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Week 4 - Practice Plan
OLLB Rally Cap
Week 4 Practice Plan
Session Overview:
Our upcoming practice will start getting the players introduced to playing catch with their teammates. As the season moves forward, players should be encouraged to play 'good catch' by throwing a ball that is catchable for their teammate, preparing for the throw back in an athletic position and learning how to catch throws from their teammates.
Practice Plan Outline:
Warm-up can be done by individual teams or as a large group. Set up players across a foul line and mark a line about 30 feet away and do 5-8 dynamic warm-ups. Drills such as: light jog, walking arm circles, high knees, butt kicks, lunges with a twist, zombie walks.
Finish the warm-up with 10 jumping jacks.
Teams get split into game and practice sessions.
Practice_Session_Drills
| Drill Name | Drill Summary | Things to Look For and variations | Video Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catch the Ball like an Egg | Parent or coach is about 6 feet in front of the player and underhands a throw. Throws should be low, shoulder height and above the head. Encourage players to catch with their fingers up when the ball is at shoulder height or above. | Teaching how to catch a baseball in 4 progressions: 1. Start with barehanded catches 2. Use the glove as a shield 3. Players practice self toss 4. Place glove on opposite shoulder to catch |
http://orleanslittleleague.goalline.ca/page.php?page_id=131131 |
| Around the Horn | Players are in a circle and throw the ball to their teammate. They should name the player before throwing to them. | Once the ball goes around a few times and everyone understands the drill, coaches can add a 2nd ball. | |
| Skyball | Parent or coach with one or two players. A ball is lobbed in 15-20 feet in the air and the player attempts to catch it with the fingers pointing towards the sky. | Fun variations: 1. Catching a higher thrown ball each time 2. Number of consecutive catches |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJx0dmzFcX8 |
| The Challenge | Players start a home plate and run around the bases in the corner order. Add a different challenge for the players between the bases. | Challenges include: 1. Backpeddling 2. Rounding cones 3. Roll 4. Jumping over bats 5. Jump over a partner 6. Shuffle steps Other creative ideas |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cip_NYbcC58 |
| Transition | Have the players with a bat take a pretend swing off the tee. Have them drop the bat and run to first base. | Young players can occasionally throw the bat instead of dropping it. This is a good drill to instil good habits right away. | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwbRysppL2w |
| T-Ball | Standard tee ball. Ensure only the hitter is around the tee and all other players are on the field or back behind the batter if they are next in line. | How a player should setup to a tee: 1. bat in the bottom hand, place bat on tee with feet together 2. back foot takes a step backwards (towards the catcher/umpire) 3. move bat so its rests on the back shoulder 4. pick up bat slightly |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqu3QKvsGGk |
| Soft Toss | Coach or parent helper kneels 15-20 feet in front and to the side of the hitter an underhands whiffle balls. | If player is struggling, go back to the T-Ball drill | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvuuRai8bCI |
Please take some time to review these drills and the corresponding video links to ensure a smooth and productive practice session.