Practice Plan A
Fundamentals emphasis: throwing mechanics and fielding. Ten players, four groups never bigger than three. Recruit 2–3 parent helpers before the first whistle.
0:00–0:12 Active Warm-Up
Cone Chase (5 min). Cones in a big square. Kids jog the perimeter while a coach calls movements every 20–30 seconds: high knees, bear crawls, frog jumps, backwards run, side shuffles.
Partner Toss Progression (7 min). Pairs, 10 feet apart, safety balls. Start on knees to isolate the arm, then stand. This is throwing instruction disguised as warm-up.
Today's two cues (only two — repetition beats variety):
Make a TStep to your friendStation 1 Tee Hitting Lanes
4 tees facing a fence or open outfield so all kids swing at once — zero waiting. 5 swings each, then everyone sprints to collect balls (conditioning in disguise).
Squash the bugFreeze your finishStation 2 Alligator Grounders
Coach rolls grounders from 15 feet. Fielder chomps, then throws to a bucket or parent target.
Alligator chompButt down, hands out frontProgression for week 3+: roll balls slightly left/right so kids learn to shuffle their feet to the ball instead of reaching.
Station 3 Throwing Accuracy — "Knock the Cone"
Stack cones on a bucket 15–20 feet away. Kids take turns trying to knock cones off with a throw. Each kid tracks their own knockdowns. Every throw uses the full motion — no darts from the ear.
Point and pullReach in the cookie jarStation 4 HIGH ENERGY — "Clean Your Room"
Split the group across a cone line, dump balls everywhere. On "GO," kids throw (never kick) balls to the other side for 60 seconds. Fewer balls on your side wins. Rest 30 seconds, repeat 5–6 rounds.
Sneak in "step to your target!" mid-chaos. It's pure throwing volume disguised as mayhem.
0:60–0:75 Team Fundamentals: Baserunning School
- Run-throughs at first (5 min): whole team lines up at home, sprints through first base. Cue: "Run through the base, look right." Never leap at the bag.
- Home-to-second (5 min): teach the banana turn — round first by bending the path out slightly. Put a cone 6 feet outside the baseline as their turn marker.
- Freeze-tag leads (5 min): kids stand on first, coach simulates a pitch; they take two shuffle steps and freeze. Coach tries to catch anyone moving. Giggles guaranteed, fundamentals installed.
0:75–0:90 Team Game: "Race the Ball"
Coach pitches (tee available for anyone struggling — never let a kid whiff 10 times). Batter hits and runs as far as possible while the defense fields and relays the ball to a bucket at home. One point per base beaten. Everyone bats; team total tries to beat last practice's score — kids vs. their own record, never kid vs. kid.
Practice Plan B
Fundamentals emphasis: swing mechanics and catching the ball. Same structure, fresh drills, so the week never feels repeated.
0:00–0:12 Active Warm-Up
Follow the Leader (5 min). Coach leads a snake path through cones: skips, lunges, karaoke steps, spins. Let a different kid lead the last lap each practice — instant buy-in.
Self-Toss & Catch (7 min). Each kid tosses a safety ball to themselves: catch at the chest, then above the head, then after one clap, then after two. Builds soft hands with zero lines.
Today's two cues:
Watch it into the gloveTwo hands, thumbs together (high ball)Station 1 Tee Progression — "Level the Table"
4 tees at the fence. First 3 swings normal; then the coach holds a second ball just above and behind the tee ball — the swing must miss the top ball and hit the tee ball. Kills the chop, builds a level path.
Hit the back of the ballBelly button to the pitcherStation 2 Soft-Toss Front Flip
Coach kneels behind an angled screen or safely off to the side, flips balls underhand from the front-side. 5 swings each, sprint-collect together. This is the bridge from tee to coach pitch — moving ball, easy speed.
Hands to the skySquash the bugStation 3 Catch School — Bounce & Fly
Parent helper tosses: 3 one-hoppers, 3 chest-height, 3 easy pop-ups per turn. Teach the two hand positions: fingers up above the belt, fingers down below it.
Fingers to the skyFingers to the grassStation 4 HIGH ENERGY — "Ballpark Beat the Clock"
Scatter 12 balls in a coned zone. The group has 45 seconds to field every ball cleanly (alligator chomp!) and sprint it back to a bucket. Balls thrown in from distance count double. Beat the clock, then beat your own time next round. 5 rounds.
0:60–0:75 Team Fundamentals: Catch School (Whole Team)
- Partner catch ladder (8 min): pairs start 8 feet apart. Three clean catches in a row = each takes one big step back. Drops reset you one step forward, not to zero — keep it hopeful.
- Coach pop-up circus (7 min): coach lofts easy pop-ups; kids call "MINE! MINE! MINE!" three times before catching. Installs communication before it ever matters in a game.
0:75–0:90 Team Game: "Home Run Derby Relay"
Split into two teams. Coach pitches 3 balls to each batter; points for contact (1), past the infield cones (2), past the outfield cones (3). While one team hits, the other fields — every ball returned to the bucket before the next batter earns the fielding team a point too. Both sides are playing every second.
Fundamentals
Every coach uses the same words. Pick a maximum of two cues per skill per practice — a 7-year-old can hold two ideas, not five. Demo for 15 seconds, then reps.
Throwing
Full motion every throw, even at short distance. Knees first, then standing.
Make a T Show me your muscle Point and pull Step to your friend Reach in the cookie jarHitting
Athletic stance, level path, full finish. Celebrate hard contact, ignore where it lands.
Hands to the sky Squash the bug Belly button to the pitcher Hit the back of the ball Freeze your finishFielding Grounders
Move the feet to the ball. Glove touches the dirt before the ball arrives.
Alligator chomp Butt down, hands out front Feet first, then gloveCatching
Two hand positions solve almost everything at this age.
Fingers to the sky (above belt) Fingers to the grass (below belt) Watch it into the glove Mine, mine, mine!Baserunning
Sprint everything. Bases are for stepping on, not leaping at.
Run through first, look right Banana turn Find your coachFuture Lessons
Reserved space. As new drills come from Claude or other sources, add a card here so the cue language stays in one place.
Coming soonCoach's Corner
How we run every practice, no matter which coach holds the whistle.
No line longer than 3 kids. Standing equals misbehaving. If a line forms, split the drill or add a target.
15-second talks. Name it, demo it, rep it. If a coach has been talking for a minute, six kids are gone.
Two cues per skill per practice. Same words from every coach — the cue library is the source of truth.
Water breaks are rotations. Sip on the sprint between stations. No scheduled standing around.
Kids vs. their own record. Team scores and beat-the-clock games, never kid vs. kid rankings.
End with the huddle. Team cheer plus a Player of the Day for hustle or effort — never talent. Rotate so everyone earns it by season's end.
Parent helpers assigned before warm-up. Minimum two: one at a fielding/catching station, one shagging balls at hitting.
Adding Future Lessons
To keep this hub current as new lessons arrive, add each new drill using this format so any coach can run it cold:
Drill name ·
Station or team block ·
Time ·
Setup (equipment + spacing) ·
The 2 cues ·
How it scores or ends
If a drill can't be explained in that format, it's probably too complicated for 7–8 year olds. Simplify it or save it for next season.
Weekly Rhythm
Practice A (Day 1): throwing + fielding emphasis. Practice B (Day 2): hitting + catching emphasis. Together they cover every fundamental twice per week without a single kid noticing they were "doing fundamentals."
Every 3–4 weeks, swap one station in each plan for a new drill to keep the veterans surprised. The warm-ups, cue words, and huddle never change — routine is what makes the chaos feel safe.