A Softball Coaches Tool Kit

This Coaching Resource is reprinted by permission of the author of "A Softball Coaches Tool Kit".

A Softball Coaches Tool Kit is an integration of ideas, forms, approaches, etc. developed during twenty-five years of coaching girls fast pitch softball with various age groups, from 12 & Under through 18 & Under. Included in the book are Practice Plans, Drills, Contests and Games, an Outfield Clinic, a Team Handbook, a Softball Exam, Self Assessments, Evaluation, Scouting, Motivation and Communication, Scorecard as well as information on Equipment, Uniforms and Team Trips.

The book comes with a CD containing over 140 "Tools" which can be easily downloaded and customized for your use. "Tools" include: Practice Plans, Line Up Forms, Contests, Drills, Forms, Motivational Material, Team Handbook, Self Assessents, etc.

See Complete Description and Ordering Information

Offense - Practice Organization

Offense - Practice Organization is a form designed to organize a practice with live hitting for around an hour and base running practice for around half an hour. For live hitting practice assign a pitcher and catcher for each of four groups and assign hitters to hit in each group. If you schedule seventy minutes to hit, the chart in the middle of the page gives you an estimate of how many minutes each girl can hit based on how many girls have to hit during the practice. The most difficult challenge in setting up the practice is insuring that hitters are sequenced so each pitcher has time to warm up before pitching and catchers have time to put on their catching equipment without holding up the entire practice.

The base running portion of practice has ten items to use in the time allotted. Some activities are a discussion with players of rules, others involve running and sliding. Remind your players to wear sliding gear to every practice.

If you choose to include drills in your practice the best time for a drill is before and after live hitting. There is a space on the practice schedule to write down the drills you will utilize.

No matter what type of practice plan you utilize, the number one priority is to determine what skills, activities or situations your team needs to improve and schedule those items into your practice.

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OFFENSE - PRACTICE ORGANIZATION

Date:________________

Player Rotation From Station To Station
Field --> Bunt --> Soft Toss --> Cage --> Hit

Hitting: 70 Minutes

Pitcher	Catcher	Hit	Hit	Hit	Hit	Hit	Warm-Up

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Time Chart

#Girls	6	7	8	9-10	11-12	13-14	15-16
Min/Girl	11	10	9	7	6	5	4

Base Running: 30 Minutes

Specific items on which to work - one item per practice

1. Ready position - kick start
2. Drill on start - 3 bases - use a pitcher and catcher
3. Base running basics
4. Explain: rules - interference, lead off, sliding, over run base turn
5. Bunt/squeeze - how to run on a sacrifice or squeeze bunt
6. 1st and 3rd, r @ 3b and walk, decoy
7. Runners at 2b and 3b, ground ball to the if
8. Conservative vs aggressive - which approach, when and why
9. Sliding - straight, slide by, head first
10. Dive back to the base

Drills: 10 Minutes

1. -
2. -

Discussion: 10 Minutes

Explaination of the Stations: (use as many as you can)

• Field: players on defense, fielding balls hit by the batter
• Bunt: players practicing bunting, soft toss from partner
• Soft toss: players practicing hitting, soft toss from partner
• Cage: players hitting in the batting cage - use pitching machine
• Hit: players hitting on the field, against a live pitcher