SLP Little League: Coaching Certification Agenda o Preparation and Safety (10 min) Organization Equipment/Field o Teaching Skills, Drills and Games Throwing/Catch (45 mins) Grip Finish Drills/Games Fielding (45 mins) Break Ready Position 1-2 Field PFP Drills/Games Hitting (45 mins) Load Objective Finish Drills/Games Base Running Break Home to 1 st Rounding 1 st Sliding Practice Demo (1 hour)
Throwing Grip * 4-seam, fingers across horseshoe seams Toe to Instep Spread Flex High Five * Athletic position * Throwing hand foot toe to instep of glove hand foot * Feet twice the width of shoulders * Knees and ankles * Ball above head, throwing elbow shoulder height Throwing Drills: Meaningful Repetitions Grip & Flip - Face partner. Elbow up. Flip ball with wrist and forearm Target Practice - Target a partners glove or spot on the fence or wall Long Toss - Hats on the ground as targets. Keep the ball low
FIELDING: Ready Position 6 Qualities of Great Fielder Quick Feet Strong Legs Quick Hands Soft Hands Glide Quick Mind Flex Glove Out Rock * Shoulder width * Knees and Ankles *Glove out front b/w chest and belt *Side to side
Perfect Fielding Position: PFP * Athletic position Glove Foot Forward Toe to Heel Twice the Width Elbow to Knees Slip Slide * Throwing hand foot to heel of glove hand foot * Feet twice the width of shoulders * Place elbows on knees, bottom must be down * Slip elbows off knees, back must be flat * Slide glove and throwing hand on ground in front Fielding Drills: Meaningful Repetitions PFP Roll Drill Ready 1-2 Field Roll Drill Breakdowns
Keys to Hitting Balance Bat Speed Limited Head Movement Rotation Inward and Outward (Load and Hitting Slide Spread Flex Grip Bat Angle LOAD * Straight ahead toward plate * Twice width of shoulders * Knees and ankles *Door knocking knuckles * 45 degrees, Bat on shoulder, hands away * Slow rotation in and away from pitcher using these FOUR FRONT hinges: front ankle knee hip shoulder. Ready, Load, Explode!
Objective Front Foot Closed * Front foot remains closed Back Pivot Foot * Hips rotate back foot, shoelaces at pitcher Belly Button to Pitcher * Rotate hips until belly button points to pitcher Hands Extended Eyes at Contact * Hands over front foot, slight bend in elbows * Head is down with eyes at contact Ready, Load, Explode!
Finish Front Foot Closed Back Foot Pivot * Front foot remains closed * Hips rotate back foot, shoelaces at pitcher Shoulders Full Turn * Back shoulder replaces front shoulder Eyes at Contact * Head is down at home plate where contact is made Hitting Drills: Meaningful Repetitions Tee - Ideal for age 4 and up. PROPER POSITION! Soft Toss - Ideal for age 9 and up. Balls tossed at 45* Angle Short Toss - Dart-style throws with whiffle at 20-25 ft. Ready, Load, Explode!
Throwing & Catching Games Line Relay To simulate throwing under game conditions. Working on proper execution of throwing and catching mechanics Divide the team into 2 groups of six. Place members of each group between 20 and 60 feet apart depending on age. Place first person of each group on the first base foul line and spread the balance of players towards left field. Player at the beginning of the line has the ball. On coaches command the players throw down and back a predetermined number of times. If an overthrow occurs or a ball is missed, the ball must return to the player who threw or did not catch the ball. First team to complete and get to one knee wins. 4 Square Divide the team into 3 groups of four. Arrange each group in a square with players between 20 to 50 feet apart. Have player 1 begin by throw baseball to next player in a clockwise direction. Players continue throwing and catching in same direction working on accurate throws, catching with 2 hands and quickly transferring ball from glove to throwing hand. Change directions and continue drill. Horn Relay Divide the team into 2 groups of six. Place team 1 in the infield at each of the 6 infield positions. Give baseball to the pitcher. On coaches command players will throw baseball around the horn as quickly as possible in the following pattern. Pitcher to Catcher to 3B to SS to 2B to 1B to Catcher to Pitcher. All players sprint to Pitcher and take a knee. Coach uses stopwatch to time drill. Switch to team 2 and repeat.
Hitting Games Pull Hitting To teach hitter to pull the inside pitch Divide the team into 2 groups of six. Starting at 2B, place cones in centerfield dividing the outfield in two halves. Place 1 team in the field and 1 team prepared to hit. Each hitter must pull the ball to their power field. (Right hand hitters hit to left/left center and left hand hitters hit to right/right center). Any ball hit to opposite field is an out. Defense will play on the pull side of the field. Play will be pitchers hand. Any runner advancing to 2B will count as a run for the offensive team. Opposite Field Hitting To teach hitter to drive the outside pitch to the opposite field. Same as above only players must hit ball to opposite field. Coach will need to throw pitches to the outside half of home plate to ensure ball can be hit to opposite field. Red or Green To develop eyes on ball at point of contact. Color 2 baseballs green and 2 baseballs red. Throw short toss to the hitter using colored baseballs. Tell the hitter he must shout out the color of the baseball at the moment he makes contact.
Plan your Practices! Create Controlled Environments for Meaningful Repetitions OPERATIONS: 1. Log practices by date. 2. List items covered in each section of schedule. 3. Prior to each practice, outline/review items being taught. A. Review old material. B. Add new material. 4. Prepare to use entire coaching staff. Communicate roles to coaches. TOPICS TO BE COVERED IN 20-MINUTE SESSIONS HITTING Load Objective Finish FIELDING Ready Position 1-2 Field Perfect Fielding Position Cover/Cradle Footwork to Throw Slow rollers & pop-ups THROWING Grip of Ball Shuffle Throwing Motion Finish PITCHING Sign Position Set Position Compact Balance Finish
Practice: Pre-Season / Early Season PRE-SEASON/EARLY SEASON DAILY PRACTICE SCHEDULE 10 Min. - Stretch and verbally review items previously taught. Ex: Last practice we learned the basics of a good stance - go through quick review 30 Min. - Hitting 5 minutes teaching 25 minutes drills & competition Ex: Teach stance. Finish by making teams and see which group has the best stance. Give them a few chances to get in good stance quickly. Teams watch each other. 3 groups of 4 players each - 1 group hitting off tee - 1 group bunting - 1 group soft toss 20 Min. - Fielding/Catching 5-7 minutes teaching 13-15 minutes drills and competition 20 Min. - Throwing/Pitching 5-7 minutes teaching 13-15 minutes drills and competition
Practice: IN-SEASON IN-SEASON DAILY PRACTICE SCHEDULE 10 Min. - Stretch and review items previously taught. Ex: Last practice we learned the basics of a good stance - go through quick review with all 20 Min. - Fielding/Catching 5-7 minutes teaching 13-15 minutes drills and competition 20 Min. - Throwing/Pitching 5-7 minutes teaching 13-15 minutes drills and competition 30 Min. - Hitting (10 minute stations) 3 groups of 4 players each - 1 group hitting off tee - 1 group bunting - 1 group soft toss 10 Min. - Conduct a Team Activity Team defense, base running etc.