Little League includes divisions for boys and girls from ages 5 to 18, in both baseball and softball. The smallest children start off in Tee Ball, with local options available to set age cutoffs to move into pitched baseball. Drills aimed at Little Leaguers can improve your child's hand-eye coordination and understanding of the game as well as overall fielding and hitting abilities.
Strike Zone Drill
Help hitters recognize different types of pitches as well as strike zone recognition with this drill. Stand 20 feet in front of the pitcher's mound with a glove and ball in hand. Have your child stand up at plate with a catcher standing behind him. As you pitch the ball towards home plate, have your child load up as if to swing at the pitch. Instead of swinging, have him follow the pitch into the catcher's mitt and call out if it's a ball or strike.
Colored Baseball Drill
Improve your child's reaction time at the plate by taking a bucket of balls and painting them different colors. Have your child stand at the plate with a bat in hand. As you throw different-colored balls towards the strike zone, have her call out the color of the ball that's coming towards the plate and then swing at each strike.
Fielding Drill
This drill is designed to improve your child's fielding skills as well as his hand positioning while fielding. Have your kid get down on both knees in the outfield with a glove on his hand. Stand 10 feet in front of him and roll ground balls towards him. Have him field the ball in front of his body, making sure that balls that get past his glove bounce off of his chest. Having him stay on his knees prevents him from ducking away from the ball.
Cut-Off Drill
Teach your Little Leaguer how to properly execute a cut-off from the outfield. Have a player stand in left field while two other players stand at shortstop and second base. Hit a ground ball into the outfield and have the outfielder cleanly field it. As soon as you hit the ball, have the shortstop run out towards the outfield, lining up between the outfielder and second base. Have the outfielder throw the ball at the head of the cut-off man. If you tell the shortstop to cut off the ball, he should catch the ball and hold onto it. If not, let the ball go through to the second baseman.
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