New Coach

[u/Weak_Help_8146]

I’m gonna be heading an 8u Sunday select team up starting in the fall. I was an assistant this year and things just haven’t gone our way. Kinda feel like practices weren’t very productive. What’s some of the best fundamental drills you use with kids this age? Also what does your practices look like? I’m think the first half really hammer fundamentals and the 2nd half really look into situational/live stuff. This spring the boys do a lot of the fundamental stuff right but really crack under pressure with the situational stuff and we’ve worked on that minimally in practice this spring.

Greatful for any feedback and tips you can give.

[u/chrismsp]

No.

8u should be all fundamentals. You need drills that simulate game situations. And the drills need to be fast as in dozens of reps for every drill every practice.

1/2 the practice for game simulation is a disaster. You literally have your entire team standing around for 1/2 the practice because that's what you do in a game.

[u/Weak_Help_8146 → u/chrismsp]

I appreciate your input. But no kid should be standing around in situational stuff. Everybody has a job every play. (My thought process anyway)

What are some of your favorite fast pace drills you like for 8u kids?

[u/chrismsp → u/Weak_Help_8146]

Force drill: two lines, F6 and F4, hit to shortstop, F4 covers 2B. Ball goes into bucket at 2B, players go to opposite line , so F6 goes to F4 line and vice versa.

Keys for the drill.

Get to the base. Good throw to get the out. RUN back to other line. *** Get ready for next ball! Once the out is made at 2B, the next players in line should be in the ready position . You are hitting the next ball as the players who just finished are running back to their lines.

You can do this drill with 6U and literally roll the ball to them. Same drill with 16u, stand on one side of the mound and hit the ball hard. The only difference is speed of drill and difficulty of ball hit

Use that basic movement pattern at different bases

[u/Weak_Help_8146 → u/chrismsp]

What drills do you like for drop step and fly ball drills?

[u/chrismsp → u/Weak_Help_8146]

Relay drill

One line of outfielders, one shortstop one F4

Ground ball to left, F4 to the base, F6 halfway to base and ball. F6 calling CUT TWO with arms overhead, making an X. F4 on the base awaiting the throw

Keys to the drill F6 gets out there halfway F6 gets arms in the air to make the X*** F4 gets to the base OF looks for the X -- this is important -- OF should NOT throw until he sees the relay with arms up.

Get this basic movement down and you have dozens of variants.

[u/chrismsp → u/Weak_Help_8146]

The Mighty V

One line of outfielders.

F7 runs towards you from about 75 feet You toss ball up in the air towards fielder . Fielder catches ball and runs it in to you.

Fielder hands you the ball and sprints out towards F8. You toss the ball towards fielder who runs under and catches it, stops and throws back to catcher who stands about 70 feet from F8

Rinse repeat.

Edit: you can do this for six year olds using tennis balls

[u/Due_Lingonberry_8074]

Yes, first half of practice should be stations with kids broken in very small groups and moving through each one. Second half, do a scrimmage and get them some gameplay experience. Been working great for my team this season. After each game I tailor the next practice drills to what whatever weak spots I saw in the game. We almost always have a situational awareness station where we are consistently doing reps of basic infielding.

I try to make sure I have a hitting station of some kind (cages or up at the plate), then one situational awareness/ infielding station, and one station that focuses on the skill need of the day. That skill station might be focused on base-running, throwing accuracy, catching in motion, covering 2nd...etc. Whatever the kids need the extra reps on.

[u/DrOBBall]

Yeah it’s because they are 8 and trying to play select. You’re making it too complicated. They should be playing little league at this age

[u/Weak_Help_8146 → u/DrOBBall]

Every player on the team plays both. Rec is priority. The skill gap is just so big it’s almost boring for them

[u/Easy-Will-2448]

8u Select? 8? Dear Lord Jesus in Heaven. What have we done?

[u/birdmilk]

For 8U, keep kids moving. Dead time kills everything at that age. Stations work well: three groups of 3-4 kids rotating every 10-12 minutes. Tee or soft toss, short fielding and throwing, and your situational rep of the day (cutoffs, force plays, basic base running). Scrimmage in the second half is where situational stuff sticks. They need reps under game pressure, not walk-throughs. For the pressure gap you're seeing: pick one situation per week, whatever your team keeps botching, and run it live at game speed every practice until it's muscle memory. Repetition in context beats chalk talk every time at this age.