Time and time again throughout the course of the season, games are lost more frequently by poor fielding. Think back to last year and remember how many times you won and lost and what the cause was. A missed ground ball, fly ball or bad throw turns into a run(s). An extra out may be all a team needs to push across the winning run or build a cushion to put the game out of reach.

So as we embark upon our winter training practices, if your team has the opportunity and the space, make throwing and defense an integral part of your training, not just hitting. Pay attention the kids and make sure they are doing things as instructed. It’s important that they get quality reps on the defensive side as well.

For great training drills and practice ideas, see Baseball Zone’s Practice Planner. Create fun and challenging practices quickly and easily.