Travel Season is over Now What

[Three A's baseball]

My 8U son just finished his travel season and it was a blast.

We play flag football this year in the fall and basketball in the winter. My question is how much time do you normally take off before playing baseball again in the late summer and what drils are the most effective if time is limited.

Anyone have any sample off season practice routines for youngsters?

[TG Coach]

My 8U son just finished his travel season and it was a blast.

We play flag football this year in the fall and basketball in the winter. My question is how much time do you normally take off before playing baseball again in the late summer and what drils are the most effective if time is limited.

Anyone have any sample off season practice routines for youngsters?

When my son (14U) finishes at the beginning of August he doesn't touch baseball equipment until fall ball starts after Labor Day. When fall ball ends at the end of October he doesn't swing until mid January and throw until mid February.

The offseason has been football, then basketball. Now that he's entering high school he's not playing football. His fall will be fall ball, strength training and a JV prep basketball league. When my son was eight he played 7/8 rec and organized pickup ball until the end of July. Then didn't touch baseball equipment until March.

When my daughter played travel she had much the same schedule. When she was 7/8 rec she played her fourteen league games into mid June and didn't go near the game until the following March. Now that she's in college she hasn't touched softball equipment since her team lost in regions in late May. She won't practice until fall ball. The offseason (September to December) is brutal.

[Three A's baseball]

wow sounds like you had a full schedule.

what were the drills you did with them the most and why

[TG Coach]

wow sounds like you had a full schedule.

what were the drills you did with them the most and why

In the offseason when they were eight? Nothing but other sports. My son didn't play fall ball until 13U. My daughter didn't play fall ball until she was fifteen in 18U. Before that, when the season ended at the beginning of August it was over until March. It didn't stop my daughter from making varsity as a freshman and playing college ball. It didn't stop my son from being a varsity prospect heading into his freshman year. I think he'll skip freshman ball, start JV and start on varsity his soph year. But the varsity coach told him he'll get a varsity tryout.

His offseason training now is strength and agility training. The difference between freshman/sophomores and juniors/seniors is upper body strength and the ability to drive the ball hard. He also needs to build his bat speed to handle a mid 80's fastball on a regular basis. He doesn't often see a fastball over 80 in 14U. My daughter went through the same routine entering high school to face a mid 60's softball fastball. This isn't stuff an eight year old needs to be concerned with.

[Three A's baseball]

I understand.

Good Luck with your children

[Jake Patterson]

My 8U son just finished his travel season and it was a blast.

We play flag football this year in the fall and basketball in the winter. My question is how much time do you normally take off before playing baseball again in the late summer and what drils are the most effective if time is limited.

Anyone have any sample off season practice routines for youngsters?


James Andrews recommends no more than eights months of play with four months off. At 8U let him go swimming..