Fielding (outfield)

As a first year coach, I am assuming that your boys are probably 9 or 10 year olds. At this point your most important task with your outfielders is teaching them how to properly catch fly balls and grounders. You can develope a real complex game plan for where you want the ball thrown, but they won't amount to a hill of beans if the ball isn't caught first. Teaching them how to go back on a ball over their heads sideways instead of back pedaling, will take a lot of instruction time. Overcoming their natural urge to come in on a ball hit over their heads before they go back, will also take a lot of effort on your part. Teaching them to catch with two hands won't be easy. They'll need dozens of balls hit to them before they will even begin to realize just what their range is in the field, and calling for the ball needs constant repetition. Getting them to pay attention all the time will take constant harping on your part, especially if they are standing out there watching your pitcher throw six balls for every two strikes! Backing up the bases is absolutely critical. One overthrow past your third baseman, while your outfielder in left is watching a plane fly overhead, is enough to cause permanent hair loss (forunately for me, I lost mine before I took up coaching!). Your outfielders must be taught to assume that all ground balls hit in the infield are going to get past the infield. This doesn't mean your infielders are bad, but if the outfield doesn't react until after the ball goes through the shortstop's legs, runners on base will probably get an extra base because the center fielder and left fielder weren't in position to stop it. None of these things have to necessarily happen, but it will take up the vast majority of your outfield time in order for them to do these things right.

One real nice drill, not only helps them to learn how to go back while running sideways, is a great endurance boster, but is also easy to repeat over and over. Have two lines form on each side of a coach who s standing next to a bucket of balls. At your command have one boy start running out from the coach while he is watching you. Simply throw him a fly ball and let him run under it and catch it. Once he catches the ball, or picks it up, have him sprint back to the coach and put the ball in the bucket. Then he goes to the end of the other line. Vary your throws as you see fit. The boys will need to learn how to correct their path when a ball they think is going over their left shoulder for instance, actually ends up on their right side, forcing them to change direction and quickly pick up the flight of the ball again. Be sure they run on the balls of their feet not on their heels, because running on their heels will jar their eyes, causing the ball to look like it is bouncing. Also, don't have them sprint after the ball with their glove hand outstretched the whole time, because that will only slow them down. They should try pumping their arms just as if they were running with no glove on, and only reach out with their glove in the last few steps.

A variation of this drill which will help teach them the crossover step when going back on a ball, involves having them turn around so they are facing in the opposite direction you are. Yell left or right, which tells them it is a fly ball to the left or right. They need to crossover with the opposite leg and break back on the ball. Keep emphasizing that they need to watch the ball into their glove.

Just like the infielders always need to be aware of outs, the score, inning, where the runners are, etc., so do your outfielders. If there is a runner on third and your left fielder makes a nice catch of a line drive, and he sees that the runner on third broke for home and hasn't gotten back to third, he has to know that if he gets a good, quick throw to the third baseman, they can double the runner off third. If you have to holler to him to throw the ball to third because he is celebrating his catch, or because he didn't take the time to check where the runners were before the ball was hit, he'll never get the runner out.

The secret of all of this at this age though, is convincing your outfielders that just because they aren't playing shortstop, that they are key members of your defensive scheme. Watch you left fielder's face the first time his backing up of the third baseman prevents a run from scoring on the catcher's overthrow!