Useful Drills
T-Ball is a lot of fun. Not just for the kids learning the game of baseball, but for the parents as well. This is where kids learn their skills, some faster than others. As a coach or parent teaching a young child these skills, it is essential to have them develop the skills in the right way. In doing so, as they continue to grow and play, they will enjoy the sport and game in more ways. To help you accomplish this goal, we have included some drills to help the younger players. These are great drills at the T-Ball level and even the Coach Pitch level were you have kids that need help. Make it fun and make a game out of it and the kids will want to continue to compete. We hope that you will take the time to use some of these drills in your practices.
Catching and Fielding Drills
SCOOP DRILL
--What you need: Plastic one gallon milk jugs with the bottoms cut out. One half also needs to be cut out. It should resemble the set up of a baseball glove, with one side cut out, so it looks like a scoop.
--How it works: Since a scoop is something that is carried outside the hand, younger kids will be able to manoeuver the scoop easier than having a glove on their hand. With the scoop shaped similar to a glove, they will begin to understand glove positioning.
When you are instructing the kids on how to use their 'scoop', show them where the scoop goes in certain situations.
Show them grounders, waist level tosses, and shoulder / head level tosses.
--Results: What you want to show the kids is how their glove is just like the scoop. When they have the web side down for grounders the ball rolls into the glove, etc.
Oven Glove Drill
Once your little players have learned the scoop drill, it is time to learn how to field a ground ball using two hands. This drill will help them in doing that.
--What you need: An oven glove or mitt like the one pictured below.
--How it works: Have your player place the mitt on their glove hand. Roll them some ground balls. The mitt is bulky enough that they cannot grip the ball and does not have a pocket so they can scoop the ball without using the throwing hand to cover it up. The only way for them to field the ball is by using both hands.
--Results: What you want to show the kids is how to properly field a ground ball using two hands. Using an oven mitt for this age group has the same benefits as using a "paddle or pancake" glove for the older more advanced players.
--Advanced drills: For Coach Pitch level players, you may use this mitt for fly ball drills. Use a wiffle ball for this and not a baseball. Teach them how to get under the fly ball and use two hands in catching it. Once they grasp the concept of getting under it and using two hands, then use the wiffle ball and their glove. Once they do well here and have passed the fear of getting hit, start using baseballs. With all three stages, start with low flys before moving to the higher fly balls.
PIZZA SLICE DRILL
This helps the players learn to stay in their own area based on the position they are playing.
--What you need: You need to get some cones, pylons or other markers. Separate the field into 'slices' like pizza. Kids love pizza and can understand the slices. Have it correspond with one of the positions on the infield like the image below.
--How it works: This drill is intended to teach younger players the importance of playing their position on the field - to prevent kids from fighting over the ball when it is hit. Show the players that they each have a 'slice' of the pizza, but they can't have a slice of any one else's pizza. When the ball is hit, or rolled to the players, they must stay on their own slice of pizza when the ball comes out. They cannot go to another player's slice to steal the ball. For balls hit in the pitcher's slice, have the second baseman or short stop back him up in that slice.
Players who go into the other players slice will have someone else come in and take their piece of pizza from them. Only the second baseman or short stop can can go into the other slice, only if they are backing up the pitcher and not trying to get the ball away from him.
--Results: Gradually, when players lose their slice of pizza, they will understand that they cannot go into other players' areas to get the ball. This prevents five infielders from going after the same ball.
BUCKET DRILL
This is a fun, productive drill, especially for younger kids, though older kids can gain benefit from it too. It focuses on the importance of getting rid of the ball in a hurry and helps in making accurate throws.
--What you need: A five gallon bucket or garbage can.
--How it works: Split your into team in half. Line the first team up, one behind another, at the shortstop position. Take the second team and place them behind first base. Next, place a five gallon bucket or garbage can upside down on first base. Make sure that you have plenty of baseballs handy. Depending on the age level, the coach rolls or hits a ball to the first person in line at the shortstop position, who then has three seconds to pick up the ball and throw it at the bucket. The coach should loudly count off the seconds; this will initially fluster some of your younger players, but will also help them to cope with pressure better in the long run. If the bucket is missed, the player behind first base fields the ball and returns it to the coach. Regardless of the outcome, the player who made the throw rotates to the back of the line. After several passes through the line, switch sides.
As an added bonus, keep score between the two teams. You can give a point if the throw is in time and a point if they hit the bucket. It is amazing how much more effort you can get out of a kid if he’s competing against his friends. If you have enough coaching help, you can vary this drill by having both teams throw at the same time; the competition is a big hit with players.
--Results: After repeatedly going through this drill, your players should be able to quickly field a ground ball and get it to a base with some degree of accuracy.
Source: http://www.devinelittleleague.org/league/page.aspx?PageID=3649
No comments:
Post a Comment