfully") that require every player to give maximum effort in competition against other groups.
I would urge you to seek out some volunteers from your community to increase your coaching staff and recruit managers from your school. Our managers our younger players who love baseball and are going to be playing on our team in the next few years. They provide help while also learning your system a few years early!
1)Dividing our players into specific groups, like "A" infielders, "B" infielders, "A" outfielders, etc. You then can set the rotation where you always have infielders on the infield, outfielders in the outfield and so forth. One round of our BP might go like this; "A" IF hitting on field, "B" infield and "A" outfield on defense, "B" outfield running bases, and Group "C" (catchers and extras") in cages. It takes extra prep time, but we designate ahead of time on a BP organization sheet where each person will play defense during BP.
2)On the BP organization sheet mentioned above we will designate "hot" outfielders. These guys play the ball live off the bat. If a ball is hit foul or gets by them somehow the other OF (behind them) will retrieve it and the hot OF gets ready for action. Putting cones down in a shallow arc and requiring the OF to field balls on the ground in front of the cones increases effort.
3)We also have a manager (we have only two coaches, too) keep a fielding chart during BP and the coach not throwing keeps a stop watch to time the IF's on ground balls. If the IF exceeds the stopwatch time you set, you rule it a hit or an error. We stole this idea after hearing the coaches from Vanderbilt talk about it at the ABCA clinic a few yrs ago. Players get credit for put-outs, assists, errors, and "ESPN" plays daily, and we keep their fielding percentages. Posting practice fielding %'s is a motivator that keeps them hustling.
4)We also often use BP's (like the Six Outs BP Andy Lopez explains in his book "Coaching Baseball Successfully") that require every player to give maximum effort in competition against other groups.
I would urge you to seek out some volunteers from your community to increase your coaching staff and recruit managers from your school. Our managers our younger players who love baseball and are going to be playing on our team in the next few years. They provide help while also learning your system a few years early!
That's some great stuff Ryno has given you.
My advice is to make sure you spend 10 minutes everyday writing down a practice schedule for you, your coach and posted for the players. Then my next piece of advice is to create a routine that the guys can learn and stick to on a daily basis. By doing those two things it helps you eliminate dead time. This way you know exactly when drills take place, how long and who is involved. The guys will also know this and get to the next drill and get going.
My last piece of advice is one of the harder things to do but the most rewarding and beneficial things you can do for your program - teach the guys to do things on their own. This ties into the practice routine but if you have some leaders and guys willing to follow them what you will find is they will get to work without you telling them - and they will do it correctly and help each other. Basically practice runs itself without you or the other coaches but it also helps in that when you want to change things up and get a new drill in or work on something else they can adapt pretty quickly. It got to the point where I didn't really do conditioning because they did it on their own. They would ask me if they were doing distance, sprints or baserunning and they would go out and do it.
When you can these things practice runs so much smoother and easier. You are getting your work in and getting better because your older guys have now taken ownership in the program and are acting as extra coaches. I've actually seen a younger player do something wrong and a Senior or Junior make the correction before I or one of my coaches could. When that happens and you support them then the younger guys see this and end up doing things that way as well.
It takes several years to get it this way but if you got a practice routine and have posted everyday then that leadership will start to develop.
My advice is to make sure you spend 10 minutes everyday writing down a practice schedule for you, your coach and posted for the players. Then my next piece of advice is to create a routine that the guys can learn and stick to on a daily basis. By doing those two things it helps you eliminate dead time. This way you know exactly when drills take place, how long and who is involved. The guys will also know this and get to the next drill and get going.
My last piece of advice is one of the harder things to do but the most rewarding and beneficial things you can do for your program - teach the guys to do things on their own. This ties into the practice routine but if you have some leaders and guys willing to follow them what you will find is they will get to work without you telling them - and they will do it correctly and help each other. Basically practice runs itself without you or the other coaches but it also helps in that when you want to change things up and get a new drill in or work on something else they can adapt pretty quickly. It got to the point where I didn't really do conditioning because they did it on their own. They would ask me if they were doing distance, sprints or baserunning and they would go out and do it.
When you can these things practice runs so much smoother and easier. You are getting your work in and getting better because your older guys have now taken ownership in the program and are acting as extra coaches. I've actually seen a younger player do something wrong and a Senior or Junior make the correction before I or one of my coaches could. When that happens and you support them then the younger guys see this and end up doing things that way as well.
It takes several years to get it this way but if you got a practice routine and have posted everyday then that leadership will start to develop.
