How to Run a Youth Softball Practice

Video Transcript

"My name is Jill Weiss, and I'm going to tell you a few tips, on how to run a youth softball practice. First thing you want to consider is, depending on the seriousness, the competitiveness, of the team you're coaching, whether they are just beginning athletes, or they're twelve, fourteen, and under, pretty competitive traveling team. That's definitely a consideration, to think about, when you're coming up with different practice drills, and things like that, to run. With young athletes, especially just beginner athletes, you've got to make sure that you are always changing things up. Young kids get very antsy. They can't pay attention for a long period of time, and they also get bored very easily, so with softball, there's a lot of things that it's just monotonous, repetitive things, that has to be done, like perfecting the throw, perfecting the catch, fielding a ground ball, over, and over, and over, and over again. Those types of things, but with youth sports, game activities after doing drills, are always a good thing. Maybe coming up with a specific fielding game that they can do. Not necessarily where there's always a winner and a loser, but coming up with something to keep it interesting. Always keeping them moving, and with youth, with young athletes. Make sure there's not a lot of standing around either, because you've got to make sure the transition between one drill and the next drill, is continuous. Always make sure that you're giving a lot of water breaks, especially during the summer, especially when it's hot, where you're having these two, three hour practices. Give them a time to breathe. Give them a water break, then move on. My name is Jill Weiss, and those are just some tips on how to run a youth softball practice."