Free drill library · Baseball

At-home baseball drills for 11 to 13 year olds: outfield

This is a free sample week of at-home baseball training for 11 to 13 year olds, for a outfield: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 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

Read the fly ball 14 minutes

  1. Drop step and go · 4 min
    First step goes back, not forward
  2. Tennis-ball fly balls from a parent · 6 min
    Run with your glove down, reach at the end
  3. Crow hop and throw to a target · 4 min
    Hop through the throw, aim chest high

Session 2

Outfield: Base Running Sprints 14 minutes

  1. Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
    Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
  2. Base Running Sprints · 5 min
    Explode out low, run through the bag. Safety: Warm up first. Stop if a muscle feels tight.
  3. Catcher Receiving Basics · 5 min
    Quiet mitt, stick it. Safety: Wear full catcher's gear (helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector, shin guards and a cup) whenever a ball is thrown to you. A chest protector that meets NOCSAE ND200 is recommended.
  4. Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
    Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Outfield: Quick Transfer Throws 14 minutes

  1. Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
    Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
  2. Quick Transfer Throws · 5 min
    Catch it near your throwing hand. Safety: Warm up first and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Follow your league throw limits.
  3. Backhand and Forehand Picks · 5 min
    Glove out front, pick through it.
  4. 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

Base Running Sprints

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Build first-step speed and run through the base.

  1. Start in a ready stance beside home plate.
  2. Sprint at full speed through first base.
  3. Jog back and rest 30 seconds.
  4. Do 10 sprints.

Coach's cue: Explode out low, run through the bag.

Bring: cones or bases

Safety: Warm up first. Stop if a muscle feels tight.

Catcher Receiving Basics

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Learn a relaxed catcher's stance and catch every pitch softly in the middle of your body.

  1. Squat with feet a little wider than your shoulders and your mitt out in front.
  2. Your partner throws easy pitches from 30 feet.
  3. Catch the ball with a quiet mitt and hold it still for one second.
  4. Do 30 catches.

Coach's cue: Quiet mitt, stick it.

Bring: catcher's mitt, full catcher's gear, balls, partner

Safety: Wear full catcher's gear (helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector, shin guards and a cup) whenever a ball is thrown to you. A chest protector that meets NOCSAE ND200 is recommended.

Quick Transfer Throws

Ages 11 and up · 10 min

Get the ball out of your glove and into your throwing hand fast and clean.

  1. Stand 30 feet from your partner.
  2. Catch with two hands and move the ball to a four-seam grip as you turn.
  3. Throw back at once.
  4. Count how many clean exchanges you make in 60 seconds; do 4 rounds.

Coach's cue: Catch it near your throwing hand.

Bring: glove, ball, partner

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

Backhand and Forehand Picks

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Field balls hit to either side without moving your feet first.

  1. Kneel or stand in a wide base, glove ready.
  2. Your partner throws short hops to your glove side, then your backhand side.
  3. Work through the ball with a quiet glove.
  4. Do 15 each side.

Coach's cue: Glove out front, pick through it.

Bring: glove, ball, partner

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)

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