General Team Structure & Practice Outline
Planning a structured organization & practices are probably the most important and beneficial tasks you will perform while managing/coaching a team. The time you put in to these tasks will allow your team to be successful and allow you and your coaching staff to be efficient. The following outlines are tools that may be used in planning your team’s organization and practices.
These tools are not intended to be “the only way” to do things. They are meant to provide you with guidelines on how you might structure your team. You will probably find that you’d prefer to run your team and practices using your own style. This is perfectly fine and you are free to take components of any of these reference tools and modify or adapt them to your style.
There are also many other points of reference when it comes to coaching a team. The internet makes it very easy to locate a lot of different types of drills and formats that you can use during your practices. Along with these sources our league provides several experienced coaches and board members that can assist you as needed.
Please remember that managing and/or coaching a team within GSLL is meant to be a good experience for everyone that is involved. Most importantly, keep in mind the impression and the example that we as managers, coaches, parents, and board members are giving to our players. We should always strive to give them the best learning and athletic experience that they can carry forward in their lives and communities.
The league also provides a website which contains a master schedule and team rosters along with many other forms of information. You may use this website to customize your team’s calendar as well as post pictures for everyone to see.
The link is: http://azgsll.org/
You should also be fully aware of the local rules which supersede the Little League rules. These rules are subject to change. Therefore, you should get the latest revision from the League Documents section of the website at the beginning of the season.
The link is: http://azgsll.org/Documents.asp?n=60648&snid=eOK%40%5B1O4%5F&org=azgsll.org Table of contents
Doc. 1 - The Gilbert Softball Little League hierarchy provides a clear path used for general questions, issue reporting and/or resolution, and escalation when necessary. The majority of questions and concerns will be fielded and resolved by your division director. The division director will bring any questions or concerns to the league’s board as necessary.
Doc. 2 - The initial team meeting outline lists items you should consider covering and discussing with the players, parents and coaches early in the season. This will set the framework for your team as well as provide a forum for assigning responsibilities. During this discussion you should inform the team of the expectations set forth by the league and you in terms of how to conduct themselves.
This initial meeting will also allow you to solicit assistance from the parents. The assistance needed will include two coaches (in addition to the team manager), assistance coaches that will help during non-game meetings such as practices, scrimmages, etc., and team parent(s) to help with communications, coordinating events, score keeping during games, snack schedules, end of the season celebrations.
Doc. 3 – This table illustrates the different tasks & responsibilities that will be carried out during a normal season. It may be used to assist in planning and delegating ownership. Assigning ownership throughout the team will greatly increase the efficiency while decreasing the amount of work set upon any one individual.
Doc. 4 - The practice outline options provides a listing of most commonly used areas of training. It may be used as reference in planning practices for your team. It is a fairly inclusive list and is not meant to be covered in one practice period. Rather, you should select the specific area (in fielding, out fielding, batting, etc) to be focused on for a given practice period and then decide which drills will be used to work on those areas.
Doc. 5 – The weekly practice planner & the practice detail forms are examples of how you may structure & plan practices for a day, a week, or weeks depending on your preference. You will find that you and your team will arrive to the practice field with ease of mind knowing exactly what is in store during your next practice period(s).
Notes:
Use of stations with multiple coaches maximizes participation while minimizing down time.
Some of the drills may be run simultaneously by using different parts of the practice field.
For example: Try allowing the pitcher(s) and catcher(s) to warm up & practice using the pitcher’s mound & home plate while you practice in fielding and/or out fielding. Then rotate the players to allow everyone a chance to work on different field positions Doc. 1 GSLL Hierarchy
Doc. 2 Initial Team Meeting Discussion Points
1. Introductions Coaching staff Players 2. Schedules Practices Games 3. Uniforms What’s provided? What’s needed? Jersey sizes & numbers 4. Position selection Process Retaining positions 5. Need for pitchers & catchers
6. Expectations Coaches *hustle *be on time *cell phones *have a good time *100% effort *communication 7. Web site What it will be used for
8. Team sponsor league requirement
9. Field assistance Home – prep field Visitor – clean up field Parent participation 10. Need for a team parent Snack schedule Field assist schedule Score keeping 11. Practices – what will be covered? Basic training Throwing mechanics Sliding Batting Running 12. Player/parent conduct League’s position Consequences
13. Open forum Doc. 3 Team Responsibilities
Task Owner Conduct team meeting(s) Manager Enlist volunteers Manager, Coaches Structure practices Manager Run practices (stations, drills, etc.) Coaches, Manager Field preparation and cleanup Parents, Coaches, Manager Solicit sponsor Team parent, Coaches, Manager Team communications Manager, Coaches, Team parent Player position assignments Manager, Coaches Player line-up Manager, Coaches Score keeping Parents, Team parent, Coaches, Manager Game score & pitching results reporting Manager Team stretching & warm-ups Team leader, Coaches, Manager Distribute uniforms Team parent, Coaches, Manager Coordinate snacks Team parent, Coaches, Manager Coordinate celebration(s) Team parent, Coaches, Manager
The tasks listed above are not all inclusive and are meant as a guideline to assist in planning. The owners are listed in order of priority or preference. The assignments may be made to any of the owners listed. However, one individual must be identified as accountable for each task.
