Pee Wee Drills

Question
This is my 3rd year coaching. We are still tring to master the fundamentals. I wanted to see what you would suggest for developing a practice schedule that would work in some drills. We practice for 90 minutes.
Also, I need help coaching the pitcher. Do you have any suggestions for this level?
Thanks Kirk

Answer
Kirk,

Thanks so much for the question.  It would be helpful to me to know how old your kids are so that I could recommend age appropriate drills.  You can reply back to me through allexperts.com.

However, even at the 5 year old age, it is never too early to try to teach proper throwing and catching mechanics.  If you start at that age with proper throwing mechanics, you will be grooming a crop of pitchers for later years.  

We are currently at the 13 year old level.  We play select baseball so we get to pick our own players and add and cut them as we desire.  We demand that every player we have has sound, solid throwing mechanics.  With the right mechanics, you will eliminate throwing errors altogether. I don't remember the last time we had a throwing error.

Anyway, teach the right mechanics.  Take the pitching mechanics and teach them to your fielders as well.  A great ebook that you can get online is pitchmaster.  I believe that the website is pitchingmaster.com.  It is worth it because it has great pictures to go by.  There are many great books and videos out there.  I really like the Skills&Drills series by Bragg Stockton.  He has a video for each position as well as videos on practice sessions and planning.  He also has some great books.  I know his son who is a Collegiate coach.  He makes things simple and easy to understand.

It is kind of difficult to describe some of the drills you should be doing with your kids, but if you see them and have pictures, it will be easier.  

One thing is certain, even at the youngest level, you have to have 90 minutes of something to do.  We have 13 players.  During a normal 2 and 1/2 hour practice, we will divide them into groups and go through our drill stations.  

Grounders-straight ahead, backhand, glove side
Outfield-fly balls, liners, grounders
first base-digging out hoppers
catchers-drop and block, throwing to second and third
pitchers-throwing and fielding assignments
hitting-tee, soft toss, cage time, live pitching
baserunning-lead offs, breaks, 1st to 3rd and home, etc..

There are many ways to turn drills into games and have special contests so that winners get something.  I always used to use baseball cards when I coached younger teams.  As well, I would mark stars under the bill of their hat with different colored permanent markers denoting their accomplishments in games.  Kind of like the stickers on football players teams. Every kid wanted the stars.  Even my bad kids made plays so that they would get the stars.

Have fun and teach them something.

Coach Boss