I’ve coached 8-9 year olds [tag]baseball[/tag] so the focus of these ideas are for [tag]youth baseball drills[/tag].
We had a couple of [tag]baseball drills[/tag] that helped with the catch-throw of making relays, baserunning, backing up the play and one to help them think about situational baseball without having to make the actual play.
Pick up the Coach
Put a [tag]baseball coach[/tag] at first and third. Each player takes off from home, staggered start. If first base coach doesn’t send them to second, they run through the bag then trot back home, back of the line. Every second or third kid, first base coach sends to second – they have to pick up third base coach as they are between first and second, who will tell them whether to go to third. Go through the line up a couple of times.
Throw out the Coach
Get three-four kids deep at center right field, second and short. Ball at the feet of center fielder. Go! The coach runs from home trying to get to second. Second rotates out to shallow right, short covers second. Relay, relay, tag. Next group.
Helps teach muscle memory of rotating on plays not hit directly to you (player-spectators are a big issue in little league), catch and throw and applying tag.
Advantage: the coach can slow down or speed up to make sure there is a play.