Doc. 4 Practice Outline Options Dynamic warm-up (10 to 15 minutes) Toes, heels, high knees, soldier kicks, lunges Circle-up: stretch, jumping jacks
Jog (pole to pole or around the field) Arm warm-up (10 to 15 minutes) Wrist flicks – one knee, 5 feet Long toss – standing, 35 – 60 feet Elbow flicks – one knee, 10 feet Relay Race Short toss – standing, 15 – 30 feet Base running (45 minutes) Leading off Pop-ups – Tagging up Delayed steal Sliding In fielding (45 minutes) 2 bucket drill Roll outs 4 corners drill Game situations Out fielding (30 minutes) Square throw Over the shoulder Pop flies Center, left & right to target Relay Grounders Batting (60 minutes) Instruction – Technique Batting to pitcher Stance, grip, arm position, head alignment Hit off tee Batting to coach pitch Batting to pitching machine Whiffle balls Bunting Soft toss Number ball Pitching & Catching (30 minutes) © Random pickup (P) Distance pitching (15, 30, 43, 50 ft) © Catcher’s abuse (P) Target practice © Mask toss (P & C) 15 reps (fast ball, change-up, rise ball) © Weighted ball toss Bases (15 minutes) Home to 1st Home to 3rd Home to 2nd Home to Home Doc. 5 Weekly Practice Planning Day 1: Pitching & Catching Base Running In fielding
Day 2: Pitching & Catching Base Running Out fielding Batting Conditioning (as time permits)
Day 3: Pitching & Catching Base Running In fielding
Day 4: Pitching & Catching Base Running Out fielding Batting Conditioning (as time permits)
Day 5: Pitching & Catching Base Running In fielding
Day 6: Pitching & Catching Specific needs Something fun
Doc. 5 cont. Practice Detail (day 1) Monday: Pitching & Catching Base Running In fielding
Dynamic warm-up (10 to 15 minutes) 7:00
Toes, heels, high knees, soldier kicks, lunges
Circle-up: stretch, jumping jacks
Jog (pole to pole or around the field)
Arm warm-up (10 to 15 minutes) 7:15
Wrist flicks – one knee, 5 feet Relay Race
Elbow flicks – one knee, 10 feet
Short toss – standing, 15 – 30 feet
Long toss – standing, 35 – 60 feet
Base running (45 minutes) 7:30 Leading off Delayed steal Pop-ups – Tagging up Sliding In fielding (45 minutes) 8:15 2 bucket drill 4 corners drill Roll outs Game situations Pitching & Catching 8:15 (C) Random pickup (P) Distance pitching (15, 30, 43, 50 ft) (C) Catcher’s abuse (P) Target practice (C) Mask toss (P & C) 15 reps (fast ball, change-up, rise ball) (C) Weighted ball toss Bases (5 minutes) End of practice
H to 1st, H to 2nd, H to 3rd, H to H
Doc. 5 cont. Practice Detail (day 2) Wednesday: Pitching & Catching Batting Out fielding Base Running Conditioning
Dynamic warm-up – abbreviated (5 to 10 minutes) 7:00
Toes, heels, high knees, soldier kicks, lunges
Circle-up: stretch, jumping jacks
Jog (pole to pole or around the field)
Batting (30 minutes) 7:15
Instruction – Technique Soft toss Stance, grip, arm position, head alignment Hit off tee Batting to coach pitch Whiffle balls Out fielding (30 minutes) 7:50 Square throw Pop flies Relay Grounders Pitching & Catching (30 minutes) 7:50 (C) Random pickup (P) Distance pitching (15, 30, 43, 50 ft) (C) Catcher’s abuse (P) Target practice (C) Mask toss (P & C) 15 reps (fast ball, change-up, rise ball) (C) Weighted ball toss Conditioning (30 minutes) 8:25
Auburn burn
Bases (5 minutes) End of practice
H to 1st, H to 2nd, H to 3rd, H to H