Rekindling the Focus

[gdc03120]

Howdy all. Background information:
- 16U rec team here made up of 2 varsity players, 10 modified players (both modified and varsity teams are winless this spring), and 3 12U-level players.
- One 2-hour practice per week - Lots of group work/stations for hitting, fielding, baserunning and a game/contest at the end.
- I'm totally new to the girls and vice versa. I knew a parent or two prior but I knew none of the players before this season.
- I've got fairly supportive parents who have helped at our 2 practices so far (soft toss, helping correct basic form, etc.)

After our most recent practice, said helpers/parents have remarked how lacking in focus the girls are during the occasional drill. The drills/stations are designed to prevent girls from standing around, doing nothing, which I think has been successful so far. However, now and then, I find some ladies (especially the younger girls) not focused on drills - chatting while I'm giving instructions, not taking a drill seriously, occasionally sassing a parent (if they know them, probably thinking they are being funny, etc - I've told the girls that parents on the field are the same as coaches, and the parents can feel free to reprimand the girls as necessary). Given that it's early in our time together, I've not been a dictator coach but I have pulled aside girls and talked to them about these matters. It's 50/50 if it works or not.

For the more veteran coaches, what do you do to ensure your girls keep their focus through a 2-hour practice? What strategies (positive and negative) do you find work best to keep your girls engaged, learning, active, while also enjoying practice and having fun? I don't want to run a boot camp - but with how weak these girls are in ability, I want to maximize my 2 hours and get in what I feel is most important. All constructive criticisms/advice will be taken into account.

 

[Golfclubgreg]

Practice isn't for everyone, but then again neither is playing time

 

[bmakj]

16u rec?

make them be respectful, but if 16u rec is accurate, they are playing to have fun and get a little exercise, plain and simple. if they are unhappy with the team's game performance, then simply tell them it is a reflection of how they do in practice.

 

[gdc03120]

16u rec?

That's correct. It's a one-month summer league I both coach in AND organize with towns in the area I live in. It's intended as a less-intensive option than travel ball but more than just pick-up on weeknights. Aimed for the girls who want to play more softball but might not be able to afford/commit to the travel of TB, might not have gotten a lot of playing time during HS ball, things like that. I call it a "competitive development" league.

And my goal with these girls is to mainly focus on skills and prepardness - I'm not looking at wins/losses whatsoever because I want to see what the girls can/can't do. It's just hard when their focus isn't all there, then I don't know if they can't do something legitimately, or if they can and just aren't taking it seriously.

 

[bmakj]

That's correct. It's a one-month summer league I both coach in AND organize with towns in the area I live in. It's intended as a less-intensive option than travel ball but more than just pick-up on weeknights. Aimed for the girls who want to play more softball but might not be able to afford/commit to the travel of TB, might not have gotten a lot of playing time during HS ball, things like that. I call it a "competitive development" league.

And my goal with these girls is to mainly focus on skills and prepardness - I'm not looking at wins/losses whatsoever because I want to see what the girls can/can't do. It's just hard when their focus isn't all there, then I don't know if they can't do something legitimately, or if they can and just aren't taking it seriously.

at 16u possibly ask the girls, as a group, what their goals are for the season.

 

[gdc03120]

That seems reasonable to me. With having such a diversity of players and abilities on this team (with respect to age, location, skills, etc.), every girl likely has a different goal for themself, but I'd be curious as to what their goal for the actual TEAM is for our summer season (short and quaint as it may be).

Side note: 13 of 15 girls all play for the same school, and their modified/varsity programs are not good in the slightest. I'm using this to try and help them with proper techniques and game knowledge to supplement what they are not getting from the school during the spring/HS season. Not tooting any horns or anything, but I've had a few parents and even 2-3 girls come to me and say, "Thank you - they never mentioned X, Y, and Z in our school practices" - X, Y, Z have included getting solid leads on pitches, backing up fly balls in the outfield, even proper mechanics on throwing (I have some girls who wing an infield throw sidearm like a frisbee). So I'm trying to do what I can to assist and bring them to a solid overall foundation so they can feel good about how they play (more than they do now).

 

[CoachYodaD]

Ok. 2 hours and you have a couple of parents who can run drills.

Goal: Multiple quality reps in a short period of time.
The key is putting in a drill that adds competition.

Here is how it could work.
Equipment needed: 2 tees, two bownets, three hula-hoops.
Set-up: One T per net. Three hula-hoops in front of home plate.
Stations: Any type of T hitting drill on the T. Bunting into the hula-hoops. Base running off a bunted ball.

Now, the competition is the bunting station. Here you track the number of successes and those that are successful get to remain at that station.

Everyone starts at station 1 (First T). They must demonstrate five successful to move to station 2 (Second T). They must demonstrate five successful to move to Bunt station. Bunt station gets one pitch to drop the ball in any of the three hula-hoops placed in an arc in front of home plate. Each time a bunt is laid down, success or failure. If successful, she stays at first and waits for the next bunter. If failed, she continues to run all the way to the foul pole, then she returns to station 1. If successful, she reads the ball down on the next bunter and runs to third, then she returns to the bunt station.

Parents can watch for successful at each station. Remember, Sally doesn't move T stations until 5 successes. Give the winner of the bunt competition a sticker. I promise you, you will be surprised at how older kids really like stickers. Let them put it on their glove (except pitcher) or helmet. Doesn't have to be something fancy either. A small circle sticker with a B in it means she was the Master Bunter for the day.

Total time 15 - 20 minutes. Lots of quality work.

 

[gdc03120]

I definitely appreciate the idea(s) and love the competition aspect. For a lot of my drills/stations, I try to implement some kind of competition component because I know it drives the girls to perform. In my last practice, I did 3 sets of group work and it seems to work fairly well PROVIDED I can remember to stay on time (even going over by 5 minutes throws me off). My last practice (Sunday 5/23) had these stations:

Session A: Relay throwing (OF) and base running (1B, 1B and round, 2B)
Session B: 4 hitting stations - Bunting, weighted softballs, tee-work, and hitting with parachute belts
Session C: Basic infield plays (INF) and outfield ground balls/fly balls (OF)

Each station I try to implement some kind of competition ("See if you can hit all 12 slugs" or "Be the fastest person to 2B" or "Who can bunt the most softballs back at my feet", etc.) It does seem to fire them up pretty quickly WHEN they are able to do the drill - I have a lot of younger girls who have never bunted, so I have to teach them that BEFORE I can make it competitive, etc. But I am trying to get more quality work in less time.

This coming weekend with the holiday weekend, I traditionally hold an "optional" practice - doesn't count against any girls who can't make it by being away - but it does let me work with smaller groups of players on individualized things: Maybe the girl I saw who does need more bunting work, or the girl I want to get more reps on the mound, etc.

 

[jdint]

This is going to sound really dumb, but from being around a lot of different team practices, one thing I've noticed that keeps girls energy up (no experience with boys) is to have some fairly high energy music playing in the background.

It seems a bit counterintuitive, since you are there to practice not jack around, but I'm guessing it is akin to listening to music when you are working out. Yes, you will get a bit of dancing and singing going on, but I from my "limited" experience, I think the pros will out weigh the cons in your specific situation.

 

[QueueCT]

DD is guesting on a 14U team while the second year players have to sit out club during high school season. The coach holds two practices a week, one 2 hour practice for the entire team and 3 consecutive 45 minute practices with 3-4 girls each. Allows for position specific practice, gives some of the less capable girls specific skill training that the other girls don't need, etc. I've found it to be fairly effective.