Baseball practice plan
60-Minute Youth Baseball Practice Plan
A fast-moving hour built around small groups and short stations, so young players get dozens of throws, catches and swings instead of standing in long lines.
60 minutes8U to 10UFocus: Throwing, catching and hitting fundamentalsStation-based skill work
Warm-upSkillWater breakDrillCompetitionCool-down
Equipment
Baseballs (1 per 2 players) · Gloves · Tee and bucket of balls · Wiffle balls · Cones · BasesThe plan, block by block
1. Warm-up
Dynamic warm-up
8 min0:00 - 8:00
Two lines on the foul line, cones 20 yards out.
- Jog out and back
- High knees, butt kicks, side shuffles
- Arm circles forward and back
Coaching points
- Keep it moving, no standing
- Loose arms before the first throw
2. Skill
Partner throwing ladder
10 min8:00 - 18:00
Partners 15 feet apart, step back after every 5 good catches.
- Point glove shoulder at the target
- Step and throw to the chest
- Catch with two hands, then step back
Coaching points
- Turn the glove side to the target
- Throw to the chest every time
Make it harder: Count catches in a row and race the other pairs.
3. Water break
Water break
2 min18:00 - 20:00
4. Drill
Three-station rotation
24 min20:00 - 44:00
Split into three groups, 8 minutes per station, coach or parent at each.
- Station 1: tee work, 10 swings each, aim back up the middle
- Station 2: ground balls, field and throw to a cone at first
- Station 3: fly balls with soft balls, call it and catch above the head
Coaching points
- Hitting: stance, load, swing level
- Fielding: glove down, butt down, two hands
- Flies: call 'Mine!' loud
5. Competition
Base running relay
10 min44:00 - 54:00
Two teams at home plate.
- Run home to first, touch the front of the bag
- Next round: first to third, round the bag
- Relay race to finish
Coaching points
- Run through first base
- Round the bag with a banana turn
6. Cool-down
Team huddle
6 min54:00 - 60:00
- Light stretch
- Each player names one thing they did well
- Break it down on 'Team!'
Coaching points
- End on something positive
Coach's notes
At this age reps beat lectures. Keep every station under 10 minutes, use soft balls for fly-ball work, and have a parent helper at each station.How to adapt this plan
- For a bigger group, add a fourth station with catcher drills or soft-toss.
- If the field is wet, swap base running for an indoor bean-bag throwing game.