first NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2022;
2020-2021 ACC Champions;
first NCAA Regional appearance with a national seed (No. 13) in 2021;
Over 100 wins through four seasons (2018-2021) at Duke;
Former University of North Carolina Assistant Coach;
3x All-American as a player at the University of Michigan;
Named the 2002 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and 2003 Big Ten Player of the YearIn today’s world of competitive softball, the offense and hitters maintain a tremendous advantage. Softball athletes today are bigger, stronger and faster than ever before, while also possessing the ability to play small ball, in addition to ‘going yard.’ Innovations in softball training equipment are also primarily designed to benefit hitters.
With these offensive advantages in place – the real difference-maker in becoming a championship level softball program relies upon your team’s ability to play stifling, near-flawless defense on an out-by-out, inning-by-inning and game-by-game basis.
Marissa Young, the head softball coach at Duke University, has ‘hung her hat’ on emphasizing defense; her softball program’s consistent success comes as a byproduct of stressing defensive work every day in practice, while ensuring that all practices are structured in a manner that is both efficient and productive.
In this fantastic Open Practice coaching video, Coach Young shares an inside look at her blueprint for running a defensive-oriented softball practice that provides players with as many defensive repetitions as possible. Also, you’ll see how she has her team perform other critical skill-building drills throughout, all while successfully completing the pre-assigned goals the coaching staff has set for that day’s agenda.
Elements of a Perfect Practice
In this valuable and fascinating-to-watch Open Practice session that outlines a mid-season practice at Duke, this coaching video traces the ‘process’ that Coach Young uses to lay out and create this individual practice.
To maximize the amount of work that needs to be completed within a limited timeframe, the Coach Young shows how she coordinates practice segments and designates specific assistant coaches to run each segment, while explaining her methodology for setting up goals to ensure they achieve an effective practice.
Young also covers her approach to practice planning and shows how the coaching staff communicates the practice objectives to their players so that each athlete understands why they’re performing each task. This allows players to stay sharp and focused, allowing them to move between the elements of practice efficiently, while still receiving the maximum benefits of that day’s work.
Reinforcing the timing - that this is a mid-season practice - Coach Young shows how and why she has divided this particular day’s practice into three major segments:
1) Infield/Outfield Work,
2) Core Skill-Repetitions and
3) Team Defense (this segment produces the bulk of the drills and hands-on coaching instruction).
The three practice segments are broken into brief training units that typically run 5- to 8-minutes in duration. In the initial skills-based segment of work, Young shows off a series of drills that cover critical skill executions that keep player’s skill-levels sharp as the season progresses.
Coach Young emphasizes that all work performed in the skill-based segment of practice, features player repetitions that target ‘active, game-day skills,’ as opposed to ‘skill-development training’, which you wouldn’t typically schedule for a mid-season practice session.
Defensive Repetitions that Matter, Team-Development Drills
Moving into the next segment of practice, Coach Young highlights a progressive series of drills that simulates key defensive situations and features built-in, game-like pressure that stems from live baserunners trying to advance. There is even a live intrasquad competition to round out this segment.
Coach Young and her staff encourage each player to be aggressive and not afraid to make mistakes in segments of practice. As practice progresses, situational defensive strategies are incorporated into the mix. In the ‘Slap-Game Defense Drill,’ for example, the coach overseeing the drill will time each repetition, with the goal set at throwing the runner out in 2.75 seconds or less.
The infield and outfield personnel are then brought together for a team-development segment that incorporates baserunning, hitting and defensive work that includes an emphasis of throwing to the correct bases – with the goals of producing an out, while immediately looking to get another possible out.
Another team development drill segment features baserunners starting at home and subsequently rotated to each of the three bases to simulate different situations and rules the players must execute. The coach assigned to run this segment hits balls to all parts of the infield and outfield – forcing good defensive decision-making on these live-balls, timely cuts and hitting the proper relay person – all while stressing defensive communication among all defensive players.
Likewise, baserunners are also encouraged to always look to take the next base during this drill (unless told to stop by a coach) and to keep the pressure on the defensive players through aggressive baserunning.
Coach Young culminates this day’s practice with a live intrasquad game with work that provides the practice with more realistic game-like situations. These situations can be manipulated and varied based on their next opponent and unique situations that may arise, while also adding the intensity, pressure and the feel of a live, mid-season game.
The Open Practice is wrapped up with a team meeting, where you get to watch Coach Young provide constructive criticism and praise to her softball athletes as warranted.
This video is a valuable, must-watch addition to any coach’s library of instructional coaching materials. It features drills and skill work that softball coaches at all levels can immediately incorporate into their own practices.
Best of all, this Open Practice gives you a specialized, mid-season practice weapon that will keep your softball team sharp and executing at a high level!
90 minutes, 2023.