Midland Park Softball K-1 Rules

At this level, every session should be either all practice/clinic/drills, or a hybrid of drills and a game. 

Priorities:

• Fundamentals and building muscle memory through repetition. 
• #1 goal is for the kids to have fun and want to play again next year. 
• Learning about balls/strikes, safe/out, fair/foul, and other basic softball concepts.

Kids should get a chance to take batting practice, field ground balls, and throw and catch every session. It may be helpful to combine teams and coaches, especially early in the season. 2 hitting stations, 1 grounders/fielding, 1 throwing/catching.

Practices/games: Early on kids will rotate through the drill stations, and finish with one or two innings depending on time. As the season moves on, this will transition to once through each station and then as many innings as fit. Even later in the season there should be all-practice sessions. Practices should include one or two fun ‘practice games’ mixed in with drills. examples: Hit The Bucket, Relay Races, Home Run Derby, Who can throw the farthest, fielding races, etc. 

Saturday Clinics: Saturdays are a good day for every K-1 team to combine for a practice/clinic, rotating through multiple stations manned by coaches. Hitting stations should be doubled or tripled up because each kid takes a little longer per session than just fielding or throwing a ball. As kids get more comfortable, work from just off the tee to side toss, front toss, etc. 

Gameplay:

5 good pitches delivered from a coach, and if the kid does not put the ball in play, they swing off the tee. If a kid is not ready for live pitching, they can start off the tee. If coaches feel the whole team is better off with the tee, make it 100% t-ball. Minimize the time the defense is standing around waiting for something to happen. Every at-bat should end with the batter running to first base, and a defense trying to get the ball there before her. 

Advanced: If a batted ball gets past the dirt, encourage the runner to look to go to second, or go first to third, paying attention to the runner in front of them. 

Scoring:

Runners will not be retired, but keep track of outs. Outs are the score, and the incentive. “We got 2 today!” “Great, let’s try to get 3 next game!” 

Defense: Limit having anyone standing around in the outfield. One, even two pitcher’s helpers, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B.  If feasible, rotate extra kids on/off through a drill station off to the side. Tee work into the net, fielding grounders, etc. 

The goal is to rush to the ball, field it well, throw to first. Emphasize that it’s a race to get the ball to 1B before the runner (and vice versa on offense), but also emphasize good form. Have them make the throw to first even if the runner’s there. Have the first baseman ready to catch, and then throw back to the pitcher. 

Add in more steps as they get comfortable. Teach them force outs, and allow/encourage the 2B/SS/3B to look for the force out at the other bases. Remind them before pitches, frequently. Teach them what balls each position is responsible for, what the job of each position is. 

Ball. Base. Backup. Can you get the ball? If no, should you be covering a base? If no, where are you backing up?

Encourage them to get into ready position before every pitch with two small steps towards plate as the pitch is released, knees slightly bent, hands up in front of them ready to move left or right to the ball. After making a play, encourage them to immediately return the ball to the pitcher, play is always live in softball. 

Questions, comments, thoughts: admin@midlandparksoftball.com