Youth Baseball Practice Plan Templates (60 & 90 Minutes)
Why You Need a Practice Plan (Not a Practice "Idea")
There's a massive difference between showing up to practice with a few drills in your head and showing up with a structured plan. Without a plan, here's what happens: the first drill runs long, you forget what you were going to do next, kids start wrestling in the outfield, and suddenly practice is over and you didn't work on hitting at all.
A good practice plan gives you:
- Structure — Every minute is accounted for
- Balance — You hit all skill areas, not just whatever you remembered
- Confidence — You walk onto the field knowing exactly what's happening and when
- Flexibility — Ironically, having a plan makes it easier to adapt. You know what you can cut if something runs long.
The 60-Minute Practice Template
Perfect for weeknight practices, especially for younger age groups (7U–9U) who can't sustain focus for 90 minutes. Sixty minutes is plenty if you're efficient.
7U–8U (60 Minutes)
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:05 | Team Warm-Up | Jog the bases, arm circles, high knees. Keep it moving — no static stretching for little kids. |
| 0:05–0:12 | Throwing Pairs | Partner throwing at 15–20 feet. Focus on "step and throw" mechanics. Use soft balls if available. |
| 0:12–0:22 | Fielding Drill | Alligator Chomps — roll grounders, emphasize glove on the ground, two hands. Keep the line moving. |
| 0:22–0:27 | Water Break | Mandatory hydration. Use this time to set up the next station. |
| 0:27–0:42 | Hitting Stations | 3 tees set up along the fence. Groups of 3–4 rotate through. 5 swings per player per station. |
| 0:42–0:52 | Base Running Game | Traffic Light Bases or relay races. High energy to close out practice strong. |
| 0:52–0:60 | Team Huddle | Highlight 2–3 kids who did something great today. Team cheer. Remind about next practice/game. |
9U–10U (60 Minutes)
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:07 | Dynamic Warm-Up | Jog, high knees, karaoke, butt kicks across the outfield. Light throwing to finish. |
| 0:07–0:15 | Throwing Progression | Start close (30 ft), move back to 60 ft. Focus on crow hop and follow-through. |
| 0:15–0:25 | Infield/Outfield | Hit ground balls and fly balls. Rotate through positions every 3 minutes. |
| 0:25–0:30 | Water Break | Set up hitting stations during break. |
| 0:30–0:45 | Hitting | Soft toss and tee work. Focus on one cue per session: "load and drive" or "watch it hit the bat." |
| 0:45–0:55 | Situational Play | Runner on 2nd, ground ball to shortstop — where's the throw? Walk through 2–3 scenarios. |
| 0:55–0:60 | Huddle & Dismiss | Quick review, shout-outs, next schedule info. |
The 90-Minute Practice Template
For older age groups (10U–13U) and weekend practices where you have more time. The key to a good 90-minute practice is variety — no single activity should last more than 15 minutes or attention drifts.
10U–12U (90 Minutes)
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Dynamic Warm-Up | Jog, dynamic stretches, agility ladder or cone drills. Band work for arms if available. |
| 0:10–0:20 | Throwing Program | Long toss progression: 40→60→80→60→40 feet. Emphasize mechanics on the way back in. |
| 0:20–0:35 | Defensive Stations | Split into 3 groups, rotate every 5 min: (1) Ground balls at SS/2B, (2) Fly balls in OF, (3) First base footwork. |
| 0:35–0:40 | Water Break | Transition to hitting setup. |
| 0:40–0:60 | Hitting Rotation | 4 stations, 5 min each: (1) Tee work — line drives, (2) Soft toss, (3) Short toss front flip, (4) Bunting. |
| 1:00–1:05 | Water Break | |
| 1:05–1:20 | Live Situations | Simulated innings. Put runners on, hit ground balls, practice cutoffs and relays. Game speed. |
| 1:20–1:27 | Conditioning Game | Base running competition or pickle (rundowns). Keep it competitive and fun. |
| 1:27–1:30 | Team Huddle | Review focus points, shout-outs, schedule reminders. |
12U–13U (90 Minutes — Competition Focus)
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Warm-Up & Stretch | Player-led warm-up. Dynamic stretches, band work, light throwing. |
| 0:10–0:20 | Bullpen / Throwing | Pitchers throw bullpen (with catcher). Position players do long toss and footwork drills. |
| 0:20–0:35 | Team Defense | Full infield/outfield. Hit fungoes, practice relay throws, first-and-third defense. |
| 0:35–0:40 | Water Break | |
| 0:40–1:00 | BP / Hitting Stations | Live BP (coach pitching) with 2 station groups rotating: cage work, tee drills, situational hitting. |
| 1:00–1:05 | Water Break | |
| 1:05–1:25 | Scrimmage / Situations | Intrasquad scrimmage or targeted situations: 2 outs, runner on 3rd — squeeze play? Sac fly? Work through scenarios at game speed. |
| 1:25–1:30 | Cool Down & Huddle | Stretch, review, assignments for next practice. |
Tips for Running a Tight Practice
- Arrive 10 minutes early to set up equipment. Don't waste practice time dragging out tees and cones.
- Use a whistle or horn for transitions. "When you hear the whistle, jog to the next station." It saves 2–3 minutes per transition, which adds up to 15+ minutes over a practice.
- Assign parent helpers to stations. Even parents who don't know baseball can feed balls into a soft toss machine or shag balls at the tee station.
- Have a backup plan for rain or lost field access. Indoor throwing drills, video review, or a team chalk talk at someone's garage.
- Write it down. Print your plan and tape it to your clipboard. Sounds old school, but when 12 kids are yelling and you can't remember what comes after water break, your clipboard saves you.
Customizing for Your Team
These templates are starting points, not gospel. Adjust based on:
- What you saw in the last game. If your team couldn't field a ground ball, spend more time on defense next practice.
- Season phase. Early season = fundamentals. Mid season = situational play. Late season = game simulations.
- Weather and energy. Hot day? More water breaks, shorter stations. Kids buzzing with energy? Channel it into conditioning games.
- Game schedule. Practice the day before a game? Keep it light — no heavy conditioning or new concepts. Save that for the gap between games.
Build Your Plan Automatically
If you want to skip the planning and go straight to practice, our Practice Planner lets you build a complete practice plan in about 30 seconds. Select your age group, focus areas, and practice length — it generates a structured plan with specific drills, timing, and coaching cues.
You can also use the manual drag-and-drop builder to customize any plan block by block. Either way, you'll walk onto the field prepared, which is the single biggest thing separating organized coaches from the ones winging it.
Now go run a great practice, Coach.