Team Competitions

Based on your examples, I'm not sure if you want anything baseball specific, but we do alot of team hitting competitions in groups.

Scores are usually cumulative per group, sometimes "best ball".
In a cage, X # of cuts per hitter, score 1 for each line drive back through, past a point near the L-screen.

On the field, we se up cones in different formations and have contests driving through two cones in the oppo gap, driving the ball up the middle, bunting between cones in the lanes, hit and run execution, total hit distance, etc.

"Hit or go home" - each player continues to take cuts until a hit is deemed an out. Add cumulative hits per group.

Bunt for a hit - hitting group vs defensive group, fielders start behind cones, can break at pitch release. Count # of hits per group before 3 outs.

Also...
Running - relays around the bases, one team starts at 2b, one at home, same-team runners stagger start at 2b, home, 2b, etc.

Throwing - line relays head-to-head, around the horn with stopwatch.

Fielding - versions of 21 outs, group with most consecutive outs wins.

quote:

Originally posted by IEBSBL:
I thing I have really found lacking within my program is team chemistry. In the past we have had a lot of multiple sport athletes and a lot of my players travel in cliques and different packs. I decided to split our fall roster into 3 teams drafted by returners and have competitions on Friday all surrounding team work. I have had blind folded relays (Team could not touch the player blindfolded), Relay race with 25lb plates, and today we had all of the players tie their shoes together jumble them up and the first team to untie, put on their shoes, and retie them win. The players are loving it and you can already see bonding and teamwork going on. My question, what are some ideas anyone has on what else we can do?

We get together once a month and do something together that has nothing to do with baseball. We go bowling, or play a flag football tournament. Last year we all got together for New Year's Eve. These things only usually last for a couple of hours, but it usually gets them started doing something. Since we went bowling, a group of our players now go bowling quite a bit together, and they rarely hung out beforehand.

When I run out of ideas, I just put our different grades in charge of coming up with something for everyone to do.

That reminded me of another...
Last year, we started a routine where a player was responsible for coming to the next day practice with a joke to share with the group while they were sitting in a cirlce doing leg stretches. After that player told his joke, he would get to choose who to pass on the baton for the next day. If you forgot, a teammate would have to be ready with a substitute joke or the team would run extra. The boys definitely responded favorably to this - they looked forward to this part of practice every day. It was interesting to see some of the quiet ones show some personality. This definitely turned out to be a good bonding thing.

On the team chemistry idea.....I got this from a neighboring coach at a hs in the next town. During the MLB play-offs we played a rag ball world series. We split up into two teams and played a best 4 of 7 series on the softball field. I was amazed at how much the players enjoyed getting a break from the routine and they had a blast and got after it. They had fun crushing home runs, throwing guys out at first from the outfield, etc. Also fun watching your catcher play in the outfield and try to rob home runs.

We also got together at my house and grilled burgers and watched a WS game.

Other things we have done in the past are go to the lake and go wake boarding. Fun to watch the guys who do not get the opportunity to do that type thing get in the water and try to ski. We have also been to a ropes type course as a team building activity.

You should check out the book: Championship Team Building. There are alot of good ideas in there.