KiwiBall Spring Training - week two

Hi folks

Here's hoping the rain stays away tonight and tomorrow morning.  Here is the run down for week two of Spring Training:

Junior Sluggers - Friday night training (45 minutes maximum):

Helpers required - at least 2 parents please!

Run the bases:
After a 5 minute warm up (can be a game of tag, stuck in the mud, jumping jacks and standing jumps),  line all the players up at home base.  The line follows the leader running around the bases (no overtaking) jumping on each base and yelling out it's name (ie "1!", "2!", '3!", "HOME!" finishing at home base.  Either pick a player that seems confident to do this, or a parent/coach can be the leader.  Do it again, and see if everyone can do it faster!

Basic throwing techniques:
A cone grid has been set up beyond first base.  Line the players up between the cones just past first base.  Give each player 2 baseballs (or 1 each if there aren't enough baseballs available).

First, demonstrate the beginner throwing technique. 

Standing side on to the direction you will throw, holding the ball in your dominant (throwing) hand, ask the players if they've seen a bow and arrow.  Then demonstrate old both hands out in front like you're about to draw a bowstring (ie think bow and arrow).  Shout out "pull back!" and pull your throwing hand with the ball back to your ear.  Now, pretend the ball is a telephone - when the phone rings (ie the parent/coach now makes a "brrrrrnnngggg!!!" sound), the players yell "hello!!!", then throw it!!! 

If unsure on the technique, come get me (Paul) and I'll run a quick demo.

Now let the kids do it.  Make sure they don't chase after their balls until BOTH balls are thrown.

First, tell the kids to look out at the cones - for each cone they throw the ball past, they get points - 100 points, 1000 points,  10,000 points, and 1 million points for the furthest throws.

Now parent/coach yells out:

"Hold out your bow and arrow!"

 "Pull it back!"

"Brrrrrnnnnnnggggg" - the kids yell "Hello!!!!"

"FIRE"

Repeat for both balls, then get the players to get both balls and repeat the process.

Next, get a swiss ball (one should be available).  Instead of throwing for distance, repeat the throwing process and roll out the swiss ball.  Every time the players hit it they get 100 points.  Repeat and see if they can beat their points total.

Game:

For week two we'll use the same format for the game as week one. 

NOTE: If there are not enough players for two teams, instead of a batting team, have one player hit at a time, and everyone else fields.  Rotate the hitter from the fielders until everyone has had a bat, then repeat until the end of the session.

Split the players into two teams - one team bats, one team fields.  After everyone has batted on the batting team, swap over.

Batting team
Line the team up away from home base.  Set up the batting tee on home base and have one ball to hit.  Use one bat only for safety reasons.  Bring up one batter at a time with a helmet on, everyone else remains seated in line and cheers for the batter.

Before the first batter, explain to the team what they need to do:  Have the batter hit the ball off the tee and, once the ball is hit, the player carefully DROPS THE BAT - NEVER THROW THE BAT, and run a home run jumping on each base and yelling out it's name as they go.

Be patient with the batter.  Get them to focus on the ball (batting technique is not too important at this stage).  If they swing and miss three times, have a parent help them make contact.  Watch out for enthusiastic swings of the bat!

Fielding team
Help the players to put on a baseball glove (they go on their non dominant hand, their dominant hand is for throwing ie a right handed thrower wears their glove on their left hand).  Get enough baseballs so you have at least one per fielder.  The parent helping the fielding team should stand near base two with the baseballs.

Spread the players out behind the red safety cones to avoid being hit by well hit baseballs.  The area between home base and the cones is RED HOT LAVA and so must not be stepped in!  When the batter hits the ball, the parent throws the fielders balls out to the fielders - each one fields one ball only.  They then run the balls back in to base 2 back to the parent helper.  Repeat for each batter.  See who can get their ball back the fastest!

Junior Sluggers - Saturday game:

Warm up - a game of "Stuck in the mud" or something similar and some fun stretches to warm up (eg star jumps, standing jumps, arm circles)

Practice running the bases again and make sure they yell out the name of each base as they jump on them!  Have them all stand in the middle of the diamond.  Yell out a base name and get them to run to it - see who can remember the best!  If Friday was washed out, then go through the learning the base name drill instead to teach the base names.

Play the game as per Friday night training.

Sluggers - Friday training

Warm up game of Stuck in the Mud and stretches.
Learning "ready position", "fielding position", "throwing position" and "hitting position".
Re test of last week's fielding postions.  Mix in the above "ready position" etc as they run.
Working on catching basics again - glove off, then glove on.
Working on ground ball basics - glove off, then glove on.
Hitting off the tee - two stations, more if required (if time).

Sluggers - Saturday game:
Warm up as per Friday night, go through catching basics drills then working on throwing basics (4 seam grip and arm path).
For the game, using tees to begin with, but progressing to coach pitch from the 2nd inning for the more confident players.  Hitters run until the ball is touched by a fielder, and then remains at the base they're approaching.  Fielders throw to that base.