Coacher # 24 Blog
Author of the Coacher # 24 Blog:
James E. Carrese is the retired Head Coach of Baseball
@ Shenendehowa High School {1991-2012}. His twenty two season record of 349-162
{.681} ranks 15th all-time in Section Two Baseball for wins and 5th all-time for Winning
Percentage. During his tenure Shenendehowa won 16 League Championships-2 Section Two
Championships-2 NYS Final Fours, produced 83 College baseball players with 9 former
Plainsmen signing professional contracts. Carrese was the 2005 ABCA Region I Coach
Of the Year and was the recipient of numerous local media COY awards over his tenure.
Carrese currently is the Coaching Director for the BH-BL Junior Baseball Commission and
Sits on their Executive Board.
If you have a specific question regarding the game of baseball and instruction/coaching
Please address your question to Coach Carrese at [email protected]
Question # 1: What is the single most important concept that coaches need to
Use when coaching a Youth Baseball team?
Answer: Situational Baseball: Whether your team is on offense or defense the
most important teaching concept is placing your team in offense vs. defense
Game situations. The sooner your players/team understands each of the routine
situations that occur in the game the more success they will encounter. In a
typical 90 minute to 2 hour Youth baseball practice at least 30-45 minutes
should be spent teaching and practicing Situational Baseball.
Examples:
Run Downs
Bases loaded with 0-1-2 outs
Runners at 1st & 3rd Base
All 29 Standard Defensive Plays/situations
Question # 2: What is the best way to develop arm strength for a youth baseball
Player?
Answer: Simply put, Throw the baseball every day!!
Youth baseball players do not throw the baseball consistently enough to gain
arm strength and avoid injury. Tommy John surgeries are up 600% in the last
decade.
Keys to a stronger Throwing Arm:
>Play catch everyday
>Establish lead-up throwing drills sequence that will improve your mechanics
and arm strength
Lead up Drills Progression: {32-48 throws maximum/8-12 per drill}
+Square drill x 8 reps: Players stand 12` apart. Place the Ball in glove with four seam grip.
Post the ball to a position where the elbow is parallel with the throwing shoulder. Throw the
ball @ 50% velocity with an emphasis on backspin off the four seam grip. Do not step when
you throw.
+Jump Drill x 8 reps: Players stand 16-20` apart. Partner with the ball turns sideways with
his glove shoulder serving as the directional shoulder for the throw. Thrower creates a flex in
their lower body. Thrower unweights the glove foot as they jump back into a flexed back knee
with almost all of their weight on their back hind quarter. Thrower then jumps forward and
throws the ball to their partner.
+Play catch x 8 reps: “Normal” play catch routine with emphasis on creating direction with
the front side {glove side shoulder}. The second emphasis point is on the skill of catching a
baseball with two hands. As soon as a partner lets go with the baseball he should establish a
“catch glove position” for his partner to target. The three “catch glove positions” are right
shoulder-left shoulder-sternum. You can create a contest on how many “gloves” any two
partners hit in a timed period.
+Outfield crow hop x 8 reps: Players should imitate the natural crow hop technique that
outfielders use to have the baseball gain access to the infield. These throws represent the
classic Cut 2-Cut 3-Cut 4 Cut relay throws that are executed during the normal course of the
season. The technique is:
{RH Thrower}:
Step with your right foot about 6 inches
Unweight with a hop your left foot then land with your left foot then>
Throw the baseball with your chest ending up over your knee for extension
>Establish a Long Toss program {12 month plan}
Long Toss Concept: Prevalent in the instructional community of baseball from
MLB –College-High School-Youth Baseball is the concept of Long Toss.
Long Toss is the single best strategy to develop arm strength in a youth baseball
player. The lead-up drills and the concept of throwing every day is culminated in
Long Toss Plan:
12 month Plan for Long Toss:
Fall Program {September & October}: Either as a part of a Fall Baseball program
or just the availability of good weather, Long Toss in the fall should be done at
least 3 times a week. The script for Long Toss is age relative. More work for
older players and more distance.
