Following guidance from the CDC, the state of Missouri, and Jackson County, we want to stress the importance of social distancing to help slow the spread of the coronavirus (covid-19). While this has thrown everyone a nasty curve, we have a few ideas about how players can remain sharp and stay connected.
We recognize that there’s no replacement for practice and games–we want as much as anyone to get back on the field, to hear the snap of a ball against a glove and the crack of bats. And, we trust we will be there soon! Until then, it’s important for everyone to work on their own. That may sound challenging, but doing even simple drills for 30 minutes a day can provide huge returns. Most importantly, find fun ways to swing the bat, throw the ball, and move.
Inside Edge GM and coach, Matt Carpenter shared an example schedule that meets all of a youth player’s needs. He focused on creating a simple program that can be completed at home with limited equipment. Spending a little time several days a week helps to keep players sharp and ready to jump into games.
Coach Carpenter’s example schedule looks like this
| Day 1 Throwing & Fielding | Day 2 Bodyweight Exercises | Day 3 Hitting | Day 4 Bodyweight Exercises | Day 5 Throwing & Fielding | Day 6 Hitting | Day 7 Off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Throwing Warmup 10-Pulldowns 10-Rockers 10-Step Behinds 10-Long Toss Step Behinds | Bodyweight Exercises or off | 2×10 swings each – Oppo field – Middle – Pull side 1×10 Feel Good swings | Bodyweight Exercises or off | Throwing Warmup 10-Pulldowns 10-Rockers 10-Step Behinds 10-Long Toss Step Behinds | 2×10 swings each – Oppo field – Middle – Pull side 1×10 Feel Good swings | Off |
| Short Hops Wall Ball Radius Drill Drop-step Drill | Play catch for 20 minutes, work up to 70 feet | Short Hops Wall Ball Radius Drill Drop-step Drill | Play catch for 20 minutes, work up to 90 feet | |||
| Conditioning Easy Jog for one minute x age (9U = 9 min, 10U = 10 min, etc) | Conditioning 10x sprints for 90 feet. Walk back for recovery | Conditioning Easy Jog for one minute x age (9U = 9 min, 10U = 10 min, etc) | Conditioning 6 Sprints – walk back to start for recovery – 8U – 240’ – 9/10U – 260’ – 11/12U – 280’ – 13U – 320’ – 14U – 360’ |
Spreading work across the full week shortens training sessions and gives players a little baseball to look forward to each day.
Coach Carpenter stresses that it’s important that players continue to throw during this time. “If our guys do only 1 thing, they have to throw the baseball. Everyone worked really hard during the offseason to condition their arm. It only takes a few days off from throwing to decondition the arm. When games start, the guys who didn’t throw will be at higher risk of sore arms and even injury. Throwing doesn’t have to be structured–just playing catch for 15-20 minutes a few days each week is all it takes.”
We created a series of videos to demonstrate how players can practice basic throwing, fielding, and hitting skills at home. View those here: https://iebaseball.com/home-workouts/. We included 2 simple bodyweight workouts, too. These are age-appropriate for youth players and incorporate movements that related directly to playing baseball.
If you need help with any drill or want a coach to take a look at your motion, email the video to info@iebaseball.com. One of our coaches will analyze the video and send back instructions.