Practices

Schedule

Practices are held at Haxtun Baseball Field on the days/times below. Check the news page for changes.

What to Bring

• Glove
• Bat (11" softball-rated)
• Helmet with face mask
• Cleats (no steel cleats — 9-12 only allows molded/rubber)
• Water bottle
• Hat or visor
• Catchers: full gear (mask, chest protector, shin guards)

This Week's Plan

5:00–5:08 (8 min) — All-team warm-up

Why: bodies and minds need a switch from school/home to softball. We compete from the first pitch.

Both coaches lead together.

• Attendance + practice-1 recap (1 min)
• Jog foul pole to foul pole (1 min)
• Dynamic stretch: high knees, butt kicks, lunges, arm circles (4 min)
• 10 jumping jacks to finish — energy up (2 min)

5:08–5:20 (12 min) — Throwing program

Why: where your feet go, the ball goes. Footwork is what makes a strong, accurate throw — not the arm.

Pair off (8 pairs). Both coaches walk the line.

• Knee throws ×10 — elbow up, "L" arm, four-seam grip
• Short partners 20 ft ×10 — square hips, glove tucks to chest
• Long partners 40+ ft ×10 — crow-hop, follow through across body

Cue: "Throw THROUGH your partner, not at them."

5:20–5:55 (35 min) — Stations (Group A / Group B, ~17 min each, then swap)

Station 1 — Hitting

Why: you can't hit what you don't see. Slow it down so the bat finds the ball.

• 5 dry swings — hands, stride, balanced finish
• 10 tee swings — contact point off front foot, drive through
• 8 soft toss reps — see it, short stride, quick hands

Cue: "Quick hands. See it in."

Station 2 — Infield groundballs

Why: catch it before you throw it. A clean glove beats a hurry every time.

• Ready position review — 1 min
• 8 slow rollers — glove-foot, ball-foot, throw to coach
• 5 reading hops — short vs long, pick the easier one
• 5 with footwork to first — field, crow-hop, throw

Cue: "Funnel to your belly button. Don't lift early."

≈5:37 — Swap groups. Water on the move.

5:55–6:05 (10 min) — Baserunning

Why: outs are gifts. Never give one away — run hard until the play ends.

All 16, both coaches splitting the line.

• Home → 1B run-through ×4 — drop the bat, full speed THROUGH the bag
• Home → 1B aggressive turn ×4 — round the bag, react to coach's call ("go!" / "back!")
• 1B → 2B reading a base hit ×2 — eyes up, find the ball off the bat

6:05–6:13 (8 min) — Live situational

Why: game speed surfaces what drills can't. Know your job before the pitch comes.

One coach hits fungoes. The other coaches baserunners.

• Around the horn — 2 min (rotate infielders, others water)
• Game scenario — 6 min: runner on 2B, groundball to SS — what's your play? Reset, run it live a few times.

6:13–6:15 (2 min) — Huddle

Why: we get better when we tell each other what we saw.

• Recap. One thing each coach saw a player do well.
• Reminder: Wed practice is defense + baserunning focus.
• "Bulldogs on 3 — 1, 2, 3 — BULLDOGS!"