Preseason Baseball

It is almost that time of year again, baseball season if just around the corner, I know everyone here is as excited as I am. With that being said I have a few questions for the great minds here on TBR. I coach middle school baseball, we have no weights at our school so I was wondering what suggestions you men have about conduction a preseason workout schedule. Obliviously running, throwing, and hitting: but I would like to get more in depth than that. What type of running (miles, wind sprints, etc…), how many times per week? What type of throwing routine? Should I throw to the kids or just evaluate them in the cage? How long should I work on defense compared to the other facets of the game? Thanks in advance for all the great information I know you all will provide!

Thanks
Coach Crock

 

there are 7 innings, therefore 21 outs your team has to get each game. You can win with 1 run... WORK ON DEFENSE!

 

Ha ha

Gman , I bet your son is a pitcher! Ha ha.

Throw strikes. Make the routine plays on a routine basis. Put the ball in play and swing at strikes. That will go a long way right there.

Oh , and have better players than the team your playing.

 

and he played shortstop!

 

And

I remember seeing him play it very well. He can swing it as well.

Coach
At this level I would focus on the following.

Practice
Teach them how to properly stretch before practice starts with a good dynamic stretching routine.

Throw with a purpose to warm up and work on proper throwing mechanics. This is not warming up for practice this is one of the most important parts of practice. Teach them throwing mechanic drills and how to properly throw and catch the baseball at the same time.

Keep them all busy all the time.

Have a practice schedule everyday and stick to it.

#1 Stretching
#2 Throwing and Catching practice

#3- Posistion play
Outfield posistion play - Have them all for a specific amount of time work on the fundementals of outfield play. How to drop set and cross over - how to get behind the fly ball and work back to it - etc etc.

#4- Inf posistion play - Proper fielding mechanics - the proper way to approach ground balls and how to play through the baseball - how to set up the throw and use proper momentum on all throws - etc etc.

#5- Pitching - Basic pitching mechanics with a serious focus on how to throw strikes and change speeds on the fastball.

#6 - Catching - Basic catching mechanics with a serious focus on how to properly receive the baseball.

#7- Hitting - Bunting

#8- Baserunning - Primary leads - Secondary leads - How to actually run the bases without having to rely on a coach to tell them what to do when they should be able to learn what to do.

Team related practice
Cut plays
Bunt Defense
1st and 3rd Defense
PFP
Defensive situations

I dont know how much help you have or how much time you have for practice but I think its important to teach the fundementals of the game. The most important thing you can do for these players is to give them a solid base in the fundementals of throwing , catching , fielding and hitting. I think its important to teach them all the basic fundementals of outfield and infield posistion play. And its important that they learn the proper way to run the bags , a basic understanding of cut plays , bunt defense.

A good practice schedule for example.

Dynamic Stretching
Throwing and catching practice
Inf posistion play
Inf specific posistion play. Mif with Mif / Corners with Corners
Pitchers with Pitchers / Catchers with Catchers - While non pitchers and non catchers are conditioning
Hitting drills / Bunt drills
Baserunning
Conditioning

You can rotate from day to day

The next day focus on team related baseball practice working on cut plays , bunt defense , bunt offense , and defensive situations.

Never have any down time for anyone. While teaching kids to get on and off the field in the proper manner you can use this as part of your conditioning. This is just one example. But my focus would be on teaching them how to play the game and how to properly hit , bunt , throw , catch , field , and baserunning.

 

I Would Add...

...begin with the end in mind. Back up one step and determine what your goals for your team are this year. Make them simple and concise. Communicate this to the team in such a manner that there is no confusion about what this season is about. Then the training aspect adds validity to the goals.

All of the advice so far is great for MS ball... but I would add a regimine of core training. MS kids are notoriously "soft".

 

Good points Diesel

Never let your desire to win become more important than your desire to teach.

 

Yes

I realized this the hard way last year in my first year as a teacher. I became so consumed in winning games that I lost sight of the fact at this level winning really is not important. I want to be able to give these kids a solid foundation of basic skills so that they can be prepared for the game of baseball at the high school level. If we win the conference don't get me wrong I will be happy, but I will not place so much emphasis on that this season. My goal is to one day be a high school head coach, and I would be pleased if my feeder program developed the basics so I would not have to teach them the skill in the 11th and 12th grade.

 

Coach

I can not tell you how much I wish more coaches had that same attitude. One of the best things a HS program can have going for it is a great Middle School coach sending him players that have been properly coached in the fundementals of the game. Good luck coach. Let me know if there is ever anything I can do to help you out.

 

Teach them the fundamentals and teach them ho to play the game. To get players from a feeder program that are fundamentally sound will make for a better program throughout the program your school feeds into. And if you gain the reputation that you develop fundamentals and are an effective teacher of the game, then you might find that you reach your goal of being a high school head coach in a more timely fashion. Like Coach May, if I can help you in any way,feel free to contact me.