Coaches know the importance of drills. The cornerstone of most practices, they are essential in developing player skills and team execution. For younger players, however, the best drills go one step further. They engage the player, promote teamwork, and establish a lifelong love of the game.
Youth Baseball Drills is a comprehensive collection of more than 100 of the very best team drills for young players and their coaches. Developed specifically for players aged 6 to 18, the drills teach and reinforce fundamental skills such as these:
- Hitting
- Bunting
- Fielding
- Catching fly balls
- Throwing
- Pitching
- Base running
Easy to understand and easier to implement, each drill is accompanied by step-by-step instructions, equipment needs, field diagrams, and key coaching points. And the ready-to-use 30-, 60-, and 90-minute practice plans help coaches put them to use and create enjoyable and productive practices.
With variations and progressions for difficulty, Youth Baseball Drills has something for every coach and every player. It is a must-have guide for anyone wanting to teach youngsters how to play, and enjoy, the game of baseball.
About the Author: Peter Caliendo serves as president of Caliendo Sports International, a global baseball organization specializing in the training of individuals, teams, and coaches, as well as dealing with professional baseball operations worldwide. He recently worked in Japan as a coach alongside Japanese baseball legend and all-time home run champion Sadaharu Oh.
Caliendo studied the development of youth coaching at the legendary Mickey Owen Baseball School as well as the Grand Slam USA, Billy Williams, and Doyle baseball schools. Putting what he learned into practice, he served as the director of the Pan American Youth Baseball Association for six years. During his time with the organization, he oversaw three gold medals and more than 20 players who entered Major League Baseball. He has also served as coach and director for a number of professional teams, including the Belgium Baseball Federation national teams, team USA (where he coached a team in Australia's Intercontinental Cup), the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks, and the Schaumburg Flyers. While with the Flyers, Caliendo saw more than 20 players sign with Major League organizations.
Caliendo's resume includes stops at baseball franchises and organizations as a player, coach, and director. He is in his 14th year as a technical commissioner for the International Baseball Federation, where he served as the head of the technical committee for the historic 2009 World Baseball Cup in Europe. In 2012 and 2013 he worked as a technical committee member for the MLB World Baseball Classic's qualifier and first and second rounds in Japan. As a technical commissioner for the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), he served on the jury of appeal for the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and as a technical commissioner for the Olympic Qualifier in Havana, Cuba. He has served as director for USA Athletes International's Baseball Operations, as an associate scout with the Toronto Blue Jays, as director of baseball operations and coach for the Schaumburg Flyers in the Northern League, and as player procurement director for the North Shore Spirit in the independent Northeast League.
Currently Caliendo serves on the International Baseball Federation's Tournament and Development Committee and has been director of the Great Lakes Region for NTIS--USA Baseball's National Team Identification Program for potential national team players since 2009. He also served as a board member for the Chicago Baseball Museum and as an immediate past president and board member of the Pitch and Hit Club, where he served eight years as president.
Caliendo has produced five instructional baseball DVDs (Coaching Made Easy) and has created an online baseball coaches certification program with the Baseball Coaches Video Library in Canada. In 20 countries he has presented at clinics, including the National High School Coaches Baseball Clinic, various High School Association Clinics, and the European Baseball Coaches Association clinic (EBCA). In 2011, Caliendo received both the American Baseball Coaches Association Meritorious Service Award and the Pitch and Hit Club Paul "Dizzy" Trout Ambassador Award.
