Week Four - Structure

Plan and organise the session.  Watch the videos

Stuck in the mud

Purpose

fast feet and spatial awareness

Have one or two taggers (depending on your group size). Once tagged the player must be Stuck in the Mud with their feet wide apart and arms out. Players can be freed by their team mates going under and through their legs. Players can’t be tagged when they are stuck in the mud or going under legs. Swap taggers regularly.

Base running

Purpose

To familiarise players with running around the bases.

Follow the leader

Have all the players follow the coach around the bases and call out the bases really loud as they run over them. Ensure they touch the bases with their feet. Do this with the group for three times around the bases

Base relay

Split the group up into two even teams with one team starting on 2nd Base and the other starting at home. Teams to run anti-clockwise around the bases – like normal base running. The front runner has a ball that they will give to the next runner in their line. First team with the ball back after everyone has run around the bases

Throwing - frogs in a pond

Purpose

Players all have a bean bag each to throw (their frog) into the hoop (pond). Players only throw on instruction from the coach. Once all the players have thrown their frogs, the coach calls GO and all players go and get a bean bag and back to the line. Go through a couple of times – each time breaking down the throw.

Week Five 

Cones up cones down

Purpose

To work together and keep eyes up

Lay half the cones upright and the other half on the sides. Split the group up into two - Cones Up and Cones Down. On coaches signal all the players run and place the cones in their teams way. Work for 1 minute then call stop – all players to leave the cones immediately and go and line up. The team with the most cones up or down wins! Go again for round two!

Sneak sneak show

Purpose

To encourage players to be ready to field the ball before it comes

Similar to What’s the Time Mr Wolf. Players line up on a line facing the coach. The coach faces away from the players and calls out “Sneak Sneak” the players will take one step for each ‘Sneak’. The coach will turn to face the players and call ‘Show’. The players will get into the ready position and ‘show’ their palms or inside of their gloves to the coach. Coach turns around and repeats the above. Once the players are familiar with moving their feet forward and being in the Monkeys Ready position, the coach can start randomly rolling a ball to players to see if they are ready.

Key words:  move your feet, monkeys ready, show your palms

Lollipop

Purpose

To familiarise players with the throwing technique

Set the tee with a ball on top about 5 meters out in front of the line of players. Players all have a ball each and on the coach’s instruction they all throw their ball to try and know the lollipop (ball) of the stick (tee). Safety: Ensure all players throw their ball and only on the coach’s instruction, once all balls are thrown, players can then run out and get their ball and come back to the line to try again.

Key phrases:  nose, toes, throws​​​​​​​

Week Six- Recognition

Praise effort and improvement over achievement.  Acknowledge each child at every training and provide unconditional support.

Stuck in the mud

Purpose

To learn the Ready Position and use two hands when the ball comes into their glove or hand.

Have one or two taggers (depending on your group size). Once tagged the player must be Stuck in the Mud with their feet wide apart and arms out. Players can be freed by their team mates going under and through their legs. Players can’t be tagged when they are stuck in the mud or going under legs. Swap taggers regularly.

Key words: eyes up, fast feet

Hungry crocodiles 

Purpose

To learn the ready position and use two hands when the ball comes into the hands or glove

Have the group form a circle around one player who is the hungry crocodile. Players have turns rolling the ball to the crocodile who uses a big crocodile snap to use two hands over the ball. Swap players regularly

Key words:  monkeys ready, crocodile snap

Mama bird

Purpose

To help players watch the ball all the way into their hands. Works on Hand Eye coordination

Players are in pairs and start 2 meters away from each other. One player with a tall cone (the mama bird) and the other player with the ball (mama birds egg). Players lob the egg towards the mama bird to catch in the cone. Ensure mama uses two hands on the cone. Once players can successfully catch the egg they can move back another meter. Swap over the mama birds.

Key words:  hands together, watch the ball into the cone, move the fee