Looking for High School coaches to answer this. From the time your players arrive to set up the field to the time you maintain how long is your typical practice?
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Outdoors: 2 hrs and 20 minutes is probably our average.
Indoors: 100 minutes is probably our average.
We almost always have a few kids that hang around for extras.
Indoors: 100 minutes is probably our average.
We almost always have a few kids that hang around for extras.
I would say pretty close to what Trojan Skipper said. Outdoors we would start at 3:15 and finish around 5:30 - 5:45 and then clean the field up.
Indoors we are probably a little less than TS during the season. I have certain things for them to do and once they finsih I let them go. I hate practicing inside (gym) but still want to get something accomplished.
Indoors we are probably a little less than TS during the season. I have certain things for them to do and once they finsih I let them go. I hate practicing inside (gym) but still want to get something accomplished.
Outside we went from 3:15 until 5:45-6:00.
In the gym, we typically started around 3:10-3:20 and go until 4:30 or 5. Sometimes that included time in the classroom. Other times we were even shorter: hit and get out
In the gym, we typically started around 3:10-3:20 and go until 4:30 or 5. Sometimes that included time in the classroom. Other times we were even shorter: hit and get out
Kids dismissed at 3:15. Required on field by 3:30. With field clean-up finished by 6:30 to 6:45. We have always done a lot of teaching and stopping to go over different areas of concern. Long practices don't mean good practices or good teams, but we have weather and daylight on our side here in Florida. We also have always practice on saturdays for 2-2.5 hours. After 3 weeks of this, our two game a week season begins and we generally practice the other 4 days. Most teams in our area do the same.
Practice time is only what you put into it--some teams use 60/90 minutes and get more out of it than the guys doing 3 HR sessions
Interesting point TR, but do you include warm up and stretching part of "practice" time?
I will time my son but I belive it takes him 20-30 minutes to run, arm circles, bands, long toss, stretch. We have 3 teams on two fields so like it or not there is some standing around to sequence in all of the kids. They go 2:30-5:00PM generally.
I will time my son but I belive it takes him 20-30 minutes to run, arm circles, bands, long toss, stretch. We have 3 teams on two fields so like it or not there is some standing around to sequence in all of the kids. They go 2:30-5:00PM generally.
Yes I consider warm up and stretching as part of practice---without it you cannot practice properly
I am all for short to the point practices. For travel teams and youth league teams I agree with well planned 90 minute max practices.
From what I have witnessed HS programs need more time. 30 minutes for a good warm up, stretch and long toss. This leaves 90-120 minutes for practice. In my son's case they have 3 teams (50ish kids) on two fields, so they need to get the pitchers through their bull pens, catchers need their work, infielders need their work, outfielders, then BP. Add in some baserunning and defensive situation drills and maybe some PFP and there is just not enough time/space/coaches to get it all done in one hour.
From what I have witnessed HS programs need more time. 30 minutes for a good warm up, stretch and long toss. This leaves 90-120 minutes for practice. In my son's case they have 3 teams (50ish kids) on two fields, so they need to get the pitchers through their bull pens, catchers need their work, infielders need their work, outfielders, then BP. Add in some baserunning and defensive situation drills and maybe some PFP and there is just not enough time/space/coaches to get it all done in one hour.
Good point BOF... a lot depends on how much space you have, #of players, # of coaches, amenities such as cages, practice mounds, etc.
I'm pretty lucky because our campus is huge and so we can send groups of kids all over the place to throw or field fly balls or ground balls.
I'm pretty lucky because our campus is huge and so we can send groups of kids all over the place to throw or field fly balls or ground balls.
preseason we are usually 3.5 hours outside - that includes everything - warmups, bullpens, weights. inside with the bleachers back we can fit a fullsize infield in the gym, an auxillary gym upstairs for hitting drills, infield drills, bullpens etc., the weightroom, and have an indoor cage in a seperate area of the school. so we can still get alot done. we are usually a little shorter but not much.
once the season starts we are a whole lot shorter. we play 4 to 6 games every week.
we have a jv and 8th grade team. in the past we have practiced everybody together. we're looking at not doing that this year - which would shorten our practice time. not decided for sure yet - it really has helped us in the long run to have our jv/8th graders getting varsity coaching, reps, etc. but right now we have a varsity team which is 10th grade heavy and talented. im leaning toward spending shorter more intense(reps, etc) with them. its our varsity team basically for the next 3 years. any opinions/suggestions on that would be welcomed.
once the season starts we are a whole lot shorter. we play 4 to 6 games every week.
we have a jv and 8th grade team. in the past we have practiced everybody together. we're looking at not doing that this year - which would shorten our practice time. not decided for sure yet - it really has helped us in the long run to have our jv/8th graders getting varsity coaching, reps, etc. but right now we have a varsity team which is 10th grade heavy and talented. im leaning toward spending shorter more intense(reps, etc) with them. its our varsity team basically for the next 3 years. any opinions/suggestions on that would be welcomed.
There comes a certain point of diminishing return. After a certain point you are putting in time and nothing else. I found anything after 2 hours I was just putting in time.
School is out a 4pm, practice could not start until after mandatory study hall was complete for students who did not complete assignments or the previous nights homework.
If you were a teacher within the school like I was, you ran study hall twice a month. So my assistant could not get the other kids started earlier.
Morning practices went from 6:30 to 7:45 first bell is at 8:30.
Practice would start at 5pm, if the weather permitted we would go out to the field to stretch, warmups, drills or BP and finish by 6:30 so we could get the kids home. We had to rotate mornings and evenings with the Girls S****r and Softball team for gym usage.
If you were a teacher within the school like I was, you ran study hall twice a month. So my assistant could not get the other kids started earlier.
Morning practices went from 6:30 to 7:45 first bell is at 8:30.
Practice would start at 5pm, if the weather permitted we would go out to the field to stretch, warmups, drills or BP and finish by 6:30 so we could get the kids home. We had to rotate mornings and evenings with the Girls S****r and Softball team for gym usage.
School gets out at 2:30 and we start stretching @ 3 pm. We got until 6 pm each night, which includes all conditioning, plyometrics and field maintenance.
Indoors, we usually go about 2 hours max.
Indoors, we usually go about 2 hours max.
