At-home softball drills for 11 to 13 year olds: pitcher

This is a free sample week of at-home softball training for 11 to 13 year olds, for a pitcher: 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 softball for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Spin and stride 14 minutes

Wrist snaps · 3 min
Short, quick snaps
Walk-through pitches into a net · 6 min
Stride straight at the target
Target pitches, 20 at most · 5 min
Accuracy first; stop on any pain and follow your league rest rules

Session 2

Pitcher: Drag Bunt for a Hit 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Drag Bunt for a Hit · 5 min
Late show, soft ball, go. Safety: Keep your top-hand fingers behind the bat, wear a helmet and have your partner throw easy.
One-Hop Throws Home · 5 min
Low and through, one hop. Safety: Warm up first, count your throws 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.

Session 3

Pitcher: 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.
Drag Bunt for a Hit · 5 min
Late show, soft ball, go. Safety: Keep your top-hand fingers behind the bat, wear a helmet and have your partner throw easy.
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 softball 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

Drag Bunt for a Hit

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Show bunt late and push the ball past the pitcher or down the line while you start to run.

Set cones in the bunt zones near each line.
Wait until the pitch is on its way, then slide your top hand up the bat.
Push the ball softly toward a cone and take your first step to first base.
Do 10 to each side.

Coach's cue: Late show, soft ball, go.

Bring: bat, softballs, partner, helmet, 2 cones

Safety: Keep your top-hand fingers behind the bat, wear a helmet and have your partner throw easy.

One-Hop Throws Home

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Outfielders throw to home on one hop so the catcher can catch and tag.

Put a cone 15 feet in front of your partner.
From the outfield, throw low so the ball hops once near the cone.
Count throws that hop once and reach your partner.
Make 12 throws.

Coach's cue: Low and through, one hop.

Bring: glove, softballs, partner, cone

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

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.

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: softball

Batting helmet with a face guard whenever anyone pitches or tosses to you.
A fielder face mask is wise for pitchers and corner infielders; catchers wear full gear.
Count every pitch, including practice and bullpen. Windmill pitching still causes overuse injuries.
Rest after a big pitching day; play another position on rest days, and stop if the shoulder, elbow or back hurts.
Spin pitches like the rise ball wait until about 13, with a pitching coach.
Slide feet first. Head-first slides are not allowed in Little League Major and below.

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 27 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.

Softball: governing bodies, safety and development (7)

Youth athletic development and safety (20)