Pre-game stretch/ warmups 14U and above.

[Rolling Hard]

How important is pregame? How long should it last? Should it be done as a team? Should it be highly regimented and closely watched and monitored by coaches? Or should the players be old enough to figure it out on their own? Should there be small talk and goofing off or should be used as a time to focus? For example, player doing tee work just going thru the motions talking the whole time about some tic toc video. Is that ok? How about warming up two pitchers in a relatively small area and there is a lot of chitchat going on? Where do you draw lines? Or maybe you don't draw lines.

Side question:
Should the coach inform a pitcher(s) that he/she intend to start them the day before?

 

[MoJo]

I am hoping Tic Tok will have lived out its hype by the time DD is in HS.

I think we all know the answer to this thread.

 

[Traps71]

The older the girls get, the more they should be responsible for managing the team’s and their own pre-game warm up routine.

On my older DD’s current team (15U) we begin warm ups about 1 hour and 15 minutes before the game. The girls get the nets set up and the first roughly 15 minutes is a dynamic warm up that the girls manage on their own. There is some talking and grab assing, but that is ok. There is usually music to keep the mood loose. Coaches are not involved at all. After that, there is a throwing warm up that the coaches are mostly uninvolved in. Then, hitting stations with P & C going through the line first. P & C break off to do their own warm ups. Position players start taking ground balls and fly balls. P or C that play other positions join them after their own warm ups. Runs like clock work and the coaches, again, are just there mostly in overwatch mode. Head coach is typically finalizing his line up or otherwise handling administrative stuff while the assistant coaches are hitting fungo or throwing front toss.

 

[Strike2]

Players that age should be shown the stretching and throwing progression in practice, and then do it on their own before games with a coach watching to keep it moving along. I'm a fan of supervision and feedback during hitting warmup. Coaches hit the balls and catch in during ground and fly ball drills.

IMO, done right, a hitting & defensive pregame takes 45-60 min.

Small talk during stretching is fine, but focus should increase as pregame progresses.

Pitchers should show up ready to go when called. Pitching warmups can happen while everyone else is doing IF/OF drills.

 

[Coachkat]

Sounds like your DD was playing with mine this weekend

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[Lobster Birch]

There is some talking and grab assing, but that is ok.

What? Is there a Kennedy on your team?

 

[radness]

How important is pregame? How long should it last? Should it be done as a team? Should it be highly regimented and closely watched and monitored by coaches? Or should the players be old enough to figure it out on their own? Should there be small talk and goofing off or should be used as a time to focus? For example, player doing tee work just going thru the motions talking the whole time about some tic toc video. Is that ok? How about warming up two pitchers in a relatively small area and there is a lot of chitchat going on? Where do you draw lines? Or maybe you don't draw lines.

Side question:
Should the coach inform a pitcher(s) that he/she intend to start them the day before?

What i notice is...
The greater percentage of the time by watching another team's pregame can see whether the game will be competitive or not. Sometimes it's by seeing player's performance and sometimes it's by seeing the sloppy facilitation of the coach.

 

[Lance Steckler]

#1. College coaches watch how your team warms up and can often decide if player A, B or C is worth watching just based on warm ups. Serious or Cluster flop? Players hit the field it's go time. You are being watched.

#2. Often it is very telling as to level of your opponent , by watching them warm up. Are they chasing passed balls all over? Are they more interested in latest Tik Tok versus working on refining receiving technique?

The older they get the less coaches should need to be there to supervise and / or motivate.

 

[Hawk_]

This is my biggest pet peeve. Show the warm up in practice, then it should be done every time the same way.... If I have to tell them to get warmed up right then their mind set is usually off.

 

[heman1202]

My team (12U) plays much better when loose and relaxed (please do not read this as sloppy and not caring). My warm ups are regimented (as in we do the same thing) but relaxed (meaning they talk and do not feel like a coach is watching to make sure they don't smile). They do a dynamic warm up/stretching and throwing on their own.

I truly believe there is a balance to getting a team ready to play. Focused warm ups with intent is always mandatory. But so is staying relaxed and in an even mind. There should be no pressure to have zero fun during warm ups and I hate when I see coaches bark at their kids because of it.

Know your team and what they need. Having a good frame of mind is just as important as warming up the softball skills. I hate pre game talks between parents and players. Parents have this knack to put their kid in a bad mental state.