Coaches Scripting Practices?

[24GahannaLadyLions7]

If you aren't scripting your practices, you are letting your kids down. There is nothing worse than coming to practice and having down time or fill time. As a coach you are a teacher of the game, and you have to be prepared basically with a lesson plan. Parents are paying way to much for you to come to practice and winging it. I still have plenty to learn, and I know I will probably take a bashing for veteran coaches pointing to their noggins and trying to prove their point by saying it is all up here. How do you know you are hitting all facets/situations of the game?

It doesn't need to complex. but at least some sort of preparation so there is fluency within the practice. I know some coaches get pretty intense with down to the minute by minute drills (me) but it doesn't to be that intense. Too many times I watch other teams practices, and I just shake my head as time ticks by the coaches are still trying to figure out which drill is next or Susie hitting off the machine with 10 other girls watching.

 

[24GahannaLadyLions7]

Now I didn’t say you can’t have productive practices without a plan, but I think parents expect more from us.

 

[Dawgsdad]

Why cant everyone give little susie a break? Lol

 

[daboss]

One of the things I've learned over the years is there's never enough time to get everything done a coach wants to do with their team. It's why I'd lay awake at night trying to come up with a plan to teach all the elements of this complex game. To be honest, I am a fan of hard core scripted practices with routines that keep the kids jumping for an hour and a half or more----------doubling as conditioning while running the players from station to station. More importantly, I believe it's just as important to have classroom time, sharing and teaching the strategies, analyzing scenarios, discussing blown coverage from previous encounters, and explaining the need for a uniform team effort. Many coaches send the kids home on a rainy day. I say thank you Lord for the opportunity.

The following is a little off topic but I hope others will get the meaning and it help other coaches use their valuable time allotted with their team.

One of the most meaningful practices I've ever run was in a shelter house during an unexpected storm. What could I do with the girls till parents could come pick them up. We moved the tables and cleared the floor in the shelter house and I had the girls sit on the floor in there defensive position in our simulated ball field. I would give the girls a situation such as runner on second with 1 out, what do you do. I would roll the ball to a player and she was to catch the ball and verbally explain what she should do in that situation while rolling the ball where she should. Eventually, we spread the girls far enough apart we added runners crawling on their knees from ghost base to ghost base, allowing the defensive players to explain what the thought process would be. This game was so much fun for the girls they asked if they could do it even when the weather was nice!

I believe that team and the teams I did this with afterwards learned more about the game than any team I ever coached till that time. I get so sick of coaches saying "They should know this stuff" when in fact nobody at any age level has really ever gone over it with them. The hardest part of this game is the inches between their ears! Coaches, don't stand on the sideline and yell "You should know better" if you personally have never discussed it with them. Don't waste your practice time just because the rain is falling and the baseball team got the gym first. Find an empty classroom or shelter house and teach the game---------all the game.

Coaches, it helps you sleep at night...........

 

[DanMaz]

it is a must to plan practices! I would take about 1-1.5 hours just to plan each practice. (wife and kids used to laugh at me but now they see it was worth it) This game is very hard to master and as a coach it is your job to challenge, teach, correct, encourage, motivate and get the best out of every kid on your team and most importantly try to make sure each players understands your message... some learn differently than others.. some want to see it on paper, some see it first hand, some need to watch videos. You as a coach have to figure out how to explain and get to their level and talk so they really understand you and not just hear you talking. Your practices must be organized and constant. no standing around... no down time, and have a message and a plan. Player are sponges... they want to learn! They are waiting to absorb all and any information you have for them as long as it is presented in a way they truly understand.

coaches starting off new with 8u -10u teams Please start NOW teaching the mental game at every practice and teach them how and what manufacturing runs is... PLEASE!
I would ALWAYS include some type of mental drills in every practice. In order for the players to be mentally strong you have to practice it again and again! Show them different techniques to get rid of frustration... it takes practice just like perfecting your swing. You have to perfect your mental thoughts too. 80% of the game is mental... why dont we coaches teach 80% mental???? lol most dont teach 10% mental. teach them what manufacturing runs means and how to do it... then they wont cry because they got out... they need to understand the game fully... how to win, how to lose with respect, why it is important to sac or bunt or whatever for the TEAM. If you dont preach it at practices and if you dont teach the mental game at every practice then IMO your not doing them any good for their future. It must start at the early ages and continue on all the way up thru college. Self talk can crush a player if they are negative thinking all the time. Train them to think positive. Train them how to get rid of frustration. Train them to help their other players get rid of frustration. Mental game is one of the most important things that needs to be taught from day 1 at an early age. jmo

 

[Richard Smith]

If you aren't scripting your practices, you are letting your kids down. There is nothing worse than coming to practice and having down time or fill time. As a coach you are a teacher of the game, and you have to be prepared basically with a lesson plan. Parents are paying way to much for you to come to practice and winging it. I still have plenty to learn, and I know I will probably take a bashing for veteran coaches pointing to their noggins and trying to prove their point by saying it is all up here. How do you know you are hitting all facets/situations of the game?

