Stations / Varied Fundamentals
1. Hitting Station: Focus on Hand-Eye & Power
This station teaches the proper mechanics of hitting, but uses techniques that remove the fear of a live pitch or the pressure of making contact.
Tee-Ball Challenge (Integrity: The Swing):
Set up multiple hitting tees at different heights.
Instead of just hitting into a net, make it a precision target challenge. Use hula hoops on the ground or buckets placed 10-20 feet away.
The Quirky Twist: Use wiffle balls, soft sponge balls, and large plastic bats to reduce intimidation. Time their swing speed using a simple radar gun (if available) or a stopwatch for bragging rights on "power," rewarding effort over accuracy.
Throw-to-Hit (Integrity: Hand-Eye Coordination):
A coach or parent gently tosses a ball (underhand, very slow) from 10 feet away.
The goal is simply to make contact and try to hit it over a fence or into a designated "home run" zone. No runners, no fielders—just the pure joy of connecting with the ball.
2. Fielding Station: Focus on Agility & Soft Hands
This station teaches the proper mechanics of catching and throwing, emphasizing quick movement and safe technique.
Crazy Catch Corner (Integrity: Soft Hands):
Coaches use tennis balls, bean bags, and soft playground balls (all easy to catch) and throw them in a soft arc.
The twist: Kids are given oversized gloves, small gloves, or even no gloves for a few rounds. This removes the pressure of the specific baseball mitt and emphasizes getting their body behind the catch.
The Quirky Twist: Play "Hot Potato" catch—a quick-fire drill where they catch and immediately toss it back to a coach, focusing on fast exchange and soft hands.
The Ground Ball Gauntlet (Integrity: Fielding Position):
Use light-up or colored plastic cones to create a short, zig-zag path.
A coach rolls ground balls through the path. Kids have to get into the "alligator mouth" fielding position (glove on the ground, bare hand ready) and block/trap the ball like a goalie, rather than scoop it cleanly. This ensures they learn the low fielding stance without the pressure of having to make a perfect throw after.
3. Baserunning Station: Focus on Agility & Speed
This is the most natural part of baseball to gamify, focusing on explosive movement and safe sliding.
The Base-Stealing Dash (Integrity: Explosive Start):
Set up a simple sprint between two bases.
The twist: Kids have to start from different positions (laying on their belly, sitting down, facing backward) and explode toward the base on the coach's whistle. This is great for all ages and focuses on athletic movement, not baseball knowledge.
Slip-N-Slide Base (Integrity: Sliding):
Note: Ensure proper safety mats or tarps / low-friction mat, teach the basics of the pop-up slide or the feet-first slide.
Alternative for Safety: "Rounding the Base" drills, teaching them the correct angle and step to transition from a full sprint to a turn without slowing down.
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