At your next [tag]baseball practice[/tag], ask the players who they think is the fastest player on the team. Hopefully most will raise their hands. Next use this “fastest man on the team drill” to determine the winner, and to get in some conditioning!
Either set up two sets of home and first base pairs with temporary bases about 10 feet apart, or use the infield home to first and third to second pairs (it is easier to judge who gets to first base quicker if they are closer together). Have the players form two lines, one behind each home plate (or one behind home plate and one behind third base) for this [tag]baseball drill[/tag]. Simulate hitting the ball by having a [tag]baseball coach[/tag] standing between the runners hit a ball to the ground. The first pair of runners takes off from home to first (and second to third). The first person to touch first (or second) is the winner and goes back and gets in line. The second place finisher sits down and watches the rest of the competition. If there is a tie, then have both players go back and get in line. The runners will have a tendency to look at each other. Coach them to look at the base or base coach only. Repeat this until there is one winner and name him the fastest player on the team.
This teaches them to run hard to first base without looking at the [tag]baseball[/tag]!