Tips for Coaches- Keeping Practice Fun and Effective
Learn how to coach effectively while still having fun
A lot of beginner coaches become so concerned with just getting through a practice that they forget to try and make the practice fun and enjoyable for the players. Obviously you want your team to work hard and develop good skills and technique, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t also have fun and enjoy their time on the practice field. Here are a few ideas for developing a practice routine that is both fundamentally effective and enjoyable.
When your players arrive, try to add some variety to their warm-up time as they prepare to practice. Instead of just having the team stretch in place and run laps, incorporate a game from time to time just to keep things fresh and fun. Start them out with a short game of wiffle ball, dodge ball, or freeze tag, or split up the team into groups and have a relay race or throwing contest.
Once you have finished warm-ups and are ready to get down to business, make sure that you aren’t simply wearing out the same boring drills over and over. If every practice is a repeat of simple fielding drills and batting practice, players are going to quickly lose interest and stop focusing on actually improving their skills. The best way to keep players interested while also making sure they are developing their talents is to mix up a variety of interesting drills and never do the same thing 2 days in a row. Use fast-paced drills that involve the whole team or break up the team into 2 groups and have them compete against one another in a drill. They will enjoy the friendly competition and the fast tempo will be similar to an in-game situation.
Also, make sure to always end practice on a good note. Don’t chastise players for the mistakes they have made or lecture them on what they need to do better. Instead, play a short scrimmage game and let the players enjoy themselves. In addition to developing their own skills, they will be able to note any problems in their teammates’ game and offer some constructive advice. Encourage the players to enjoy themselves and work together. Once they come to appreciate everything that they are getting out of this sort of practice, they will start looking forward to it every day.