THE VOLUNTEER COACH KIT: PRACTICE PLANS FOR REC AND LITTLE LEAGUE

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Somebody had to coach the team, and now it is you. That is a good thing. Most rec, Little League and rec softball teams are coached by parents who are not baseball or softball experts, and the teams that have the best seasons are not always the ones with the most experienced coach. They are the ones with a coach who is organized, keeps kids moving and makes practice fun. This kit gives you the plan. Use it as-is or change it to fit your team, your field and your league.

Everything here works for baseball and softball. Where the two games differ, such as softball's windmill pitching, the size of the ball or base distances, follow your league's setup and adjust the drills so they fit.

Your first-week checklist

Do these things before your first practice or in the first few days. They prevent most of the problems volunteer coaches run into later.

Meet the parents

• Send a short welcome message to every family the day you get the roster.
• Schedule a 20–30 minute parent meeting at or before the first practice (an outline is below).
• Ask for helpers right away: an assistant coach or two, a team parent to handle snacks and messages, and someone to run the scorebook or game app.
• Find out if your league requires background checks or coaching training for helpers on the field, and get it done early.

Set expectations

• Write down your playing-time and position approach before anyone asks (see Game day basics below).
• Tell families what you expect: on time, ready to play, glove and water every practice, and a heads-up if they will miss.
• Tell families what they can expect from you: a practice plan every time, fair treatment and a schedule they can count on.

Gear

• Check what the league provides: helmets, catcher's gear, bases, balls, a first-aid kit.
• Inspect helmets and catcher's gear for cracks, missing padding or bad fit. Replace anything damaged.
• Bring extra balls. Practice goes faster with a bucket of balls than with three.
• Useful extras: a batting tee or two, cones, a few soft or reduced-impact balls for younger players, a small net, a whistle and a clipboard.
• Ask families to check that bats meet the league's bat rules before the first game.

Safety

• Collect emergency contacts and any medical information parents want you to know (allergies, asthma and so on).
• Know your league's rules for heat, lightning and weather, and know where the nearest exit route is for an emergency vehicle.
• Keep a charged phone and the first-aid kit at every practice and game.
• Helmets on for anyone hitting, on deck or running the bases. Catchers wear full gear, even at practice.
• Set up stations so nobody is swinging a bat near a group, and nobody is throwing toward the backs of other players.
• Never be alone with one child. Follow your league's safe-sport or child-protection policy.

A simple communication plan

• Pick one channel for team news (a team app, group text or email) and use only that one.
• Post the schedule for the season and update changes as soon as you know.
• Set a "24-hour rule": parents can talk with you about playing time or concerns, but not right after a game. Ask them to message you the next day.
• Send one short weekly message: what we worked on, what is coming up, one thing to practice at home.

How these practice plans work

All three plans follow the same simple ideas. If you understand them, you can build your own practices all season.

• Everybody moves. Lines of ten kids waiting for one ground ball are the biggest time-waster in youth sports. Split the team into small groups and rotate.
• Lots of reps. Kids get better by touching the ball over and over. Count how many swings and ground balls each player gets, and look for ways to double it.
• One teaching point per station. Young players can only think about one thing at a time. Pick it and repeat it.
• End with a competition. A short game or contest at the end gives practice energy and a reason to focus.
• Use your helpers. Each station needs one adult. Give helpers the plan in advance and tell them their single teaching point.

For a deeper look at what separates a good practice from a wasted one, read our guide on what a good youth baseball practice looks like.

Three ready-to-run practice plans

Times are a guide. If a station is going well, let it run a minute longer. If the kids are losing focus, move on. Group sizes assume a typical rec roster; with more players, add a station or make the groups bigger and shorten the rotation.

Plan A: 60 minutes, ages 6–8

At this age, the goal is fun, basic catching and throwing, and contact with the ball. Keep instructions very short and show rather than tell. Soft or reduced-impact balls are a smart choice for players still learning to catch.

Plan B: 75 minutes, ages 9–10

Players can handle a little more structure now. Start teaching simple game situations and give them a consistent warm-up routine they can learn to run themselves.

Plan C: 90 minutes, ages 11–12

Players at this age can practice more like a real team: position work, team defense and game situations. Keep stations small so batting practice does not turn into one kid hitting and twelve watching.

Softball notes for every plan

• Use the right-size ball for your league and age group, and softer training balls for beginners.
• Windmill pitching is its own skill. If you are not comfortable teaching it, keep pitchers working on basic mechanics with an experienced helper, and focus team practice on everything else.
• Adjust distances for throwing drills and base running to your league's field dimensions.
• Slapping and short-game skills can fit inside the hitting stations for older softball players if your league plays that way.

10 simple station drills

Mix and match these to build any station rotation. Each one works for baseball and softball and needs very little equipment.

