Practice Schedule

[guChubby]

Just curious, what is your typical practice schedule for 14U during the fall and winter? Do you typically practice once or twice a week?
How many of your players play other sports and how does that impact your team?

 

[yocoach]

My team was 14U last year and I had 12 players. Out of the 12, there was only 1 player that didn't play school sports year round. The other 11 had practice every evening and usually multiple games on Saturday. Therefore, Sunday was the only day available to practice. So that's what we did. Once a week every Sunday.

 

[Stedman00]

the older ages you go, the more life interferes with practices. especially 16 and 18u. Players start driving, jobs, boyfriends, doing nothing, band, choir, other school stuff, other sports, etc... All start to eat away from time available to practice. Regardless if the player really needs said practice or not. We all only get 24 hours per day.

And for the ones that go on to play college..... the distractions (besides classroom related stuff), all come to a screeching halt. that lame excuse to miss practice to hang with friend and make Tik Tok videos....gone. The I can't practice I have to work....gone. The must spend the next 7 hours texting boyfriend..... gone. Sure, there's time management issues in there, but the distractions get managed or the coach will manage the player to the bench.

My 18u teams practice 1x per week in August, then again come winter after all the fall season stuff complete. Usually 4 hours on Sunday afternoons. And then they are all in school ball purgatory starting Feb. And come back to travel team mid-late may. And then we are playing tourneys every weekend in summer.

 

[daboss]

There are teams out there that won't take a kid that plays other sports. I don't agree with it but they do it. It is extremely difficult in our region but more common in areas of the country where the "mega" school systems are more the normal. We still have to remind ourselves what this is all about and adapt. In many cases, work, school, and religious activities dictate family schedules for a wide variety of reasons and very few are willing to restructure their lives for travel softball. What should we remember?

It's about a game.

It's about the kids.

I've always been an advocate for the kids to try as many things as the families can endure while they are younger, then start focusing on the activities they truly enjoy once the reach high school age. This will mean putting more time into fewer interests and honing their skills for the long term if 14-18 yrs old, possibly for some 22 years old is considered the long haul. Here, our rural environment and smaller schools have a major impact on all facets of the family routine. So many travel coaches have an overwhelming interest in the best athletes in their area. News flash; so doesn't every other coach or instructor in every other sport and activity! We tell our kids they can be anything if they work hard and dedicate themselves to an all-out effort. Let's be real. You cannot teach natural talent and athletic ability and some kids have an edge over the others.

The family dynamic probably only allows for high school age kids to practice or play once a week during the off-season (winter). As a coach you need to accept it and adapt. In many cases, you should be thankful that you get that much.

Coaches enjoy and love the game. We are warmed being surrounded by others with the same interest. We still need to be honest and realistic:

Our time has passed.

This is for the kids.

It is a game.

 

[cmickey1]

Our team had one "fall" practice and will have 6 "winter" practices...maybe! The expectation is our girls put the work in on their own and show up and showcase on the weekends. All our girls play multiple sports.

 

[Passion4theGame]

Just curious, what is your typical practice schedule for 14U during the fall and winter? Do you typically practice once or twice a week?
How many of your players play other sports and how does that impact your team?

Depends on level of talent and schedule you play.
Stedman covered it pretty well.
If you are playing a full on showcase schedule and athletes on the team have the same goal in mind (Play in college while earning their degrees) Once a week in August- Sept. 4-5hrs including a lunch. play every weekend in fall. November off, December- Mid Feb. Practice every other sunday 3-4hrs.
If they have goals they all should be working at home on their own. Eating right, lifting, cardio, hitting coach, pitching coach, fielding coach, ect.
The excuse of a Fall school sport is for the Birds at 16u if they are trying to get recruited for softball.

I encourage our players to attend their Homecoming & other school activities during fall. One saturday we had 8 girls out for Home coming and worked with the director & the event and still was able to get games sunday only for the exposure.
There's a small percentage of student-athletes that get the opportunity to play at the next level so their commitment level has to be to the team at 15u-17u.

 

[Stedman00]

what the ???

 

[Passion4theGame]

what the ???

Probably a SPAM/ BOT account.