Youth baseball and softball

Practical tools for the volunteer coach.

For you, coach, trying to get it right is getting it right.

Need a practice in a pinch? All the tools

What works, why, and how.

What works: Games first. Drills where they help.
Why: Fun is the prerequisite. Kids who want to come back tomorrow get better.
How: Small-sided games. One cue at a time. Less coach talk.

Every claim cites a source or says it is uncertain. How kids actually learn

Something just happened?

A player is cryingWhat to say after the error. A parent is yellingSix words that help. A kid wants to quitThe top reason, and your part. The big game is comingThe nerves are ours, not theirs.

01On the fieldPhone in hand

Insta Measure: a true-size diamond with base and mound distances

Never pull out a tape measure again.

AR Strike Zone: size the zone to your hitter, then see it over the plate

Size it to your hitter. See it over the plate.

02In the cage

The Hit Window: where to hang cage targets so line drives score

Where to hang your cage targets.

Call Your Shot: ten balls, call your shot, score where it lands

Ten balls. Call it. Hit the target.

Back Pocket Card: circle the spot, draw the flight, write where you will hit it

Back Pocket Card

Where are you going to hit it? Draw it, say it, carry it.

03Game day

Lineup Builder: a five-inning lineup with positions by inning

Fair innings, done in minutes.

Pitch Tracker: tap ball or strike, see pitch count and strike percent

Balls and strikes. Tap it, watch the trend.

04Practice in a pinch

Practice in a Pinch: a 60-minute practice built from three taps, block by block with cues

Practice in a Pinch

Three taps. Tonight's practice, block by block.

Games Library: a game card with setup and how to run it

Games that teach the skill for you.

Practice Framework: a 60-minute plan split into play, skill, and technique blocks

Practice Framework

The shape of a practice, by age.

Not sure where to start?

Ages 4-6First years Ages 7-12Most rec teams Ages 13-15Travel, freshman Ages 16+Varsity and up

Testing ideas out loud

Field Notes

All Field Notes

You Can't Outrun the White Rabbit

Stories from the dugout

The Week Before

For the parent who coaches