Game version
Add a helper: a favorite toy joins in “Roll and Scoop” and cheers for every try. Everyone gets a turn.
Roll and Scoop
A grown-up rolls a soft ball and the child gets low and scoops it up with two hands, like an alligator’s mouth closing.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Sit or crouch 3 big steps from your child.
- Ages
- 4 to 6
- Time
- 3 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Soft ball, glove (optional)
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Fielding
The steps
How it works
- Sit or crouch 3 big steps from your child.
- Roll the soft ball gently to them.
- They bend down, hands low, and scoop the ball up with two hands.
- They roll it back. Roll it a little to each side as they get better.
Coaching point
Praise the try: “Great alligator hands!”
Safety: A soft ball only, rolled gently along the ground. Play on grass or a soft, flat, clear space.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Story
You are a penguin, and your toy friend is learning from you.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
Free for families and teams
Save this drill to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free softball week for this age opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits. A coach can send this drill to the whole team as homework, and parents see every session logged.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.