T-Ball-Instructional-Farm {5-8 years}:
Number of throws per location: {24} 8 per distance
Distances: 8 x 30`-8 x 40`-8 x 50` {24}
Frequency: 3 times a week
Location: Baseball Field- Back yard-Parking lot
Minors-Majors {8-12 years}:
Number of throws: {48} 8 per distance
Distance: 50`-60`-70`-80`-90`-100`
Babe Ruth-HS: {13-18}:
Number of Throws: {56-72}
Distance: 60`-70`-80`-90`-100`-110`-120`
Winter Program {November-March}:
Long toss if possible at least once a week. This requires a facility.
The same prescription for the fall program exists for the winter program.
The key is cutback 50% on the number of throws if you throw infrequently.
Distance indoors can typically get you a maximum of 80`. {Indoor Baseball
facilities}
In Season: {April-July}
Typically Youth Baseball meets three to four times a week with practice and
games. Players should throw pre-practice or post practice so that they can focus
on getting their work done. This takes discipline and adult supervision. This
takes a player being dedicated and different. This is also the only way to
develop a strong arm.
Progression: Using the sample programs with Distance and Repetition chart a
progression that keeps your son`s arm strong. Arm soreness should exist in the
bicep-triceps-forearm in-between throwing days. This is a positive sign. There
should be no soreness in any joint. If so, shut them down and talk to a
professional.
Question # 3: What is a good general format for a 90 minute Baseball
practice Ages 5-8 years old?
Answer: A critical concept with Youth baseball and younger less experienced
players is the Coaching Staff`s ability to create a sense of familiarity with their
players. Each practice they come to there should be the same format and a
repetition of the same drills to create that familiarity. Once the familiarity
exists, then the key is to establish building blocks in those areas familiar to the
players.
Example: Practice begins at 6:00 pm. Your advisement to the parents is to have
their sons there by 5:50 pm. All of you will deal with players that come late to
practice for a number of reasons. Coaches should use the 10 minute period
before practice begins to establish organization of your player`s equipment in
the Dugout. When the clock hits 6:00 pm you begin practice in earnest
regardless if all of your players are present and accounted for. This idea will
promote on time behavior because the players will not want to be late because
their teammates are already there.
Secondly, you do the same warm-up each practice adding a little more to their
plate as they show familiarity and mastery.
Example:
Warm-up:
1- Begin with a Team
Meeting behind the Mound. Highlight the practice activities
and
Give them one positive concept to think about {eg: EFFORT or HUSTLE}. {2 min}
2- Players drop their gloves and jog two poles. Begin at the RF pole and jog to the LF pole
and back. {3 min}
3- Lead-up throwing drills are next under our Throwing
Plan Program. {See
Question # 2 on this Blog for specific information on a Throwing Plan program/Long
Toss}. {10 min}
4-
Individual Defense: {20 min}
+ Use a Cross Field Fungo Drill with Buckets for your infielders.
+ Use an Outfield Fungo Drill for your outfielders.
+ Switch Groups
Warm-up: {continued}
5- Base Running: {10 min}:
+ Four Station Base Running drill:
Format:
R@ Home: Simulate Swing and run thru 1st base
R@ 1B: Lead/No Lead Runner shuffles twice, crosses over toward right field and
rounds 2B looking back and inward and with their head on a swivel;
R@ 2B: Gets proper depth with lead or No Lead and shuffles twice, crosses over
toward left field and rounds 3B looking back and inward with your head on a swivel;
R@ 3B: Lead in foul territory and return in fair territory; No lead/ Runner reacts to
Hypothetical Fly ball to CF. Runner tags up with the foot on the side of the base.
Runner lifts chin to center and coach claps or yells “go” when he wants the runner to
advance and score. Runner then drops his head on home plate to ensure scoring.
Note: You can add a 5th station 10` feet up 1B line in Foul territory. This station focuses
on the player recognizing a base hit and the opportunity for the Big Turn Drill.
