Softball Training Program: Offseason Conditioning At Home

The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd – softball season is a whirlwind of activity!

But before the first pitch is tossed, there’s a crucial period: the off-season. This is the time to build the strength, speed, and stamina needed to dominate the diamond.

Forget the hassle of expensive camps across town! This off-season softball training program is designed for kids aged 10-14 and can be completed at home or at your local park.

With easy-to-follow instructions and exercises that require minimal equipment, this program is your one-stop shop for getting your young slugger in peak condition – all without ever leaving the neighborhood!

Softball Training Program for Youth Players

Is your daughter looking to improve their softball game during the offseason? Here’s a tool to take their hitting, fielding, and throwing to the next level.

Softball Training Plan Contents

18 carefully designed, 66 minutes softball workouts
A minute-by-minute breakdown of activities.
Activities rotate from one to the next quickly to keep players interested and for aerobic benefit.
It is designed for either six weeks with three sessions or nine weeks with two sessions each week. Players who play another sport in the offseason frequently find the nine weeks best.
It’s in e-book format. Print off the sheets you need and follow along for each workout, or follow along on your smartphone.

A softball inspirational story and quote for each workout.

Before each workout, we recommend that players read the stories and quotes.

Life lessons like overcoming obstacles, respecting people, and having a positive attitude are reinforced.

Essential info for youth softball players.

Softball Training: Who is it for?

Ages 10 – 17 years old. It’s recommended that players have played organized softball before. That will help with this softball training program.

If the 66-minute time period is too long or the activities are too challenging for younger players, we suggest shortening the sessions to 30 or 45 minutes. You can choose between middle activities while maintaining the warm-up and end activities to reduce the time.

Importance of Softball Offseason Workouts

Repetition of an exercise builds muscle memory. Focusing on individual skills during an off-season workout gives a player plenty of opportunities to fine-tune and improve.

Your team’s coaches don’t have enough time to devote to every individual skill. Regular-season games usually present too few opportunities to hone a skill. Practices during the regular season provide more opportunities, but typically, a coach has many other topics to cover.

Let’s say a player wants to work on hitting pitches on the outer half of the plate to the opposite field. A player may have only seen a few of these pitches during practice or a game. However, these softball training programs feature dozens of opportunities weekly to work on hitting this type of pitch. Lots of reps lead to improvement.

Breaking down the bigger game into each component makes it easier. If a player goes to practice and plays games, that player will likely get better at softball. Suppose the same player takes a different approach, concentrating on improving some of the fundamental softball skills; in that case, the player will likely improve faster.

Key Advantages

It provides a platform to strengthen weaknesses and build on strengths. Individual workouts can be tailored to work on the areas specific to a player’s strengths and weaknesses.

There is plenty of time until the next game. Experimenting with your batting stance, stride & swing during the season can be difficult. Corrections and lots of repetition can be made during the offseason to prepare for a game situation. It’s the ideal time to develop your hitting.

It’s a relaxed environment where no one is watching. Individual workouts enable players to take risks without fear of evaluation or criticism. Sometimes, by taking chances and some risks, players improve their game.

Softball Conditioning Program – Design Considerations

The thinking behind the overall workout plan and each plan includes:

A focus on fundamentals. We emphasized the building blocks of a good softball player because that easily transfers from one team to the next.
Strong emphasis on throwing, fielding, and hitting. These are three critical areas that can be practiced individually or with another person effectively, and the offseason is a great time to work on these skills.
Multiple position development. Youth softball players shouldn’t just learn the skills for just one position. The best players are well-rounded. They know how to play many positions. This makes them valuable assets to any team.
Shift activities quickly. Moving from one activity to the next quickly keeps players interested and enables them to work on many different skill sets.

More on this Softball training program

Increase the level of difficulty over time. Some of the fitness drills will get progressively more difficult. Initially, we want players to grow accustomed to using different muscles, and then, as the plan progresses, we’ll ask for more repetitions or extended periods.
A fitness focus. Players play their best when they’re in shape. It’s hard to execute at the highest level if you’re tired, lack strength, or are out of shape. A part of each workout session includes general fitness exercises to address these needs.
It is designed for individual use or with a workout partner (a friend or parent is perfect). One player can complete most of the activities for these off-season workouts independently. However, workouts can be more fun with a partner, and throwing and catching activities are better with a person than a rebound net. Players should try to find a friend to complete the workouts with or have a parent assist.
It is made for healthy kids who have played softball before. If you have any concerns about having your child participate in this type of program from a health perspective, consult with your physician. Kids should have a water bottle and drink water as needed.

SEE THE SAMPLE PLAN BELOW

About the Author

John Blissenbach has coached all youth softball and baseball levels from kindergarten through high school. He has coached and managed championship youth & American Legion baseball teams.

He began coaching baseball in 1979 at the age of 20. John started as a high school assistant varsity/JV head coach, working with varsity head coach Hank Mauer (the great uncle of Minnesota Twins All-Star Catcher Joe Mauer).

In addition to coaching softball, John has also been a coach for his four children’s softball, football, basketball, track, and soccer teams. During the past 20 years, he has enjoyed coaching more than 50 youth (boys & girls) teams.

Digital Download Available Immediately

Upon purchase, you’ll receive a PDF – this product is a digital download. The PDF works on Macs and PCs – ensure you have your computer’s latest version of Adobe Reader (available for free). The PDF lets you print out pages you want when needed.