Coach Pitch Practice Plans

The following are the practice plans utilized by Coach Jeremy Stefanek during his 9 seasons of coaching for FOVLL in the Coach Pitch division.  They are proven plans that are easily adjustable to meet your needs.  There is also a list of items he used at each practice . Most of these are not provided by the league and not mandatory but have been found to be useful.

Useful Items/Gear

  1. Buckets for each player with their name on them. This is very important for use during practices AND games.
  2. 90' rope or tape measure marked with a piece of tape at 60'.  This is used to quickly measure base distances when not on a baseball field and to play a great game called Natti Ball. 
  3. A portable net to hit baseballs into (not mandatory but they are also great to set up at home to practice).
  4. Tennis balls.  Lots of tennis balls.  They are a really great way to teach a player to catch with 2 hands and to work on pop flies.

Practice Plans

Tips & Tricks

  • MOST IMPORTANT - During practices only, every parent on your team is a coach in this division.  Teach them how to teach the players.
  • Coaches/Parents never chase badly thrown balls.  You will find that when kids have to go get them every time they make a poor throw, their throws become much more accurate.
  • If you have more than one kid waiting during a drill then change your drill.  Kids should always be engaged and active.
  • Tell parents to put names on EVERYTHING.
  • Put names on buckets.  It helps you learn names and helps keep certain players separated if they have a tendency to be distracted by their buddy.
  • Always start practice on time, even if all players are not there.  Arrive early and let players who arrive early get extra hitting time with you.
  • If parents are watching your practice then they are helping.  I have pulled moms and dads in their business attire onto the field to help.  Set that expectation at the very beginning of the season.
  • If instructing any child, never give them more than 1 item to work on during any specific drill.  Too many coaches tell kids 3-5 things they are doing wrong, trying to correct it, but then you end up with a mess.  Just focus on one thing at a time.
  • As a coach you are going to pitch to your players.  NEVER throw lobs, rainbows, etc thinking because it is slower it will be easier to hit.  Faster pitches that are straight are much easier to hit than slow rainbows.  Backspin helps.
  • There is huge difference between 5 & 6 year olds.  Even 5 and 5.5 year olds.  The younger players make more mistakes, have a harder time listening and staying focused than older players.  That is age appropriate behavior and should be expected.  It is just a part of the game.  Baseball is hard and mistakes happen.