Coach Pitch (1st and 2nd Graders)
Commitment: 1 practice and 2 games each week
Season: April to Mid/Late June
MGSA's in-house league for 1st and 2nd graders is Coach Pitch. Coaches deliver pitches from 35 feet in a relatively straight manner to a consistent place over home plate.
This league uses yellow soft softballs, slightly larger than baseballs. They are perfectly sized for little hands, nice for young girls to hit, and soft enough to cushion if they end up hitting anyone.
The emphasis is on basics: hitting, catching and throwing. Girls will start to learn where to throw the ball in the field.
The Coach Pitch league plays games on Thursday nights at Bennett Family Park, Optimist Field (Glen Lake) or Legacy Fields and Sunday early afternoons at Legacy Fields at Minnetonka High School or Optimist Field. There may be an occasional Saturday game.
Players receive a t-shirt and visor. Players must provide their own batting helmet (with mask) and softball mitt. Gym shoes are fine, plastic cleats are optional.
•Each batter will receive 7 pitches delivered by the coach. If the batter does not put the ball into play after seven pitches, the batter will then hit off of a batting tee. There will be no strikeouts. The pitcher should be 35 feet from home plate and pitch with a slight arc (this is a guideline).
• The batter may foul the last pitch and receive another pitch before hitting off of a batting tee. If the batter continues to hit foul balls, she will receive as many pitches as it takes for her to either miss or put the ball in play.
• A ball that is hit and goes less than 5 feet in front of the plate in fair territory is considered a foul ball. For a visual, draw a line in the dirt.
• If a batted ball strikes the pitching coach, the play will be dead. The batter and all runners may not advance, and the pitch will not be counted.
• The home team will supply the tee, pitching machine and game ball.
• The game ball will be a 10" soft softball.
• There will be one defensive player near the pitching coach. This player may not leave the pitching area until the ball is hit.
• A base runner may not leave a base until the batter strikes the ball.
• Runners may not advance further than the base to which they were approaching once a fielder has picked up a batted ball.
• On an overthrow, runners may not advance beyond the base to which they were approaching when the overthrow occurred.
• The infield fly rule is not in effect.
• Base runners may not tag and advance on a fly ball.
• The distance between bases is 50-60 feet.
• The home plate umpire/coach will remove the tee from home plate if a play is likely to be made at home plate.
• Two coaches are allowed in the outfield to provide instruction to fielders. Play may not be stopped for instructional purposes.
• All available players may play in the field at one time, with no more than 6 players in the infield; the rest of the players must be in the outfield (standing in the grass)
• There is no minimum number of players required to start a game.
• The game shall end no more than 60 minutes after it begins.
• Coaches should make every effort to rotate players evenly between infield and outfield positions during a game.
• Each team is responsible for cleaning up their dugout and bleacher areas.
Starting in June
• Innings will end by either five runs or three outs.
• Bring energy, keep girls busy all the time!
TEAM HUDDLE – (2 minutes)
JOG – Girls go for run as team, go slow, not a race, have to stay together. Jog to far away fence and back. This gives coaches a minute or 2 to talk with the girls gone. (3 minutes)
SNAP and Fielding Technique – Girls line up across from partner on baseline, partner 5 yards away, 10-12 feet between groups; take off gloves, put behind them, demonstrate good fielding position, butt down, feet little wider than shoulder width apart, shuffle side to side. When coach yells snap, girls snap from any position into this position, with both hands down in front of them. Have player roll ball to teammate, have players use good form, roll ball side to side after a little bit, girls keeping ball in the middle of their stance as they shuffle. Hands should be pinkie to pinkie when fielding. Note: Drop this drill after first 2 practices. (5 minutes)
THROWING – Get 2-3 lines of equal number girls, roll them grounder from about 20-30 feet. Throw ball hard to coach, next girl in line hurry to front, snap, roll grounder, continue. (5 minutes) H20 BREAK - 1 minute (get girls together and organized to send them to station areas with correct equipment!)
RUN 3 STATIONS, 7 minutes per station then rotate, 3 players per station (21 minutes)
Station #1 in outfield (1 coach)
Players spread out about 5 yards apart, 20 feet from coach, throw pop fly to each on glove hand side, have them throw hard to coach with glove target. 1 point for catch, 1 point for hard throw to glove. Tell them to keep their score and make it a game. Then have players line up next to coach, about 3 yards to left, have them run 1 at a time straight out and lead them with pop fly about 7 yards away, catch ball or pick up and throw hard to glove. Run back on right side of coach to end of line. 1 point for clean play on ball and 1 point for hard throw to glove.
