AAA Red, White, Blue

BVSA (inside due to weather)

When sharing a ½ Field and two batting Cages Between (3) teams

4:45p-6:30p

Coaches arrive by 4:45pm to welcome the players outside of the field/cages (since we don’t have them until 5p). Bring your own team roster to identify which players are yours when they arrive in droves! Consider masking/painters tape with sharpie for name tags for the first few practices.  Circle up and break into respective teams- Attendance -pass the ball name game and ice breaker to introduce players and ask them to tell everyone what they did over vacation. Warm up with a, "Frankensteins", leg stretches, arm circles. Get gloves and face masks on.

5:00-5:05 - Once fields/cages open up:

Team Blue to take their players/bucket of balls/equipment bag with bats up to Cages 5&6 (upstairs) to begin hitting drills (see below if you need some ideas). Teams White and Red coaches- quickly set up the ½ field with an infield on one side and a hitting station area or pop fly area (depening on your plan). Tall fences to divide the two fields. Girls can start to easily warm up their arms until we’re done (all in same direction-masks must be on).  I’ll have BVSA assist us with set up.

Teams rotating through Field Spaces/Cages:

Rotation 1: 5:05-5:25 (20 min)

Blue to Cages

Red to Field 1 (small portion of field set up for either hitting work or pop flies/outfield work)-near entrance to big net

White to Field 2 (larger portion of field to use the mock infield)

Rotation 2: 5:25-5:45 (20 min)

Blue to Field 1

Red to Field 2

White to Cages

Rotation 3: 5:45-6:05 (20 min)

Blue to Field 2

Red to Cages

White to Field 1

6:05-6:15pm: BASERUNNING FOR ALL (10 Min) - See drill below

6:15-6:30pm: Pitching Drills OR Fun Skills Game (15 min) – See drill below

Hitting Work in the Cages - using cages 5&6:

Drill 1: Set up a “Feet, Hips, Hands” station. They should start with feet hip distance apart/balanced. Their front “foot” should step slightly, their “hips” should open up toward the pitcher with their front leg straight and their back leg bent into a letter “L” and their hands should come through last to hit the ball. They should chant “Feet! Hips! Hands!” together as a group, taking slow, intentional swings to help prepare for the next station. Demonstrate this station (how to properly swing) for all to see so they can do it on their own while waiting for the next station.

Dril 2: Tee Work - Set up 2 tees, home plates and nets. Have a girl feed balls onto the tee for a friend. 10 swings and switch. Once they’ve done one tee station, have them move to the next station.

Drill 3: Forward toss Hitting - Coach get the girls ready to see live “coach pitch”. Have them stand balanced in front of home plate hitting toward you, where you’re pitching (35 feet away). Have 1-2 girls waiting outside of this cage getting ready to quickly pick up balls and send the next girl in.

Outfield Work (On Field 1):

Drill 1: Throwing/Catching Drill: Show the girls the proper way to warm up/throw and catch a ball (see tutorial videos on our website or appendix in coach presentation). Pair the girls up based on their skill/ability by watching them -it's OK to make switches. Walk up and down the line working with each girl.

Drill 2: Show players proper glove positioning for catching a fly ball. Two hands up in “windshield wiper” position. They should NOT catch a ball in the “ice cream scoop” position with their glove. With gloves OFF, have each girl throw a ball up to herself and try to catch it above her head with proper hand position. How many can they catch in a row? Now have them put their gloves on and do the same drill, emphasizing having them get their bodies under the ball and catching with two hands (glove catches, other hand covers to prevent it from popping out).

Drill 3: Have the player face you then launch a ball behind them that they need to sprint to, chase down, pick up with two hands, and throw back into another player or coach quickly. The goal is to get the ball back into their player quickly. Other player should be yelling their name so they can practice communicating.

Infield Work (Field 2):

Drill 1: Throwing/Catching Drill: Show the girls the proper way to warm up/throw and catch a ball (see tutorial videos on our website or appendix in coach presentation). Pair the girls up based on their skill/ability by watching them -it's OK to make switches. Walk up and down the line working with each girl. No need to repeat this drill if you already did it on field 1.

Drill 2: Glove Positioning Grounders/Throws to First

Split the girls up between 1B, 2B and SS, taking time to TEACH/REMIND THEM ABOUT THE INFIELD POSITIONS. Roll a quick moving grounder to the girl at each position, reminding them of the "triangle" position for fielding a grounder, then “in-step” with their throwing hand leg, glove side foot is facing toward target with glove outstretched pointing to target as well, body in surfer stance ready to throw and arm comes through with the rest of the body to release toward 1B target.  Make sure 1B players puts one foot on the bag and glove side foot extended out with glove to catch the ball.

Drill 3: Charging Drill  - Teach girls to run up on a slow rolling ball, using TWO HANDS (always) to ground the ball up, instep, and throw back to coaches. Girls can do this drill around the field with more than one coach our quickly between coaches and can rotate through their fielding locations.

6:05-6:15p: Running the Bases and Taking Leads (ALL TEAMS)  

Girls need to be shown to RUN THROUGH first base and Home Plate. They need to learn how to “stick it” at 2B and 3B but to look for their 3rd base coach when holding up.

• Line girls up at home plate and have each one run through 1B. If they slow down, they have to go back and do it again

• Next have girls start at 1B. When coach pitches the ball over the plate, THEN they can take a jump with their body facing home plate. When the coach yells go, they can run to second base where they will “stick it” (teaches them not to overrun 2b or 3b). This drill teaches them how to take a meaningful lead on the coach release of the pitch (and eventually will help them to learn proper stealing in AAA). From 2B, the girl can again take a “jump” on coach’s release of the ball and when coach says go, they should run to the next base to “stick it” or when they get to home plate - RUN THROUGH HOME PLATE.

6:15p to 6:30p - Break up into pitchers and “All Others”

Field 1:

Pitchers Go with Coach Houle to Get Reminders on and Learn Pitching Warm Up Drills to do at Home - Pair girls up to do drills together with defensive masks on.

Field 2:

Other Girls - Go with Other Coaches to Do Fun Game/Drill - Hit the ball off the tee or Bananas:

Bananas Relay Race:

Divide the girls up evenly into two teams. Have one team start at home plate with the first girl holding a softball and one team at second base with the first girl holding a softball. On the coach’s command, the girls run from home plate all the way around the bases back to pass it to the next girl in line from their team (While simultaneously the team that started at 2b, runs around the bases back to 2b to pass the ball off). The last girl that ran sits down to show that she’s already gone. Whichever group finishes first, wins the game.