Diamond Drill: Beth-Center’s Frank Pryor explains situational practice
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Monday, April 30, 2018 | 12:45 AM
They say baseball is a thinking man's game. But the irony of that is you can't be caught thinking while the ball is in play. If that happens, the play is not made and you can look real silly not knowing what you were supposed to do.
The thinking part comes before the ball is put in play. As a fielder or a baserunner, what are you going to do if this happens or that happens? It's all about the situation. The diamond sports of baseball and softball find their charm in that both can be very simple in nature. Pitch the ball, hit the ball, catch the ball. But those who played the game know it is never that easy.
So while the TribLive High School Sports Network is proud to showcase these baseball and softball players each week with plenty of broadcasts and feature articles, there's more we can do. So we have turned to some of the top district coaches to help shed light on ways high school players and younger can work on their craft to better improve their overall game and abilities.
On this edition of the weekly Diamond Drill, we practice how to be prepared for every situation with longtime Beth-Center baseball coach Frank Pryor. Pryor is in his third decade with the Bulldogs.
Frank Pryor explains preparing for The Situation.
Situational practice:
You practice real game situations. It's very simple.
Put your players at the nine positions, give them the outs and put runners where you want them. With your fungo, the coach hits the ball just like it's a game. You hit the ball wherever. It forces the players to think, react and understand each play that occurs.
Other players not in the field run the bases and everyone is learning.
My old head coach at West Virginia did it all the time, the late Dr. Dale Ramsburg.
Our players really enjoy it. We do it so they understand they have to make decisions without our guidance sometimes.
Don Rebel is a TribLIVE High School Sports Network broadcaster and staff writer. Reach him at drebel@tribweb.com.
Tags: Beth-Center
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