I agree 100% with coach. Practice plan is a must...Fail to Plan you Plan to Fail!
Coach also mentioned players doing things on their own building ownership of the program: After Warm-up, stretch, and exercises, and toss; we have our "INDY" session. This consists of position specific drills grouped in pairs. All drills are executed in slow motion-full speed, allowing them to feel proper fielding position with proper hands and footwork. We start with NO Glove drills and move toward drills with the glove.
During this 8 minute drill routine the coaches walk around and give teaching cues.
This session also prepares the players mentally and teaches them to run drills independently...give them a sense of responsibility.
Ryno mentioned some very good points!!
Coach also mentioned players doing things on their own building ownership of the program: After Warm-up, stretch, and exercises, and toss; we have our "INDY" session. This consists of position specific drills grouped in pairs. All drills are executed in slow motion-full speed, allowing them to feel proper fielding position with proper hands and footwork. We start with NO Glove drills and move toward drills with the glove.
During this 8 minute drill routine the coaches walk around and give teaching cues.
This session also prepares the players mentally and teaches them to run drills independently...give them a sense of responsibility.
Ryno mentioned some very good points!!
goodie,
can you give more details on the drills you do at each position during this 8 minute period? we do a 15 to 20 minute individual defense session in every practice. id like to know more about what you are doing here. thanks.
can you give more details on the drills you do at each position during this 8 minute period? we do a 15 to 20 minute individual defense session in every practice. id like to know more about what you are doing here. thanks.
1. Determine who you have available who can help you run your practice.
2. List what you'd like to cover in your practice, and with which players.
3. Of the guys in # 1, which guys can best cover which skills with the groups you identify in looking at # 2.
4. Set up rotations accordingly.
5. Set up a schedule and stick to it without fail, or else you won't get done what you want to get done. E.g., in taking BP, don't fall into "one more good hit" syndrome, or everything falls apart.
6. Plan any instructional presentations thoroughly and discipline yourself not to run off at the mouth until all time expires. Limit these to one new topic per practice.
I definitely agree, on-field BP is the biggest time waster and one of the big reasons kids and their parents complain that practices are boring. Spending 1 1/2 hours shagging flies and waiting your turn to hit at what may or may not be a pitcher who can throw strikes -- that is indeed boring.
Using tee drills and taking BP off to the side in a cage, rotating players in small groups, works much better.
Also remember that in this day and age, the players will frequently be willing to take BP on their own. They'll go to the machine pitch place and take some token turns. But so few of them are willing to go to the nearby field with dad and take grounders or flies, or work on their running. So, team practices should focus more on the things you know they won't do on their own, or the things where they specially need the benefit of their experienced coaches' insights. Those things they can handle away from team sessions on their own, can be handled exactly that way.
2. List what you'd like to cover in your practice, and with which players.
3. Of the guys in # 1, which guys can best cover which skills with the groups you identify in looking at # 2.
4. Set up rotations accordingly.
5. Set up a schedule and stick to it without fail, or else you won't get done what you want to get done. E.g., in taking BP, don't fall into "one more good hit" syndrome, or everything falls apart.
6. Plan any instructional presentations thoroughly and discipline yourself not to run off at the mouth until all time expires. Limit these to one new topic per practice.
I definitely agree, on-field BP is the biggest time waster and one of the big reasons kids and their parents complain that practices are boring. Spending 1 1/2 hours shagging flies and waiting your turn to hit at what may or may not be a pitcher who can throw strikes -- that is indeed boring.
Using tee drills and taking BP off to the side in a cage, rotating players in small groups, works much better.
Also remember that in this day and age, the players will frequently be willing to take BP on their own. They'll go to the machine pitch place and take some token turns. But so few of them are willing to go to the nearby field with dad and take grounders or flies, or work on their running. So, team practices should focus more on the things you know they won't do on their own, or the things where they specially need the benefit of their experienced coaches' insights. Those things they can handle away from team sessions on their own, can be handled exactly that way.
One thing I will add, especially for teams generally up through high school where most pitchers are also position players....make sure your pitchers get their work in. In my opinion, you should never sacrifice a pitcher getting their work done, even if that means fewer hacks, fewer grounders or whatever. Now, this may be another situation as Midlo mentions where some guys will do their work on their own time. But don't count on it and definitely don't assume that's the case.
My buddy and I just came out with a DVD that incorporates the pithcher into the defensive drills. Working on 3-1, covering home on pass ball/wild pitch, pitch out, locating pitches, etc. Very well done. It's simular to Polk's drill series but we add the pitcher. Very well done!
