WebBall.com - Lesson 1: The Sequence Charted

Wake-Up Warm-Up

As explained in the introduction, we set rules for a gradual and progressive warm-up - from stretching, to core work, to higher energy drills.

ELEMENT	PURPOSE	DURATION
Light Jog	Just to get the body loose, as soon as the cleats are on - from the dugout to the foul pole and back. Get water before proceeding.	1 min. or less
Tubing	To get shoulders and upper body loose, and identify any possible twinges.	Jaeger routine approx 4 min.
Arm Circles	To move from linear resistance (tubing) to dynamic, circular movement. Hold 2 or 3 balls in each hand, go clockwise and counter, with palms up and palms down.	About 2 mins, 10 rotations per position.
Line Work	To engage the lower body, all players on outfield foul line, pace it out even with 2nd base. Start with simple ankle loosening, progress to hip-flexor strides, laterals, cross-overs, high leaps, and lunges with twist.	Through multi-step sequence, 5 min.
Sprint Jog	To increase core temp, to add a short-burst interval component on top of aerobic jog. Also called wind sprints or Scottish mile. Players run in a straight line, last player in line sprints to front and slows to jog, repeat until everyone has done a sprint component.	Either full lap of field or across outfield from foul pole to foul pole, but must include the sprint component, not just running.
Water Break	This can be individual or in a circle while discussing plans for the practice	2 minutes max.
Throwing Sequence	With bodies warmed up, players now get to throw, progressing from on-knee throws, then standing at 30', 60'... backing out to crow-hop distance (minimum 1/3rd past base-to-base distance.)	3-5 throws at each distance, out and back in to rapid fire sequence.

This table outlines the sequence we like players to follow. Most steps are broken down into specific lessons, following.

Note: if not enough tubing sets are available, some players will do the circles while waiting their turn on tubes.

Once we get into line work and beyond, we want the team to work as a unit.

The traditional static stretching in a team circle is an okay alternative to line work for younger teams, but we prefer either the lines or else a more dynamic circle routine (included in lesson series).