Hi folks. So many experienced knowledgeable people here. Looking for a new fun competitive type game/drill to try with the girls at tomorrow’s practice. We are 10u. We will have 10 girls and 3 coaches at practice. Thanks for your time.
I do a game where one team hits and one team divides them self up between first base and third base (standing on the bag). The batter gets one pitch and as soon as they hit it they have to run around as many bases as they can. When the ball is hit the other team chases the ball down from 1st and 3rd base. The hitter gets one point for every base they reach up until the point both players who are chasing it down touch the ball. I credit the hitter with a base reached if they were at least halfway to the next base.
I also do a game I call “base hits”. Each player gets three swings and if a ball lands in the outfield grass it’s automatically a hit. Any hard-hit ground ball or line Drive that does not make it to the outfield grass I make the ruling on as the coach whether it would’ve been a hit or out. With five on five there will be five outfielders so it’s harder to drop a ball in then you think. Kids will get batting practice and pretty good defensive work in the outfield. Each team hits until I’m out of balls and we usually play first team to 50 hits.
Assuming they can catch fairly well and can throw, you can do relay lines.....3 kids in each line. Ball starts on one end, they throw to the middle, then the other end, back to the middle, then back to the start. Its a competition, but if tough properly, functions as a throwing, catching, and footwork as a cutoff drill. Make sure the thrower throws to the glove side of their partners, the partner opens up and moves their feet as they catch it, and continue on from there.
My 10U and below teams used to play foxtail. A single flag football ribbon with the belt rotated so it hung like a tail. Start the team evenly spaced around a circle or square and on go, they try taking each other's ribbons. Last one with a tail wins.
Also liked the relay races standing in lines throwing and catching there and back.
I like to have them play 'work up'. They put their gloves in a pile. Without looking at the gloves I pull out one at a time and call out the positions on the field along with 3-4 hitters. I like to have a coach pitch or do front toss and a coach at catcher or at the backstop. A batter hits and runs the bases. When the fielders get an out the 1st baseman comes in to hit, 2nd goes 1st, SS goes to 2nd, 3rd goes to SS, LF comes in to 3rd, CF to LF, RF to CF and the batter who made the out goes out to RF. If the batter gets around to home she gets to hit again (up to 3 times, then she is called an out goes into RF). At the 10-12U levels if an outfielder catches a fly ball she comes in to hit right away and everyone moves up behind her. The kids like it because they get to play all the positions and hit and run the bases. The key is to keep it moving, we use buckets between the pitcher and catcher so there is no return throw.
Here's a few fun ones my kids love to hate I use these indoors or out.
Centipede:
Setup: Cones about 30feet apart left-right, about 3 ft front-back. 8 cones is a good number
Like the videogame Centipede, Player 1 will run between cones horizontally. Player 2 throws balls to Player 1 with the goal that the ball arrives at the cone the same time Player 1 does, so that Player 1 never stops moving. After catching or missing the ball, Player 1 runs back the other way, but to the cone one row closer to Player 2.
Goal is for the ‘centipede’ and ball to arrive at each cone at the same time.
1 point for each completed catch.
Reinforces base coverage skills, and throwing without your target there yet.
Space invaders:
Timed game. Try 60 seconds. Timed game keeps this one moving. Reduce time for added pressure.
Setup: Cones about 20feet apart left-right, about 3 ft front-back. 5 rows or more is best. Bucket of balls.
Like the videogame Space Invaders, the “Invader” shuffles horizontally back and forth between the cones. Unlike the videogame, this is a cooperative game.
Player 1 shuffles back and forth between the cones. Can not stop.
Player 2 is throwing balls that Player 1 has to catch.
Player 2 should be throwing cooperative balls to where Player 1 is going to be. Does not have to wait for them to get to a cone (unlike Centipede)
Player 1 moves forward a row when:
They miss catching a ball. Or
After Player 1 catches 3 balls in a row
Player 1 rolls caught balls away
1 point for each ball the invader catches.
Max score would be 3 x 5 (or however many rows you have).
This one works the legs as well as catching while moving and throwing to a moving target.
Goalie
Setup: 2 players opposite each other about 20 ft. Use cones to set up a ‘goal’ area behind them. Distance/size will vary depending on ability of kids.
Players have 1 minutes to try and score goals on each other while defending their own goal.
Ball must touch the ground (bounce or roll) before reaching opponent.
Coach feeds another ball if one gets past.
Works grounders and footwork.
Split winners and losers bracket