8U Softball Practice Plan

Seven rows covering the core blocks of an 8U practice: warm-up, throwing and catching, fielding, hitting, baserunning, game play, and cool-down. Write your drills and time allocations in each row, then print it or share it with your assistant coaches. The table copies directly into Word, Excel, or Google Sheets if you prefer a digital version.

At 6-8 years old, every drill should teach one skill at a time and take no longer than 8 minutes. Longer than that and players start losing focus, fidgeting with their glove, or drifting into conversations. The drill library below covers throwing, catching, fielding, hitting, baserunning, and game play. Pick 4-5 drills per practice and rotate them across the week so players build every fundamental without repeating the same activity two days in a row.

Drill Selection Tips

• Start with throwing and catching. These are the two skills 8U players use in every defensive play, and they need the most repetitions to build muscle memory at this age
• Use tee hitting over live pitching for skill work. Tees remove the variable of pitch accuracy and let players focus entirely on their swing mechanics
• End with a game-like activity (Pickle, mini-scrimmage, or sprint races). Players remember the last thing they did at practice, and you want that memory to be fun

If this is your first time coaching 8U softball, or your players are brand new to the sport, the biggest adjustment is expectations. Most 6-8 year olds cannot throw accurately to a target 40 feet away, cannot catch a ball above their head reliably, and have never swung a bat outside of a backyard. That is completely normal. Your job at this age is to build comfort with the ball, the glove, and the bat through short, repeatable drills.

First 4 Practices: Core Skills Only

Spend the first four practices on just three things: throwing with a partner, catching ground balls rolled by the coach, and hitting off a tee. Skip baserunning situations, game scrimmages, and position-specific work until your players can throw and catch at 15 feet without the ball hitting the ground more than half the time. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)(opens in new tab) recommends that youth practices build on each other progressively, adding complexity only after fundamentals are consistent.

Beginner Drill Progression

1. Week 1-2: One-Knee Throwing, Selfies (ball tracking), Alligator Hands ground balls, Tee Hitting Stations
2. Week 3-4: Add Partner Ground Rolls, Soft Toss Side Drill, Home-to-First Sprint Races
3. Week 5+: Add Star Drill, Cone Fielding Triangle, Pickle, mini-scrimmage with coach pitching

Equipment for Beginners

• Use soft training balls (dimpled "softies" or RIF balls) for the first 2-3 weeks. They reduce fear of the ball, which is the single biggest barrier for new 8U players
• A lighter bat (typically 25-27 inches, 13-15 oz for this age) helps players develop bat speed
• Tees should adjust low enough for the shortest player on the team. If a player has to reach up, the swing mechanics break down

Forty-five minutes is realistic for recreational leagues, weeknight practices when field time is limited, or the first few sessions of the season when players are still building stamina. This plan covers every core skill in a compact format. Set up your stations before players arrive so no time is lost dragging out equipment.

Making 45 Minutes Work

• Combine warm-up and throwing. Partner toss at 10-15 feet counts as both a warm-up and a skill drill at this age
• Skip baserunning as a separate block if time is tight. Add base-to-base sprints during transitions between stations instead
• Water breaks happen during rotations. Do not add a separate 3-minute break in a 45-minute session. Players grab water as they move between stations

Sixty minutes is the standard for most 8U recreational and travel leagues. The extra 15 minutes compared to the 45-minute plan add a dedicated baserunning block and more time for hitting stations. This plan also includes a mini-scrimmage or game-like activity that ties the individual skills together.

Splitting a 60-Minute Practice With One Assistant

If you have one assistant coach or parent helper, split the team in half during the hitting and fielding blocks. One group hits off tees while the other does fielding drills, then switch. This doubles the number of reps each player gets. Without a helper, run hitting as a station where 3-4 players hit while the rest shag balls or practice throws.

At 8U, players are just starting to understand what each position does. Most leagues rotate everyone through every position during games, which is the right approach at this age. Still, it helps to teach basic position-specific skills during practice so players know what to do when the ball comes their way. The table below breaks down key skills, common mistakes, and age-appropriate expectations for each position group.

Position Rotation in Games

Most 8U leagues require or strongly encourage rotating players through all positions. Even if your league does not require it, rotating is the right call at this age. A player who only plays outfield never learns to field ground balls under pressure, and a player who only plays infield never learns to track fly balls. Use your softball evaluation form to track which skills each player is developing so you can adjust practice drills to match their needs.

The number one priority at 8U is that players want to come back next week. Skill development matters, but it only works if kids enjoy the process enough to keep showing up. Here is how to keep practices engaging without sacrificing structure.

Keep Drills Under 8 Minutes

Research on youth sport engagement consistently shows that young athletes lose focus when activities run too long. The American Academy of Pediatrics(opens in new tab) recommends that youth sports emphasize fun and skill development over competition, with activities structured in short, varied blocks. For 8U softball, cap every drill at 5-8 minutes and transition quickly to the next station.

Use Competitions Instead of Repetitions

"Throw 20 balls to your partner" loses most 7-year-olds by throw number 8. "See which pair can make 10 catches in a row first" keeps them locked in. Turn drills into mini-competitions whenever possible: relay races to first base, "who can field the most clean ground balls out of 5," or batting contests where each player counts how many line drives they hit off the tee.

Rotate Stations to Prevent Lines

Nothing kills the energy of an 8U practice faster than a line of 10 players waiting for one batting tee. If you have 12 players, set up 3 stations with 4 players each. Every player gets constant reps instead of standing and waiting. This is especially important for hitting, where long waits between swings make it hard to build rhythm.

End on a High Note

The last 8-10 minutes of practice should be the most fun part: a scrimmage with coach pitching, a relay race, or a game of Pickle. Players remember how practice ended more than how it started. If the last thing they did was a frustrating drill, they will associate practice with frustration. If it was a game where everyone was laughing, they will tell their parents they had a great time.

Parent Volunteers Make or Break 8U Practice

With 10-12 players who each need individual attention, one coach cannot cover three stations. Ask 2-3 parents to help with equipment setup, ball shagging at hitting stations, and supervising base running drills. Brief them for 2 minutes before practice on what each station involves. You do not need softball-experienced parents. You need adults who can toss balls, encourage players, and keep a group of four 7-year-olds pointed in the right direction.

A printed practice plan on a clipboard works well for a single 8U session. Most volunteer coaches write the plan the night before, print it, and adjust on the fly at the field. That approach covers the basics.

A Printed Plan Is Enough When...

• You coach one team with a short season (8-10 weeks)
• Your roster is small (under 15 players) and you know each player's skill level
• You write the plan the night before and bring it to the field on a clipboard

Software Helps When You Track Development

• You want to track which skills each player has mastered over the season
• You coordinate with assistant coaches who need to see the plan before practice
• You coach multiple teams or age groups and need to keep practice plans organized
• You want to connect practice plans to player evaluations and skill progression tracking

For coaches who want to track player development across an entire season and share plans with their coaching staff, platforms like Striveon connect your session plans to drill libraries and skill assessments in one place. See how Striveon connects practice planning to athlete development.