Station #2 in infield (1 coach)
Have players go to shortstop and second base positions, and one player next to coach off to side on 3rd base side of pitching mound. Roll grounder to shortstop, second baseman covers bag. Or roll ball to second, shortstop covers. Throw underhand if close to bag or overhand if further away. Show ball to person throwing to. Person who covers bag throws to player next to coach, then coach rolls another grounder. Rotate positions clockwise after 5 to 8 grounders.
Station #3 at backstop (1 coach)
Use hit stick in one area, tee with wiffle balls against backstop and soft toss into back stop. All 3 players go to a different one, rotate every 2 minutes. Wear helmets, keep girls spaced apart far.
H20 BREAK – 2 minutes
RUN BASES – Have girls lined up at home, yell hit, girl at plate runs through first, then lines up there. Next player up, yell hit, both runners advance one base, etc. Run through first and home. Introduce tagging up/going back to base on caught ball. (4 minutes)
SCRIMMAGE – 4 on 4, 5 on 5 or 6 on 6, whatever your numbers. Use tee for Tball, coach pitch for Machine Pitch or use machine. Everyone bats once, then rotate out with players in field. Call out plays. Have girls in proper infield positions, have them line up on base path every batter, then tell them “2 big steps forward” or “2 big steps back”, etc. MAKE SURE PLAYERS ARE SNAPPING WITH EVERY PITCH AT ALL LEVELS! (15 minutes)
TEAM HUDDLE – Great job, Girls! (2 minutes)
• Bring energy, keep girls busy all the time!
TEAM HUDDLE – (2 minutes)
JOG – Girls go for run as team, go slow, not a race, have to stay together. Jog to far away fence and back. This gives coaches a minute or 2 to talk with the girls gone. (3 minutes)
SNAP and Fielding Technique – Girls line up across from partner on baseline, partner 5 yards away, 10-12 feet between groups; take off gloves, put behind them, demonstrate good fielding position, butt down, feet little wider than shoulder width apart, shuffle side to side. When coach yells snap, girls snap from any position into this position, with both hands down in front of them. Have player roll ball to teammate, have players use good form, roll ball side to side after a little bit, girls keeping ball in the middle of their stance as they shuffle. Hands should be pinkie to pinkie when fielding. Note: Drop this drill after first 2 practices. (5 minutes)
THROWING – Get 2-3 lines of equal number girls, roll them grounder from about 20-30 feet. Throw ball hard to coach, next girl in line hurry to front, snap, roll grounder, continue. (8 minutes)
H20 BREAK – 1 minute (get girls together and organized to send them to station areas with correct equipment!)
RUN 3 STATIONS, 8 minutes per station then rotate, 3 players per station (24 minutes)
Station #1 in outfield (1 coach)
Players spread out about 5 yards apart, 20 feet from coach, throw pop fly to each on glove hand side, have them throw hard to coach with glove target. 1 point for catch, 1 point for hard throw to glove. Tell them to keep track of their score and make it a game. Then have players line up next to coach, about 3 years to left, have them run 1 at a time straight out and lead them with pop fly about 7 yards away, catch ball or pick up and throw hard to glove. Run back on right side of coach to end of line. 1 point for clean play on ball and 1 point for hard throw to glove.
Station #2 in infield (1 coach)
Have players go to shortstop and second base positions, and one player next to coach off to side on 3rd base side of pitching mound. Roll grounder to shortstop, second baseman covers bag. Or roll ball to second, shortstop covers. Throw underhand if close to bag or overhand if further away. Show ball to person throwing to. Person who covers bag throws to player next to coach, then coach rolls another grounder. Rotate positions clockwise after 5 to 8 grounders.
Station #3 at backstop (1 coach)
Use hit stick in one area, tee with wiffle balls against backstop and soft toss into back stop. All 3 players go to a different one, rotate every 2 minutes. Wear helmets, keep girls spaced apart far.
H20 BREAK – 2 minutes
RUN BASES – Have girls lined up at home, yell hit, girl at plate runs through first, then lines up there. Next player up, yell hit, both runners advance one base, etc. Run through first and home. Introduce tagging up/going back to base on caught ball. (6 minutes)
SCRIMMAGE – 4 on 4, 5 on 5 or 6 on 6, whatever your numbers. Use tee for Tball, coach pitch for Machine Pitch or use machine. Everyone bats once, then rotate out with players in field. Call out plays. Have girls in proper infield positions, have them line up on base path every batter, then tell them “2 big steps forward” or “2 big steps back”, etc. MAKE SURE PLAYERS ARE SNAPPING WITH EVERY PITCH AT ALL LEVELS! (22 minutes)
TEAM HUDDLE – Great job, Girls! (2 minutes)