Blending Running and Practice

Running at the end of practice! It can be a player's worst nightmare, and most coaches dread this part of practice. Then why do we do it?

Softball is not a sport that consists of 20-minute halves spent running up and down a court or a field, and the longest we would have to run isn't even a 100-yard dash. Why run?

The answer is that we need to train and develop our athletes for the specific running demands of our sport. Our first task is to define what those demands are. An athlete may run the 100-yard dash in all-America times on a track, but can she run the bases, or jam on the brakes and change directions quickly? These sport-specific skills need our attention.

Our second task is to keep the running from becoming too redundant and yet tax their system enough to gain a benefit. The human body is extraordinary at adapting to the stresses that we place upon it. Thus, the statement, "No Pain, No Gain."

Running does not need to be painful, but we do need to generate enough stress to the system to create a substantial gain. Having your players run only once in awhile yields little to no benefits; therefore, the training you do for them should be on a consistent basis.

A final consideration before working on our sport-specific running needs is to make sure that our players have received some instruction on the basic running mechanics. Most conditioning staff, track coaches or running books can provide this information.

Technique running is always a good warm-up before practice or a running workout. If you have access to a speed and agility workshop or instructor, this also can be a huge benefit.

Listed on this page are some drills that you may want to include or slightly alter to fit into regular practices. We as coaches should continue to create and look for new ideas to keep advancing our sport. The drills here came from the combination of ideas from other coaches and my own imagination. Some drills can be implemented during regular defensive practices, not just at the end of practice. Remember keep it fresh and keep them working.

Cross Diamond
This drill uses four bases set up like a diamond. By changing the base distances shorter or longer, the drill will work for different fitness levels of your team.

Split your team in half and start them at home. The first group will sprint from home through first. They will follow each other, allowing enough room between each player to avoid slowing up the subsequent runner. The group will circle around and then go across the diamond from first to third, doing a footwork drill.

Once they have gone past third, they will circle around and sprint from third through home. Make sure they all sprint past the base. They will then circle back and cross the diamond from home to second doing a different footwork drill. Once they have gone past third, they will circle around and sprint from third through home. Make sure they all sprint past the base.

They will then circle back and cross the diamond from home to second doing a different footwork or technique drill. Next they sprint from second though third and once again cross the diamond with a technique drill.

A final sprint from first to second, followed by a cross from second to home will end the drill. The second group should sprint to first; once the last person in the first group starts across the diamond from first to third. They should take their time on the diagonals and use proper technique. This is the time to catch their breath and recover from the sprints. The sprints always go in the same direction as during the game.

You should do this at least twice with approximately one-minute rest.

The following are some technique footwork steps you can use, or implement some of your own:
High knees (not skipping)
Butt kicks
Leg Extensions
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