When the coach starts the next repetition all four stations move. The 5 th station
working Big Turn Drill begins when the Home Plate runner who is executing the Break
the Tape Drill is ¾ down the line. The runner crosses over into foul territory in order to
cut the bag at the proper advancement angle. The runner then pushes out into the
baseline at least 1/3 of the way {dependent on speed and base running skill set} and
reads the outfielder fielding the ball and the throw thru or to the cutoff man.
This allows the runner to threaten the defense, force the defenders to catch and
throw accurately and if there are any missteps by the defense the runner is in position
to advance to 2B.
6- Team Batting Practice and Individual Offense: { 45 min }
Setup: Any field with a backstop will allow you to accomplish multiple concepts at
the same time with all of your players working at the same time. This phase of your
Practice Plan should have no players standing around.
Field/Defense: Place a full infield/outfield defense in the field. {8 players}.
Depending on the skill level of your hitters place an L-Screen for the Coach to be
protected. The reason we say L-Screen is because a 6` adult male should not be
pitching standing up to 5-8 year olds. He should be sitting on a bucket or one knee
without a Screen. Pitching downhill to young players means they are developing very
bad upper cut swings to meet the ball that you are pitching. Don`t create bad swing
paths in young hitters. Bad habits are difficult to overcome in young players.
Each team carries 11-12 players. If there are 8 players in the field for On the Field
Batting Practice Drill then the 3-4 players left are your first 3-4 hitters in Team BP.
Note: As you begin to develop Pitchers I would encourage you to have them pitch with
or without the L-Screen to develop their ability to command the strike zone and
defend their position. Young Pitchers do not consistently throw strikes. After they
walk a hitter on four balls they jog off to a protected area and the Coach then resumes
the script till the next hitter is up. Then you place the Pitcher back out and give him
the next opportunity. This serves both masters.
Offense/Setup: Where there is an 8-12` fence setup 1-2 Tees. Use smushballs
{tm} or Wiffleballs not baseballs. {Fence}.
Players {2} use the Tees as partners incorporating a number of different options with
Tee Drills:
Pull T-Oppy T-Power V {see Hitting drills in a later post};
Station Chronology and Hitter`s BP script:
Station # 1- Tee Station outside fence. {if you have additional players add a second Tee
station}
Station # 2- On Deck Behavior Drill: Even though Youth Baseball doesn`t allow {some
fields do allow for it} On Deck Station in the field of play, we believe that teaching On
Deck Behavior is critical in teaching players their approach to the plate. The other
critical purpose for the drill is teaching the player to visualize the release point of the
pitcher`s arm. The key to hitting is timing. The sooner the hitter picks up the release
point of the ball, the sooner he is able to pick up the ball and make a decision on what
his approach will be. Position the On Deck Hitter behind the backstop and have him
create his own batter`s box where he can see the release point of the pitcher throwing
BP. The hitter in the On Deck spot then simulates swinging or taking the pitch as if he
was up to bat.
BP Script:
Bunt x 2
Hit and Run x 2
Move the Runner {1B to 2B} x 2
Get them over {2B to 3B} x 2
Score the Runner x 2
Free cuts x 2
** Add x 2 if they get one or two base hits on the two free cuts. Make sure you call”
live” when the hitter is going to run out his last swing.
Defensive Reaction: This is Situational Baseball that we so strongly emphasized in
Question # 1 of the Blog.
Teaching Concepts:
On the second repetition of each item on the script it is LIVE for the DEFENSE and
the BASE RUNNER.
Example: 2nd repetition for Bunt the Runner advances on the bunt and the defense
plays the ball live. The first repetition is used to simulate everyone`s responsibility.
Defensive players move in the direction of reacting to the ball. Runners take their
shuffle steps and a few running steps then get back to their proper location.
This allows the Coaches to work on all Situations 1-29 or focus on situations that
repeat themselves in Youth Baseball {Bases loaded}
Specialty Period: {10 min}
This is an excellent opportunity to work on simple fundamentals in the game. It is also
a great opportunity to just have fun. Create a contest, use your stopwatch, and keep
score. Ideas:
1-Cut off Relay Drill to 3B vs. Runner at 1B running to 3B
2-Infield Wiffle Ball Game
3-Base Running Relays
4-Ground ball or Fly ball fungo