Practice Fields and Indoor Practice

(1) Plan it BEFORE bad weather forces you to do it. (2) Understand WHY you are doing it. You are not going to get much baseball instruction or practice done(at least not obviously.) the main purpose of the indoor scrimmage is FUN. Other less tangible benefits are that the kids get to know each other better in a relaxed low pressure setting, camaraderie and team-building. (3) Tell the kids your tentative plans for an indoor scrimmage, skull session, video, or whatever in the event of bad weather. Tell them at the start of the season so they(and their parents) won't be wondering whether or not there will be a practice the first time it rains. You can also tell them what they are expected to bring or wear in each scenario(tennies or cleats, catcher's gear, baseball uni, shorts or sweats, metal bat or plastic bat, etc.) (4) Using throwdown bases, scale your indoor infield to the size of the indoor facility. Get a double gym if possible. The regulation Little League diamond is 2/3 scale. Make your indoor diamond 1/3 scale. (5) Use full-size wiffle balls or ATEC balls. (6) Use plastic bats(principals and gym teachers get their panties in a wad when someone drops a metal bat on their hardwood gym floor.) (7) Discourage sliding. (8) Don't play barefooted or in socks(ouch!) (9) Gloves and mitts are optional(either everyone or no one.) (10) Divide the team into 4 teams. If you have 12 players, divide them into 4 teams of 3 each. If you have and odd number of players, dads or coaches can fill in. One team bats while the other 3 teams field until they retire the side with 3 outs. Then the batting team goes into the field(into the outfield or let the kids work it out) while another team(C, P, 1B?) comes to bat. If you only have 3 players batting and they load the bases, let the kids figure it out. They can pull a runner to bat, let a coach bat, or whatever they come up with. Each team keeps its own score. I let the kids decide what the losing team is going to do for the winning team.

Remember! Don't expect anything out of this but a lot of fun. You should be surprised by the unexpected benefits for your team.