Drills to help with situational awareness when on D (9U rec)
Hi friends! I'm a first time coach and I did not grow up playing baseball so there's a lot of learning on the fly for me.
I volunteered to be HC for my son's 9U rec team. Machine pitch.
We've had 2 games so far. I'm not worried about wins or losses. My goal is to make sure: 1) kids have fun, and 2) kids get better at baseball, being a teammate, learning to make progress, etc.
One thing I've noticed in our first 2 games is a lack of situational awareness when we are in the field. A couple of examples:
We are on D. Bases loaded. Ball is hit to 3B who fields it nicely. Instead of going for the easy out at 3B he throws home to try and prevent the run.
We are on D. Runner on 1st. Ball hit to infielder. They kind of freeze not knowing whether to try and throw to 2nd or throw to 1st.
I'm not surprised there is some of this given how young and inexperienced most of the kids are.
It's my job to help them get better.
Any suggestions on age and skill level appropriate drills to help them get better with decision making?