General practice plan

1. Warm-up and stretching (10 minutes)
2. Throwing drills (15 minutes)
   • work on age appropriate level Ball in the correct position, chin is the target, two      hand catch, feet in position, step into throw
   • Do some type of competitive drill the last 2 or 3 minutes most catches or do criss cross drill and count number of drops or how much time it takes or how many balls they can get through compare to previous drills to note improvement.
3. Defensive Drills – use multiple stations to keep more kids involved (no standing around)
   Ground balls, pop-ups, around the world, follow the throw, etc
4. Base Running/sliding – Teach 3 step lead, watch the hit, when to pick up 3rd base coach, tagging up on Fly ball, delayed steal, sliding (hook, straight in, slide by tap)
5. Hitting – use 2 or 3 stations to keep everyone involved lots of tee work should try to get 100 swings by each player (single tee, double tee, soft toss, pitching machine or coach toss)
   • stress hip rotation, arms in, shoulders level. Watch for bat casting, stepping in the bucket or happy feet (stress getting ready loading and being still before the pitch arrives, positive attitude toward hitting think yes, yes, yes until pitch tells you no.)
   • - Bunting (for 10U and older)
6. Conditioning (10 minutes) Make it fun relay races around the bases, play pickle kids love a contest.

This will cover a one and a half hour practice and kids should be active and not standing around.

More Specific Practice plan

Warm-up and stretching drills (10 minutes)

• Couple laps around the bases or a lap around the outfield slow jog

• Stretch legs, arms, shoulders, Do some jumping jacks, burpees

Throwing drills (20 minutes)

• Flips for back spins
• Shorter throws then get longerWork on ball and hand back, target is chin, chest throwing arm

• Be age appropriate 6u aren’t going to throw 60 feet but 12u should

Defensive Drills (20 minutes)

• Ground balls start with alligator then get better
• By 10 u should be fielding ball off the glove side foot
• Forehand and backhand roll ball have them throw to first
• Fly balls Fingers up catch the ball in front of chest
• At or after 10u start working on transition

• Position play, bunt defense

Hitting drills (20 minutes)

• Work on hip rotation, level shoulders , load, momentum toward the pitcher
• Watch for happy feet, stepping in the bucket, dropping the hands,  bat casting

• Bunting is huge in softball all girls should know how to bunt

Conditioning (15 minutes)

• Play pickle, have relay races, make it fun!

Other things to consider

• Base running teach 3 step lead, tagging up on a fly ball, make sure the ball gets through the infield
• Watching for signs, bunt, steal, bunt and run, and delayed steal.
• Work sliding - straight slide, pop-up slide and slide by tap
• Always know the count; dropped third strike 12u and up.

At the end of practice take no more than 5 minutes to answer questions and praise the good work that was done today individually.  All of them did something good today, made a great catch, a great throw, ran the bases, good hustle, nice slide, good hit kept eye on the ball, made great swings, transitioned well between catch and throw, improved on a skill.

From our friends at Arlington Softball + 

Top 10 Mental Game Tips to Teach Your Athletes

1. Respect the game…the game knows
   Treat yourself, your teammates, your coach, your equipment with respect; put in the work and the game will reward you
2. Practice visualization and meditation
   Visualize at bats, visualize pitches, visualize success, recognize but flush mistakes
3. Promote positive self-talk
   Turn “I don’t want to drop my hands” into “I want to keep my hands up”
4. Always plan ahead and be prepared; give yourself the best chance to be successful
   For the next pitch, the next at bat, the next practice, the next game
5. Carry your game mentality to practice
   You will play like how you practice
6. Pick your teammates up to better focus on self
   On the field, on the bench, during games, during practice
7. Develop routines
   At bat routine, pitching routines, preparation routines
8. Determine a focal point on the field and concentrate on steady breathing
   Pick a spot on the field, when you need to reset, focus on the point with deep breaths
9. Know your responsibilities for each role
   What to do when you’re on the bench, when in the hole, when on deck
10. Always give full effort and attitude regardless of performance
    These should always be consistent and will help your game stay consistent

Top 10 Coaching Tips

1. Create a team culture from the beginning
   It is easier to establish than to change
2. Manage parent expectations upfront and clearly define/set boundaries
3. Create practice and pre-game plans
   Document and record these to physically bring with you!
4. Learn when to adapt coaching style to better connect with player
   And don't forget that they're girls, not boys…adjust your approach accordingly
5. Put your players in game-like situations as much as possible
6. Continue to study and learn the game!
7. Promote a positive atmosphere
   It starts with you!
8. Expect your players to give you their all
   If you don't, they won't
9. Hold them accountable
   Players thrive on contributing to their team
10. Never punish for physical mistakes, only mental