A Season Long Youth Baseball Practice Plan
Start with fundamentals. Shift toward game situations as games get close. Let the games tell you what to add.
A season long baseball practice plan starts with fundamentals, because players show up at very different levels. Game situations ramp up as the season gets close and keep going through the year. Add drills as your games dictate, and keep one practice setup the whole way.
How the year runs
Start with fundamentals
Some kids played all fall and winter. Some haven’t picked up a ball since June. Start where the group is.
Add game situations
They pick up as the season gets close, and they stay in the mix all year.
Let the games decide
Add the drills you need as the games dictate.
Missing cutoffs all game? There’s a drill for that.
Runners taking extra bases on you? There’s a drill for that too. Note what went wrong in the game, and make it a skill block at your next practice. Then you’re working on the real problem.
See the practice plansStart where the kids are
You’ll see both in the same line. The plans here start every drill on its easier version and move up when it’s clean, so one practice works for both.
Keep one setup all season
One setup, from the first practice to the last. Only the drills change.
I don’t assume how often your team practices. Some teams practice more often than others, so use the plans as guides and fit them to your schedule. The free Draw It Up sheet gives you room to sketch your next practice.
Common questions
What should I practice early in the youth baseball season?
Fundamentals. Some kids have played all fall and winter and some haven’t touched a ball since June, so catching, throwing, and ready positions come first.
When do I add game situations?
As games get close, and throughout the year after that. I start situations at 9U. If you have an advanced 8U team that’s kid pitching, go for it. Here’s how I think about it.
How do I know what to work on mid season?
Let the games tell you. If you keep missing cutoffs, run a cutoff drill at the next practice. There’s a drill for that.
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.