Open Practice: Core Team Drills

with Leslie Huntington,
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Head Coach;
National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2021;
2008 NCAA Division III National Champions;
4x WIAC Coach of the Year;
2008 NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year;
former Simpson College Head Coach;
1997 and 1999 D-III National Champions at Simpson;
over 400 career wins

Running an effective team practice can be a challenge for even the most experienced coach. No coach wants to look around the field during their practice and see players standing around, not engaged with what's going on. Coach Huntington will show you some of her core team drills, highlighting both baserunning and defense, that will help get your whole team involved in practice.

Baserunning

Learn how to get better reads on batted balls to help your baserunners understand when to take an extra base and help your team score more runs! In a game-like drill called Far and Off Again, baserunners see how far they can get stretch off first base on a fly ball to the outfield. The goal is to make it a close play on their return to first base if the ball is caught. The closer the play at first, the better their read on the fly ball and the closer to the next base they will be if the ball is dropped.

Defensive Communication

Communication while on defense is the foundation of a solid team. It is vital to getting outs on defense because fielders have to know where to throw the ball and how to line up a cutoff (if needed) to prevent opposing runners from advancing. Huntington explains and shows how `silent practice' can actually lead to better communication afterward.

Rundowns

Rundowns are a fun and exciting part of the game. As a defender, when a rundown occurs, you have the opposing team and runner right where you want them: hung out to dry! Convert more rundowns into outs with Coach Huntington's rundown drill that will keep your whole team challenged and moving during practice.

Coach Huntington's drills can be put into your practices right away to help advance your team's baserunning and defense skills. This video is sure to sharpen your whole team!

37 minutes. 2021.