Your First Youth Baseball Practice as a New Coach
Show up with a plan, and keep it simple.
For your first youth baseball practice, show up with a plan. Keep it simple: ready positions, how to hold the ball, and how to swing. At 6U tee ball, that is plenty. Pick a sample plan, choose what you enjoy, and coach it with energy.
I was the dad who showed up with a bucket and no plan.
I kept looking at the assistant coaches for help. I wish I’d realized how much a plan would help. From then on, I knew.
I’m a volunteer coach and a working parent, and I’m no expert. A plan is how I show up ready.
Keep the first practice small
Ready positions
How to hold the ball
How to swing
At 6U tee ball, that was plenty. Do a few things well. You don’t have to teach the whole game on day one.
Find what you enjoy
Use the sample plans here and find what interests you. What you enjoy, you’ll coach with energy, and the kids respond to that.
Your league may call these ages T-ball, coach pitch, farm, or rookie. If you’re not sure what 8U or 10U means, start here.
Print it. Fill it in.
90 Minute Practice Plan
A timed plan that fills the whole practice.
Dugout Lineup Card
Stop doing playing time math in your head.
Common questions
What do you do at the first youth baseball practice?
Keep it simple. Teach ready positions, how to hold the ball, and how to swing. At 6U, that’s plenty for the day.
What if I’ve never coached before?
Start with a plan so you aren’t making it up on the field. I showed up to my first season with a bucket and no plan. I wish I’d realized how much a plan would help.
How long should my first practice be?
I plan 60 minutes for 6U to 8U. Here’s the full breakdown by age.
Print it. Fill it in. Show up with a plan.
Get a blank timed practice plan, a sheet to sketch your own drills, a dugout lineup card, and one full infield drill. Free, and ready to print.