Season Plans. We hope you have learned a lot from this book: what your responsibilities. chapter 9

Transcription

1 chapter 9 Season Plans We hope you have learned a lot from this book: what your responsibilities are as a coach, how to communicate well and provide for safety, how to use the games approach to teach and shape skills, and how to coach on game days. But game days make up only a portion of your season you and your players will spend more time in practice than in competition. How well you conduct practices and prepare your players for competition significantly affects both your and your players enjoyment and success throughout the season. In this chapter, then, we present three season plans: one for 8- to 9-year-olds, one for 10- to 11-year-olds, and one for 12- to 14-year-olds. Use these plans as guidelines for conducting your practices. These plans 157

2 158 Coaching Youth Baseball are not the only way to approach your season, but they do present an appropriate teaching progression. Remember to incorporate the games approach as you use these plans. The season plans have two components: the first is purpose and the second is tactics and skills. By purpose we mean the overarching objective of the particular practice the main focus of that practice. Tactics and skills refer to the specifics you will be teaching or refining during a practice in order to meet the purpose. Good luck and good coaching! Season Plan for 8- to 9-Year-Olds Many 8- to 9-year-olds have had little or no exposure to ball. Don t assume they have any knowledge of the game. Help them explore the basic tactics and skills of the sport, as suggested in the following season plan. Practice Purpose Tactics and skills 1 To learn throwing Proper grip; throwing; and catching techniques catching; throwing to s 2 To defend in the infield Fielding grounders and on ground balls throwing to first ; hitting and running to first 3 To learn hitting mechanics Hitting off a batting tee; fielding batted balls; running to first after hitting 4 To defend in the outfield Fielding grounders and on fly balls and ground throwing to the appropriate balls ; fielding fly balls and throwing to the appropriate ; hitting off the tee and fielding the hits 5 To develop bunting Bunting and running to first techniques and ; fielding bunts and skills throwing to first 6 To work on hitting and Hitting off the batting tee; mechanics running the s; tagging up and throwing and advancing; fielding

3 Season Plans To defend at second Fielding ground balls; making by using force plays force plays at second 8 To work on pitching and Pitching; hitting; throwing; throwing mechanics running out the hits 9 To defend at third by Making tag plays at third fielding bunts and making ; fielding bunts; tag plays 10 To work on hitting and Hitting off the batting tee; strategies fielding and throwing to s; running out the hits 11 To defend in the outfield, Fielding ground balls and fly including making relay balls in the outfield; throwing throws to a relay person; running the s 12 To work on bat control Hitting off the batting tee; and hitting mechanics hitting only ground balls; running the s 13 To develop pitching and Pitching; bunting; running out bunting bunts 14 To defend at second Fielding grounders and and first by throwing to second ; converting double plays running the s; making double plays Season Plan for 10- to 11-Year-Olds This season plan builds on the previous one as players practice the fundamental tactics and skills and add a few new strategies, including defending in rundowns, defending home on balls hit to the infield, and executing the hit-and-run. Practice Purpose Tactics and skills 1 To learn throwing, catching, Throwing; fielding ground and fielding ground balls balls; throwing to the appropriate

4 160 Coaching Youth Baseball 2 To develop hitting techniques Hitting off a batting tee; running to first ; fielding and throwing 3 To learn pitching mechanics Pitching to each other; pitching to a batter; hitting and 4 To defend second on Fielding grounders and force plays throwing to second ; covering second ; running from first to second 5 To defend second and Making double plays; trying to first on double plays break up double plays 6 To learn bunting techniques Bunting; fielding bunts; and skills ; throwing to the right ; covering s 7 To defend third in tag Covering third in force and force play situations situations; catching fly balls in the outfield; tagging up and running from second to third 8 To improve batting Hitting off a tee to the followtechniques and speed of through side of the field; the swing ; hitting against the coach s pitching 9 To learn cutoff strategies Fielding balls; backing up the and defend against balls hit outfielders; throwing to the to the outfield with a runner cutoff player; covering s; on first 10 To defend against balls hit Fielding fly balls in the outfield; to the outfield with a runner tagging up on third ; on third throwing to the cutoff person; improving throwing speed and release 11 To work on Covering second and third techniques and defending ; running from second to in the rundown situation third ; rundown practice

5 Season Plans To defend home plate on Covering home plate; fielding balls hit to the infield ground balls and throwing to home plate; running from third to home plate 13 To work on the hit-and-run Hitting balls off the tee on the ground; attempting to run from first to third ; fielding and throwing to the proper 14 To improve the mechanics Throwing to each other; of pitching throwing to a catcher; throwing to a batter (working on control, velocity, and changing speeds on the pitch) Season Plan for 12- to 14-Year-Olds At this stage players are refining the skills they have learned from past years. This season plan builds on the previous one and adds a few new tactics, including stealing s and holding runners on. Practice Purpose Tactics and skills 1 To evaluate players overall Pitching and hitting; throwing; playing abilities and catching; identify their best positions 2 To develop fielding and Fielding grounders and fly hitting techniques balls; throwing to first ; hitting and running to first 3 To teach rundowns, cutoffs, Outfielders throwing balls to and strategies second and third ; ; throwing balls to relay players and to s 4 To work on stealing s Taking the lead and sprinting and offensive strategies from first to second ; hitting; practicing hit-and-run situations

6 162 Coaching Youth Baseball 5 To defend in the infield on Running from first to second force plays at second ; fielding grounders and throwing to second for force plays 6 To work on pitching Pitching to a catcher; throwing techniques and strategies to a batter; holding runners on 7 To advance runners Bunting; ; hitting from second to third behind the runner 8 To defend in the infield on Covering home plate on tag tag plays at home plate plays; ; bunts 9 To convert double plays Double play pivots; relay and from second to first speed of the throw; 10 To work on offensive Hitting behind the runner; strategies, in particular advancing from first to third the hit-and-run 11 To defend on balls hit to the Fielding in the outfield; backing outfield with a runner on up the outfielder; covering second third and home plate; cutoff throws; 12 To improve pitching Pitching (control, velocity); techniques and strategies holding runners on ; hitting 13 To develop bat control, Hitting off a batting tee; hitting speed, and contact against live pitching 14 To increase Taking leads; advancing from skills and strategies first to third ; attempting to steal second in a game situation; tagging up on third on fly balls