Season Structure

• Duration: 12 weeks
• Practice Frequency: 2 times per week (60 minutes per session)
• Games: 1 game per week after the first 4 weeks of practice

Weekly Focus Areas

Weeks 1-4: Introduction and Fundamentals

Goal: Build a foundation of basic skills and introduce players to the game.

Practice Structure:

• Warm-up (10 minutes): Simple stretches and light jogging.
• Skills Stations (40 minutes): Rotate players through stations focusing on:
  • Throwing: Teach grip, stance, and basic overhand throw.
  • Catching: Introduce glove positioning and hand-eye coordination exercises.
  • Hitting: Teach batting stance, grip, and basic swing mechanics using a tee.
  • Base Running: Introduce running to first base and understanding safe/out concepts.
• Game Fundamentals (10 minutes): Introduce basic rules like safe/out, fair/foul, and positions on the field.

Weeks 5-8: Skill Development and Game Introduction

Goal: Reinforce fundamental skills and introduce game play.

Practice Structure:

• Warm-up (10 minutes): Include dynamic stretches and running.
• Skills Stations (30 minutes): Continue focus on throwing, catching, hitting, and base running.
• Game Situations (10 minutes): Set up simple game scenarios to apply skills learned.
• Scrimmage (10 minutes): Play a short, controlled scrimmage to introduce game flow and positioning.

Weeks 9-12: Advanced Skills and Game Play

Goal: Enhance skill proficiency and understanding of the game.

Practice Structure:

• Warm-up (10 minutes): Incorporate skill-specific warm-ups.
• Skills Stations (20 minutes): Focus on advanced techniques like catching fly balls, hitting pitched balls, and accurate throwing.
• Game Fundamentals (10 minutes): Teach rules such as tagging up, force outs, and the role of different positions.
• Scrimmage (20 minutes): Play longer scrimmages to prepare for actual games. Emphasize teamwork and sportsmanship.

Practice Drills

Throwing Drills

• Bean Bag Toss: Use bean bags to teach throwing mechanics without worrying about catching.
• Partner Toss: Players pair up and practice throwing and catching at short distances, gradually increasing the distance.

Catching Drills

• Glove Practice: Players practice catching with their gloves using soft balls or foam balls.
• Bucket Drill: Players catch balls thrown softly into a large bucket, focusing on proper glove positioning.

Hitting Drills

• Tee Work: Players hit balls off a tee, focusing on stance and swing mechanics.
• Soft Toss: Coaches softly toss balls to players to hit, working on timing and hand-eye coordination.

Base Running Drills

• Run to First: Players practice running through first base.
• Base Navigation: Players run to different bases while coaches call out which base to run to, teaching base recognition and running techniques.

Game Play

• Introduce basic positions: Explain each position's role briefly.
• Simplify rules: Focus on the key rules and gradually introduce more complex ones.
• Encourage teamwork and communication: Use games and activities that promote working together.

Parental Involvement

• Encourage parents to reinforce skills at home with simple drills.
• Provide regular updates on player progress and areas to work on.

End of Season

• Fun Tournament: Organize a small tournament or game day.
• Awards Ceremony: Celebrate player achievements with certificates or small trophies.