1. Tee targets: hit off a tee into a net or fence with a target zone; players earn a point for every line drive into the zone.
2. Short front toss: an adult kneels behind a screen and tosses underhand from a short distance; the hitter focuses on solid contact.
3. Soft-toss from the side: tosses come from a 45-degree angle behind a screen; good for batch reps at a fence or net.
4. Rolled grounders, two-hand funnel: a partner rolls the ball; the fielder gets in front, glove down, and brings it to the belly with two hands.
5. Ground ball and throw: field a grounder, set the feet and make an accurate throw to a coach or partner at first base.
6. Pop-up and fly ball ladder: start with easy tosses, then higher throws or a tennis racket and tennis ball for safe, high fly balls.
7. Wall ball or rebounder catches: throw against a wall or rebounder and field the return; endless glove reps with no partner needed.
8. Run through first: sprint from home through the bag, look at the first-base coach, and break down safely past the base.
9. Rounding the base: take a turn at first like a single to the outfield, find the ball and either go or get back.
10. Catcher block and recover: with soft balls and full gear, catchers practice getting low on balls in the dirt and finding the ball fast.

Warm-up and throwing progression

A real warm-up comes before anyone throws hard. These are general guidelines for healthy youth players. If your league or a medical professional gives your team different guidance, follow it.

Warm-up (about 8–10 minutes)

• Light jog or a running game to raise body temperature.
• Moving stretches: high knees, butt kicks, walking lunges, side shuffles, skips, arm circles big and small.
• A couple of short sprints at less than full speed, then one closer to full speed.
• Skip long, held stretches before practice; save them for after if you use them at all.

Throwing progression (about 8–12 minutes)

1. Close and easy. Partners start close together. Focus on grip, pointing the glove side at the target and a smooth motion.
2. Step and throw. Add a step toward the target with the glove-side foot. Still easy effort.
3. Back up gradually. Move apart a few steps at a time as arms loosen. Accuracy matters more than distance.
4. Quick catch. For older players, finish with a short round of quick catch-and-throw to work on footwork and transfers.
5. Stop before arms get tired. Throwing should end while it still feels good. Sore or painful arms mean the player stops.

Game day basics

Lineup fairness

• At the rec level, most leagues use a continuous batting order where every player bats. If yours does not, rotate who leads off and who bats late so it evens out over the season.
• Keep a simple chart of innings played and positions for every player. It takes two minutes per game and it settles most playing-time questions before they start.
• Follow your league's minimum-play rules exactly. They are the floor, not the goal.

Positions

• Give every player a chance to learn several positions, especially in the infield. Young players get better faster when they learn the whole game.
• Put safety first. Catcher, pitcher and first base see the hardest throws and hit balls, so put players there only when they can protect themselves.
• Do not lock a player into the outfield all season. Rotate, and give every player real chances to make plays.

Keeping it fun

• Arrive with a plan for warm-ups so players are not standing around before the game.
• Coach before and between pitches, not while the ball is in play.
• Praise effort, hustle and good decisions out loud. Correct mistakes quietly and specifically.
• Keep the post-game talk short and positive, win or lose. Save the details for the next practice.

Arm care and pitch counts

Protecting young arms is one of your most important jobs as a coach. Most youth leagues, including Little League, have pitch-count and rest rules for pitchers. Follow your league's pitch-count rules every game, and keep an accurate count. Assign one adult to track pitches so the coach can focus on the game.

• Use our free Pitch Count Checker to look up typical limits and rest days by age, then check the result against your league's own rulebook.
• Rest days are part of the rule. Know who is available before the game starts.
• Do not have a player pitch and then catch in the same game, or catch a full game and then pitch, unless your league allows it and you are sure the player is fresh. Both put a lot of stress on the arm.
• Ask about other teams. A player who also pitches for a travel or school team may already have thrown this week.
• Softball pitchers need workload limits and rest too, even though the motion is different. Follow your league's guidance and watch for fatigue.
• If a player says their arm hurts, they are done for the day. Tell the parents, and recommend they see a medical professional if pain continues.

Parent meeting script outline

Keep the meeting to about 20–30 minutes. Hand out or send a one-page summary afterward so families who missed it get the same information.

1. Welcome and introductions (2 minutes). Who you are, why you volunteered, and who your helpers are.
2. Your goals for the season (3 minutes). For example: every player improves, everyone learns to be a good teammate, and kids want to play again next year.
3. How practice will run (3 minutes). Days, times, what to bring (glove, water, bat if they have one, helmet if the league allows personal helmets), and the stations approach.
4. Playing time and positions (4 minutes). Explain your rotation plan and the league's minimum-play rules. This is the most important part of the meeting.
5. Arm care (2 minutes). Explain that you follow the league's pitch-count rules and ask parents to tell you if their child is pitching for another team.
6. Communication (3 minutes). The one channel you will use, the 24-hour rule after games, and how to reach you.
7. Safety and emergencies (2 minutes). Weather rules, medical information, pick-up times and the league's safe-sport policy.
8. Ask for help (3 minutes). Assistant coaches, team parent, scorekeeper, snack schedule, field setup.
9. Parent sideline expectations (2 minutes). Cheer for everyone, let the coaches coach, and no coaching from the stands during the game.
10. Questions (5 minutes). Answer what you can. Write down anything you need to look up and follow up within a day.

Help players keep improving at home

Practice twice a week is not enough time for most kids to build skills. A few minutes of tee work, wall-ball catches or throwing with a parent on off days makes a real difference. If families on your team want a structured plan they can follow at home, 46/60 Academy offers youth player development for ages 7–12 covering hitting, fielding, throwing and more.

A final word for volunteer coaches

You do not need to know everything. You need a plan, a positive attitude and the willingness to keep kids moving. Players remember coaches who were fair, organized and made the game fun. If you do those things, your season will be a success no matter what the standings say.