Set up different stations around the field. You will need to split the team up into three sets of kids. 3 to 4 kids per set. You will need two buckets of balls, a Tee and two nets.

Station Softball Practice

Station 1
I have a soft toss hitting station, where the kids hit into a net using one arm at at time to hit the ball.
For a right hander they hit 5 with the top hand and 5 with the bottom hand and then hit 5 to 10 with both hands.

Station 2.
Have a Tee set up with deflated soccer and basketballs and they hit the balls off the tee for several minutes or until the third station is finished.
This station will help with quick hands and a quick bat through the hitting zone.

Station 3
The third hitting station is live hitting but the pitcher (coach) stands to the side of the pitcher’s mound and throws to the batter. As a right handed batter, she sees the ball moving outside to inside and swings to hit the ball to the right side of the field on the ground.

For every one she hits on the ground to the right side she gets a point and for everyone she hits in the air and or to the left side she gets an out. After three outs, the batter has to sprint to a designated spot and back, then goes to the field to shag.

These drills help the kids with their swinging technique and gets them to hit the ball up the middle or to the right side of the field. Especially helps when runners are in scoring positions. Plus they have fun with these drills.

Around the Horn Drill
We practice this drill a few times and then as we go we sound a clock and keep track of the length of time it takes them to go around the horn.

Here is how it works:
At least 2 players per position (catcher, third, SS, 2nd and 1st).
A coach starts the round as pitcher.

Coach throws the ball home, who throws to third (who makes a tag as if someone stealing third), who then immediately throws a ground ball to 2nd, who either “flips” or throws via a 180 deg, to shortstop covering 2nd (like a double play) who throw to first who then throws home to the catcher (the 2nd person in line who starts the 2nd round of players doing the same thing.

When we get to home on the 2nd time around the catcher then throws back to the coach playing pitcher.

We then yell “rotate right” and do the same thing until all have rotated around the horn to the original position. By that time everyone has played every base.

Works great for developing young players and getting an understanding of playing every position.

The pickle Drill: It helps the kids learn to throw and catch since they take their minds off the steps and just execute the drill. This can work well with your younger and older players as well.

Pickle Drill
Set up enough stations for 3 kids: 9 players would be 3 stations.
Each station has two orange cones about 30' apart. Distance would increase if older kids were to play.

I give the ball to one person in each station but the baserunner doesn’t know who has the ball. Each baseman is on a cone with the baserunner in the middle.

The object is for the baserunner to reach a cone without being tagged. The baseman will run after the runner and act like she has the ball even if she doesn’t.

If the runner goes in the direction of the baseman with the ball she’ll tag him out.

If she goes in the opposite direction she’ll throw the ball to the other baseman and hopefully she catches it and tags her out, and of course the pickle starts until the runner either makes it to a cone or is tagged out.

All teams that tag out the runner stay on the field until the only one team remains.

Softball is not all total concentration or a constant onslaught of drills, drills and more drills. There is a time to have some fun and still learn or polish some skills. I like to use the end of practice for a fun game that can create some team bonding while still focusing on softball fundamentals.

3,2,1 Run
One of the games I like is called “3, 2, 1, Run”. In this game, divide the team up into 2 teams.
One team is at bat and one team is lined up behind 3rd base.

Take 3 balls and line them up at intervals of about 5-7 feet apart from 3rd base toward home plate. They should end about half way between 3rd base and home plate.

The team at home is called team 1 and the ones on defense are team 2.

Have the 1st player from team 2 stand on 3rd base with her glove while the 1st player from team 1 is at home plate.

When the coach says, “Go”, the defensive player must run to the 1st ball, pick it up and make a throw to a teammate standing at 2nd base (I have a bucket there to drop the balls into), then go to the 2nd ball and do the same thing and on to the 3rd ball.

The player at home starts running at the sound of “Go” and runs to 1st base and on to 2nd.

The object of this game is to throw all 3 balls to the defensive player at 2nd base before the offensive player gets there. This is a LOT harder than it sounds, but it teaches making fast, accurate throws while under pressure.

This drill is for your entire team and will focus on throwing, catching, and communication skills.
SET UP:
- there are four lines of players, one line at each base and one at home plate. Try to make the lines as even as possible.
- start with one ball at home plate.
- the first player in line at home plate will throw the ball to the first player at 1B. The thrower goes to the end of the line at home.
- the player at 1B will catch the ball and throw to the first player in line at 2B. The thrower at 1B goes to the end of that line.
- the player at 2B will catch the ball and turn to throw to the first player at 3B. The thrower at 2B goes to the end of that line.
- the player at 3B will catch the ball and turn to throw home to the second player that was in line there. The thrower at 3B goes to the end of that line.
- now we're at the 2nd player in each line.
- keep going around until you feel they are comfortable (no mistakes), now you can reverse directions of the throws.
- when you see they're comfortable again, you can put a 2nd ball into play! once the first ball is to 2B, start a second ball at home.
- instruct them not to let the second ball catch up to the first one.
- you will probably have to stop them on any errant throws and let them get going again before starting the second ball again, but they'll get the hang of it.
- having 2 balls in play will really make them focus and communicate with each other.
- if they master that, throw in a 3rd ball and see how they handle it.
- don't forget to reverse directions every now and again.
COMMUNICATION:
- you will want to stress that each player who is being thrown to, call out to the player who's throwing the ball and give them a big target to throw to. Communication is an essential part of the game and this is an easy way to get them started on it.
STEPPING TO THE BALL:
- insist that players step to the ball when receiving any throw. Have them imagine they have a "V" directly in front of them on the ground. If the throw is coming to them on the left part of the "V", have them step to it in that direction, if it's on the right of the "V", have them step to it in that direction, if it's coming right at them down the middle, have them come straight to it.
STRESS THE FOLLOWING THINGS:
- catching the ball with TWO HANDS whenever possible.
- catching anything above the bottom of the shorts with their glove hand fingers pointing TO THE SKY and bending at the knees to go down for low throws.
- Give the person throwing to you a BIG TARGET!
- BE VOCAL!!! Call for the ball!
- catch first, throw second. "Be QUICK, not in a HURRY!"
ADVANCED VERSION:
- if you want to add a CONDITIONING ELEMENT to the drill, have each player follow their throw afterward.
- first person throws to 1B and sprints to the end of the line at 1B. 1B throws to 2B and sprints to the end of that line, 2B throws and sprints over to the end of the line at 3B, 3B throws home and sprints to the end of that line.
-other than the running, everything stays the same!
Enjoy!!!