At-home baseball drills for 11 to 13 year olds

This is a free sample week of at-home baseball training for 11 to 13 year olds: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 13 to 14 minutes, with every step and minute. Nothing here is written for this page alone; it is what the app gives a family.

Everything here can be done in a room, garage or yard. Drills that need a team are left out; a parent can be the partner in a pair drill.

A free sample week of baseball for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Eyes on the ball 13 minutes

Two-color toss: swing at one color only · 5 min
Call the color out loud before you swing
Front toss, take or swing · 5 min
Decide early; a good take counts too
Track tosses into the glove · 3 min
Head still, watch it all the way

Session 2

Power: Snap-Down to Stick 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Snap-Down to Stick · 5 min
Snap and stick, quiet feet. Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.
Wall Lean Drives · 5 min
Straight line, push the ground back. Safety: Run on flat, clear, non-slip ground with plenty of room to slow down. Stop if anything hurts.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Speed: Wall Lean Drives 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Wall Lean Drives · 5 min
Straight line, push the ground back. Safety: Run on flat, clear, non-slip ground with plenty of room to slow down. Stop if anything hurts.
Long Toss Build-Up · 5 min
Throw on a line through your partner. Safety: Warm up first and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Follow your league throw limits.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Want the rest of the plan?

This sample is 3 of the 7 baseball plans SSTracker has for this group. In SSTracker every step is on the screen, your child logs the work, and you see it. No club needed: the family plan is $7.50 a month per player, or $12 a month for the whole household, and the first 14 days are free.

Get the full plan free for 14 days Coach or club director? Set up your team free Print a free week for another sport or age

The drills in this week

Snap-Down to Stick

Ages 10 to 14 · 8 min

Rise onto your toes with arms up, then snap down into a quick athletic landing. The safest way to learn to absorb force.

Stand tall and rise onto your toes with arms high.
Quickly drop your arms and hips into a quarter squat on flat feet.
Hold the landing: knees over toes, chest up, for 2 seconds.
Do 3 sets of 5.

Coach's cue: Snap and stick, quiet feet.

Bring: soft ground

Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.

Wall Lean Drives

Ages 9 to 14 · 8 min

Learn the leaning body position of a fast start by driving your knees while leaning into a wall.

Lean into a wall with straight arms, body in a straight line from head to heel.
Lift one knee to hip height with the toes pulled up.
Switch legs on a clap: 1 switch, then 2, then 3 quick switches.
Do 4 sets of 3 switches, resting between sets.

Coach's cue: Straight line, push the ground back.

Bring: wall

Safety: Run on flat, clear, non-slip ground with plenty of room to slow down. Stop if anything hurts.

Long Toss Build-Up

Ages 11 and up · 15 min

Stretch out your throwing distance gradually to build arm strength.

Start at 30 feet and make 5 easy throws.
Move back 15 feet and make 5 more; repeat while throws stay on a line.
Come back in the same steps.
Stop at about 35 total throws.

Coach's cue: Throw on a line through your partner.

Bring: glove, ball, partner

Safety: Warm up first and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Follow your league throw limits.

Safety for ages 11 to 13

Plans for this age group use beginner and developing drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard. Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: baseball

Batting helmet whenever anyone pitches or tosses to you, and on the bases.
Catchers: helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector, shin guards and a cup.
Follow Pitch Smart pitch counts: 50 a day at 7-8, 75 at 9-10, 85 at 11-12, 95 at 13-16, with rest days after.
Never pitch three days in a row, and do not catch on a day you pitch.
No curveballs or radar guns for young arms; at least 4 months a year with no throwing.
Slide feet first. Head-first slides are not allowed in Little League Major and below.
Stop if the elbow or shoulder hurts, even if the pitch count is low.

For every sport and age (7)

Head knock or concussion signs (headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling "off"): when in doubt, sit them out. See a doctor, and no return the same day.
Back to sport only with a doctor's written OK, after a step-by-step return. Every U.S. state has a youth concussion law.
Heat: drink water before, during and after. Take shade breaks, ease into hot weather over about two weeks, and stop if dizzy, sick or headachy.
Lightning: if you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside a building or a closed car. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder (the 30-30 rule).
Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Stop and tell a grown-up; pain that lasts or comes back each session needs a doctor.
Water and rest are part of training: 1-2 rest days a week, plenty of sleep, a meal or snack before and after, and other sports welcome.
Know where the nearest AED (heart defibrillator) is, and who calls for help in an emergency.

The research behind these plans

Which drills are shown at which age, and the safety notes, follow the 29 sources below: national governing bodies, medical associations and studies on youth sport (last reviewed October 2026). Where no study gives an exact number, the plans use cautious defaults, and we change them as the research does.

Baseball: governing bodies, safety and development (9)

Youth athletic development and safety (20)