Tee Ball Coaching Tips for Youth Sports Coaches

When it comes to tee ball coaching ideas, the most critical consideration is to make practices fun, simple, and engaging. Tee Ball is often the first team sport many children take part in.

What young players experience at this stage can strongly influence their long-term interest in the game. Additionally, participation in youth sports has been linked to higher self-esteem and improved mental well-being in children.

This blog explores some basic Tee Ball drills you can implement in any practice that cover essential skills such as hitting, throwing, catching and base running. Each drill is designed to introduce new skills or sharpen existing ones, all while keeping the experience fun and engaging.

Tee Ball Equipment Basics

To run a great practice, make sure you have the following equipment:

• Batting tees

• Light-weight bats

• Safety (soft) baseballs

• Small hand gloves

• Bases and cones for drills

Tee Ball Hitting Drills

• Target practice: Set up a batting tee at home plate and scatter cones around the field. Players will take turns hitting off the tee, aiming to hit a cone.

• One-hand swings: Set up a batting tee. The first player in line will start with their bottom hand only on the bat. Players will take slow, controlled swings using their bottom hand only. After three swings, they will switch to using only their top hand.

Tee Ball Throwing and Catching Drills

• Partner tosses: Have players start 5-10 feet apart. Players toss back and forth using proper throwing mechanics.

• Bucket challenge: Place a bucket a short distance away to start. Players will field a tossed ball, aiming to throw it into the bucket. Gradually move the bucket further each round.

• Popcorn catch: Players stand in a small circle. One player tosses the ball lightly into the air. The receiving players must try and catch it before it hits the ground. *Use multiple balls to make this drill more challenging.
  

Fielding Drills

• Alligator hands: Players will field the ball with their glove hand on the ground and their bare hand on top.

• Freeze & throw: Coach rolls a ball to a player. Once they field it, they will freeze in proper stance with their knees bent and glove out.

• Clean the yard: Players field balls and throw them to the other team’s side. After 5 minutes, the team with fewer balls is crowned the winner.
  

Base Running Drills

• Beat the ball: The Runner will sprint to first base while the fielder throws the ball to a teammate on 1st base. The runner must try and “beat the ball.”

• Run the bases relay: First player in line sprints around all the bases and tags the next runner. Continue until all players have run.

Wrapping Up

The best Tee Ball coaching approach blends enjoyment with fundamentals. By focusing on basic drills, enjoyable games, and positive encouragement, coaches prepare children to enjoy Tee Ball for many years to come.

With tools like SkillShark, measure any Tee Ball skill with our easy mobile evaluation app. Instantly get auto-generated reports after an evaluation to rank & compare players and even track development effortlessly.