On January 4, 2026, we held our first Winter Training session at The Turf in Cranford. The following is a brief recap of the drills and lessons from the day.

Group Lesson:  Throwing Progression

We implimented a throwing progression, which isolates certain portions of the proper throwing mechanics in order to emphasize correct form as the player builds up to full throws.

Step 1:  One Knee Throwing – Proper Grip

• Players face each other and sit with one knee down.
• With a proper grip on the baseball, they “flick” the ball to each other easily. 
• This emphasizes ensuring proper grip and proper spin on the ball.

Step 2:  One Knee Throwing – Power Position

• With one knee down, players make full throws from their knees, ensuring that the hand is on top of the ball (power position) before bringing the arm forward while keeping the elbow above the shoulder.
• This emphasizes the proper upper body form.

Step 3:  Front Throwing

• Players move back again and then stand flat-footed, facing each other.
• They will then make throws to each other without moving their feet or legs; only using their entire upper body. 

Step 4:  Side Throwing

• Players move back again and then stand sideways with the front shoulder pointed to each other. 
• Players will not step, but otherwise they will take normal throws, incorporating all of the mechanics from the previous steps.

Step 5:  Regular Throwing

• After moving back again, the players will then make complete throws, stepping as they throw. 

We intend to utilize this throwing program (or a variation of it) to warm up at practices and games. 

Stations:

We then divided up into groups for station work.

Station 1: Tee Work

We ran two different drills: flamingo drill and hook ’em drill. Both drills emphasize keeping balance, loading (weight shift), and driving through the ball.

Flamingo Drill:

Hook ‘Em Drill:

Station 2: Front Toss

I am a big fan of front toss because it mimics the directio and angle the ball will be coming at a hitter during an actual game. We challenged the kids to try to see how many times they could hit the net on a line drive. Nico and Lucas had the most.

Station 3: Fielding Station – Three Cone Drill

Three cones were set up and the coaches would roll ground balls to the players. Players were required to field the ball on the backhand, forehand, or directly in front of their body depending on where the ball was rolled.

AWARDS

After every practice and game, we will be giving out two awards: the MVP and the Heart and Hustle Award. The MVP will be awarded to the player that performed the best that day. THe Heart and Hustle Award goes to a player who demonstrated good sportsmanship, leadership, and work ethic.

The first winners of the season were Nico (MVP) and Henry (Heart and Hustle):

Photos: