14U Season Development Plan

Season Structure

• Duration: 12 weeks
• Practice Frequency: 3 times per week (150 minutes per session)
• Games: 1-2 games per week starting after the first week of practice
• Conditioning: Additional conditioning sessions twice a week (60 minutes each)

Weekly Focus Areas

Weeks 1-2: Assessment and Foundation

Goal: Assess player skills and build a strong foundation of basic and advanced skills.

Practice Structure:

• Warm-up (20 minutes): Dynamic stretches, agility drills, and light jogging.
• Skills Stations (90 minutes): Rotate players through stations focusing on:
  • Throwing: Improve accuracy, distance, and introduce throwing on the move.
  • Catching: Focus on catching both ground balls and fly balls with proper technique.
  • Hitting: Work on batting stance, grip, and swing mechanics using a tee, soft toss, and live pitching.
  • Base Running: Practice running to different bases and understanding advanced concepts like stealing and sliding.
• Game Fundamentals (40 minutes): Introduce complex rules, positioning, and game strategies.

Weeks 3-6: Skill Enhancement and Strategy

Goal: Enhance skill proficiency and introduce advanced game strategies.

Practice Structure:

• Warm-up (20 minutes): Include dynamic stretches, running, and agility drills.
• Skills Stations (70 minutes): Continue focus on throwing, catching, hitting, and base running with more advanced drills.
• Game Situations (40 minutes): Set up game scenarios to apply skills learned, including defensive positioning and base running decisions.
• Scrimmage (20 minutes): Play a short, controlled scrimmage to introduce game flow and positioning.

Weeks 7-12: Advanced Skills and Competitive Play

Goal: Refine skills and understanding of the game, preparing for competitive play.

Practice Structure:

• Warm-up (20 minutes): Skill-specific warm-ups and conditioning.
• Skills Stations (60 minutes): Focus on advanced techniques like throwing with accuracy, catching fly balls, and hitting pitched balls.
• Game Fundamentals (40 minutes): Teach advanced rules such as tagging up, force outs, and the role of different positions.
• Scrimmage (30 minutes): Play longer scrimmages to prepare for actual games. Emphasize teamwork, strategy, and sportsmanship.

Practice Drills

Throwing Drills

• Accuracy Throw: Players throw at targets to improve accuracy.
• Partner Toss: Players pair up and practice throwing and catching at various distances.
• Relay Throws: Players practice throwing the ball quickly and accurately to teammates in a relay format.
• Long Toss: Develop arm strength and accuracy with long-distance throws.
• Quick Release: Drills focusing on fast and accurate throws under pressure.

Catching Drills

• Ground Ball Practice: Players practice fielding ground balls with proper glove positioning.
• Fly Ball Drill: Players practice catching fly balls, focusing on tracking and catching technique.
• Pop Fly Drill: Coaches hit pop flies to players to practice catching high fly balls under pressure.
• Reaction Drills: Improve reaction time and quickness in fielding.
• Blocking Drills: For catchers, focus on blocking balls in the dirt.

Hitting Drills

• Tee Work: Continue working on hitting off a tee, focusing on consistent contact.
• Soft Toss: Coaches softly toss balls to players to hit, working on timing and hand-eye coordination.
• Live Pitch: Introduce hitting pitched balls from a short distance to simulate game scenarios.
• Batting Cage: Utilize a batting cage for more focused hitting practice with live pitching.
• Situational Hitting: Practice hitting in different game situations (e.g., runner on second, two outs).
• Power Hitting: Focus on developing power and bat speed.

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.
• Sliding Practice: Introduce sliding techniques for safe and effective base running.
• Lead-Offs: Teach players how to lead off and steal bases.
• First-to-Third Drills: Practice running from first to third base on a single.
• Reaction Drills: Quick reactions to coaches' signals for stealing and advancing bases.

Game Play

• Introduce basic positions: Explain each position's role and responsibilities.
• Simplify rules: Focus on key rules and gradually introduce more complex ones as players understand the basics.
• Encourage teamwork and communication: Use games and activities that promote working together and good sportsmanship.
• Strategy Sessions: Teach players about game strategy, including defensive alignments and offensive plays.

Conditioning

• Strength Training: Include body-weight exercises such as push-ups, squats, and lunges.
• Agility Drills: Cone drills, ladder drills, and sprints to improve quickness and footwork.
• Endurance Training: Incorporate running and interval training to build stamina.
• Flexibility: Regular stretching routines to enhance flexibility and prevent injuries.

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 to celebrate the season.
• Awards Ceremony: Celebrate player achievements with certificates or small trophies to recognize their progress and effort.