It doesn't need to complex. but at least some sort of preparation so there is fluency within the practice. I know some coaches get pretty intense with down to the minute by minute drills (me) but it doesn't to be that intense. Too many times I watch other teams practices, and I just shake my head as time ticks by the coaches are still trying to figure out which drill is next or Susie hitting off the machine with 10 other girls watching.

I agree with you about having a plan for practices. Every week, and most times twice a week, for the last year and a half with the Storm 08 team, we have always had a plan for practice. We have worked extremely hard for 18 months on teaching this team how to play defense, probably the hardest part of the game for them to understand. In practices we have drilled into them, and put them in game situations time after time, after time, drill after drill, over and over again. Bases loaded no outs, bases loaded 1 out, run downs, pick off plays, cutoffs, under hand flips, side flips, bare handed scoops off the dirt, sacrifice fly's to the outfield, who's covering 3rd and who's covering second, on a bunt, reaction to a bunt with a runner on third, backhand, forehand, rake throughs, proper footwork positioning on ground balls, tracking fly balls, catching fly balls, knowing where the runners are at and where they are going with the ball. We knew they were tired of working on defense, but we kept working on defense and it has paid off. In 39 games since the season started in September, the defense and pitching is allowing 1.4 runs per game. Some practices we would work defense, hitting and pitchers got about 20 minutes of pitching practice in.Some times we would do all defense and sometimes we would do half hitting and half defense. There is nothing better than working on defensive drills and watching it come to fruition in a game. Example: Worked and worked on runner at third, batter bunts, pitcher picks up the bunt looks runner back to 3rd and goes 1 gets the out, and first baseman throws directly home without hesitation. 3 weeks ago in Galion, same scenario happened twice, but turned double play getting the out at 1 and threw the runner out at home trying to score on the throw to first. Persistence and repetitiveness is where it is at, and it takes lots and lots of practice time, but when they get it, it's fun to watch. There are times they make mistakes, but they are just 10U.

 

[DLamb]

And you know the aggravating part....let’s here em.

1. Situation comes up in game you’ve drilled and drilled and boom, explodes like a bomb.

 

[daboss]

And you know the aggravating part....let’s here em.

1. Situation comes up in game you’ve drilled and drilled and boom, explodes like a bomb.

It's going to happen. You know it, I know it. So the way to fix it is to be sure you "remind them" what's in store so it's fresh in their young minds. When they are our age, they'll remember. Until then, prepare for the unexpected and hope they execute when it transpires. If you don't remind them don't get on a soapbox with the "I knew they were going to do that" attitude. You need to get the odds into your favor before it happens to expect a positive outcome.

 

[Jamie Wolff]

Amen... to all of the above!

 

[SOFTBALLS14]

One part of practice I think most lose site of is conditioning..... From 14u and up its the time to start getting them into shape for the season.... Core training in the winter/fall ....
Then before every practice in the summer run a mile, then have practice, all have to be under 10 min to start then start shaving it down. It pays off on the summer days when you play 4-5 games in a row!!
This will also prepare them for college if they are planning on playing at the next level. Had a college player (D-1) after there first year say she was glad we ran cause in college you run even more!!
Yes practice plans are a must for every team from 8u and up .... if you are not writing it down you are losing time to train and staying focused on getting better.....
Yes the plan if fluid as the practice goes on, but have a plan for the whole time and you'll be amazed at how ALL enjoy and appreciate your efforts.
You can always Stay Later for Susie !!
jmo

 

[Long Baller]

One of my favorite sayings applies here: "Plan the work, work the plan"

 

[Richard Smith]

And you know the aggravating part....let’s here em.

1. Situation comes up in game you’ve drilled and drilled and boom, explodes like a bomb.

It's not aggravating, we expect them to and they do make mistakes, they are 10U. But, 99% of the time, they can tell us what they did wrong. Knowing what to do it is important, and them knowing what they did wrong is more important. It's called a learning lesson!

 

[DLamb]

It's not aggravating, we expect them to and they do make mistakes, they are 10U. But, 99% of the time, they can tell us what they did wrong. Knowing what to do it is important, and them knowing what they did wrong is more important. It's called a learning lesson!

I was leaning more toward the 14U ranks...I had fair share at 8/10/12U Rec ball... sometimes girls..and coaches get caught up in it and loose track of the runner hiding on 2nd...happy with a sweet diving catch etc...