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By: Ken Eriksen Originally Published in: Practice Perfect Softball - NFCA Provided by: Human Kinetics In softball (as in baseball), monotonous, repetitive teaching is what we do. The aspect of fun is incorporated in the successes that each player is achieving. I am not saying that we can't have a fun approach to teaching, but we are seriously teaching repetitive skill work as we go through the season. The plays (hit and runs, sacrifice bunts, squeezes, slap and runs, bunts for a hit, and so on) are different, but the process of getting the bat to the ball doesn't vary much. So with that in mind, you again need to plan a progression of objectives to accomplish through the process. Whether you are working on hitting the ball to the opposite field, hitting more ground balls, whatever you need to assess your team's performance and talk to your players about accomplishing the tasks together. As mentioned earlier, the fun part comes in accomplishing the objectives. At the same time we are dealing with young people. So how can you as a creative coach incorporate fun into your batting practice? The following suggestions can help. Music Listening to music during batting practice and even dancing between tasks is not a sign of a lack of focus among your athletes. The thought process of lack of focus probably originated from coaches who never played beyond high school. An example of this is the pregame music played at major league baseball games and college games (baseball and softball). Let your players create the playlist and you will find that they are a little more energized during batting practice. It will help them eliminate the distractions of game day and focus on the task at hand. Plus, you may even find that you like the music of the younger generation. Competitive Games In baserunning decision making and scoring on bunts, how successful were your players? Establishing teams to go through the entire BP can enhance competitiveness. Competitive games with consequences can help your team develop intensity. A reward system helps them understand that success creates a positive outcome while the vice versa is also true. Some examples of rewards will be given in the next section. These games and challenges also make practice more fun as players' cheer for each other. Develop a point system for each game and each task you want to emphasize. Rewards Whether you reward your players by giving them extra swings or allowing the winners to do something special, offering an incentive heightens competition. I recognize that not everyone reading this book and this chapter has the resources or the personnel that we have on our teams in college or the national team programs. But the beautiful part of coaching is learning how to be creative within your system to be effective, efficient, and successful with your team. Good luck! |
Keeping Practice Fun
