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Travel Baseball: Fun-Damental Skills For Kids

Jacey Martin

If your child is considering playing travel baseball this winter or summer, focusing on fundamental skills can help them make the team, see more playing time, and have more fun.

Here are some drills you can use to build fundamental skills to succeed on a travel baseball team:

Throwing and Fielding

Basic defensive fundamentals are important, regardless of what position your child plays on a travel baseball team. Giving them reps throwing and catching can improve their odds of seeing time on the field.

  • Throwing: A basic throwing drill is great for developing proper throwing and catching techniques. Have your child line up about 10-15 feet away from you. They should throw the ball back and forth to you. When your child throws, have them focus on using a proper throwing motion and follow-through, as well as looking the ball into their glove.
  • Grounders: To work on fielding ground balls, place a bucket of balls near your child's feet. Have them field the balls as they roll toward them. This will help them learn to get their glove down low to the ground and make a smooth transfer from glove to throwing hand.

Take Some BP and Base Running

Batting practice (BP for short) requires a developed sense of hand and eye coordination. Giving your child more opportunities to contact the ball while developing their swing, can be an important part of getting opportunities in travel baseball. Having base running skills can help them get pinch-running opportunities and develop their athleticism.

  • Hitting off a Tee: For younger kids, setting up a tee can be a great way to help them develop proper hitting technique. Have the kids take turns hitting off the tee and focus on contacting the ball in the middle of the bat.
  • Soft Toss: Once the kids have mastered hitting off the tee, you can set up a soft toss drill to help them work on their timing and hand-eye coordination. Have a coach or parent stand a few feet in front of the kid and gently toss the ball underhand to them. The kid should try to contact the ball and hit it back to the coach or parent.
  • Base Running: To work on base running, set up a series of cones or other markers to represent the bases. Have the kids take turns running the bases, focusing on proper technique such as keeping their eyes on the coach giving them the sign to run.

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