Why scrimmage?
EventsThe majority of camps and clinics focus on teaching proper mechanics. Players are loaded with instruction on how—how you swing to make solid contact; how you pitch to achieve maximum velocity and movement; how you field a ground ball cleanly to get the out. But what happens when you have runners on second and third with no outs and you're down 3–2 in the top of the 7th?
We're sure many of you have wondered, "why spend four hours scrimmaging instead of focusing on drills and fundamentals?" We thought it was a good question, so we wanted to share why!
The majority of camps and clinics focus on teaching proper mechanics. Players are loaded with instruction on how—how you swing to make solid contact; how you pitch to achieve maximum velocity and movement; how you field a ground ball cleanly to get the out. But what happens when you have runners on second and third with no outs and you're down 3–2 in the top of the 7th?
A lot of players panic in situations when the game is on the line. They've been taught what to do—and they do it well—but without understanding why they are doing what they're doing we can't expect them to perform at their highest level under pressure. The coaches at Beyond the Yard want to help players understand these situations before games count, and that's something that can't be taught at your average softball camp!
What will happen at the scrimmage?
The first 45 minutes will be spent going through proper game-day warm ups, including stretching, throwing progression, and ground and fly balls. Once everyone's warm we'll break into two teams and scrimmage for the remainder of the time. We'll get in at least 7 innings of play in a controlled scrimmage.
What do you mean by a controlled scrimmage?
We'll start off just like any other game, 0–0, no runners on, nobody out; as we play, we'll pause the game on a play-by-play basis wherever we find a good point for instruction. If the game is moving too quick or too slow, we'll insert runners or adjust outs to create situations for the players to work on. Our coaches will work with specialized groups and teach players what to think about depending on the situation they're in.
Who will be there?
Lori Cook
In over 20 years of collegiate coaching, Lori Cook has seen everything. She knows what to look for when recruiting players and how to handle the toughest situations on the field. Coach Cook will be working with the defense, teaching players what to be aware of with runners on base. Whether the ball is hit to you or not, every player on the field has a role in every play.
More Summer Scrimmage coaches will be announced soon!
Who should attend?
Beyond the Yard Scrimmages are good for players who:
- want to work on positions they don't see a lot of time at
- want to be more intuitive and not worry so much with runners on base
- want to get more comfortable in the box facing live pitching
- want to get more confident in the circle pitching with runners on base
- want to work on base running—knowing when to tag up, how far of a lead to take, when to steal, etc.
Read next: A Parent's Perspective: What we got out of the 14u Scrimmage
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