Wow. It’s finally here, the first day of practice. We’ve waited all winter for this. For some of us, we’ve been practicing for months. For others, we’ve just begun. Either way, that first outside practice is exhilarating. The sound and feel of being cooped up in a cage for seemingly weeks on end hitting into nets, off tees and from coaches throwing from 25’ is over and the world has now opened up. For us Midwesterners, the world is now in equilibrium. Before we begin, it is important to understand a few things to make the transition seemless.

As a coach at my first practice, the last thing I want to do is overload my kids with information. They are probably so excited to be outside, they won’t even hear half the things you say anyway. Can we go over the swing, sure. Can we talk about major points, of course.  However, a brief overview of your expectations and philosophies will suffice.

The first thing you will encounter outside is obviously the weather. It will be cold, windy, sunny, wet or any combination. Expect it. How you feel will impact how you practice. Bring that extra sweatshirt and sunglasses, just in case. Most importantly, make sure you get a proper warm up before practicing.

The second thing to get ready for is the change in your environment and depth perception. You are no longer indoors in batting cages with walls all around. Coaches (or players) will now move back and most likely be throwing from farther away with trees off in the background rather than metal walls right behind. The game may slow down or speed up a little. Expect it. Those first few times up at the plate will take some adjusting. Trust in your abilities and understand that it will take some time to get used to. This is not the time to forget all the hard work you have just put in over the last few months.

Now you need to adjust to the field. It definitely will not be as perfect as your practice facility. Uneven and unstable playing surface, throwing longer distances, battling the elements all have to be taken into consideration. Prepare for it.

Lastly, make sure you take proper care of your body after practice. Regardless of how hard I trained before spring training, I was always sore after the first few days. Expect it and plan accordingly.