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Send us Fan Mail You can tell within the first few pitches whether a high school baseball team has been coached with intention. It's not on the scoreboard — it's in how they carry themselves, communicate on the field, and respond when things go sideways. Dell Lever, head coach at Chapin High School in South Carolina, has built his program around four non-negotiables: play hard, play the right way, be an unbelievable teammate, and compete every single pitch. In this episode, he breaks down exa...
You can tell within the first few pitches whether a high school baseball team has been coached with intention. It's not on the scoreboard — it's in how they carry themselves, communicate on the field, and respond when things go sideways.
Dell Lever, head coach at Chapin High School in South Carolina, has built his program around four non-negotiables: play hard, play the right way, be an unbelievable teammate, and compete every single pitch. In this episode, he breaks down exactly what that looks like in practice — and in games.
We get into the nuts and bolts of high school coaching strategy: how much weight to give scouting reports, how to keep players from falling into the comparison trap fueled by social media and travel ball, and why Dell would rather obsess over clean defense, throwing strikes, and competitive at-bats than scheme around an opponent. He also makes the case for scheduling the toughest competition you can find early in the season — not to prove a point, but to expose gaps fast and build a standard your team can actually measure itself against.
Then we get into the practice toolbox, and this is where it gets really good. Dell walks through his Eagle Defense Drill for rapid-fire situational reps, the PFP Olympics that puts pitcher fielding practice on a clock, and a competitive batting practice format that rewards hard contact and smart execution. We also dig into bunting and the slash — two weapons most high school teams leave on the shelf — and how Dell teaches bunt defense in short, repeatable segments that actually transfer to game situations.
And we wrap with the culture piece: what it means to trust your players instead of handcuffing them, how to keep the game genuinely fun, and where the line is between celebrating with your teammates and showing up the other team.
If you coach high school baseball and you want more energy in your practices, better carry-over to games, and a sharper team identity — this episode is for you. Subscribe, share it with a coach who needs it, and leave a review so more coaches can find the show.
- Follow: X | Instagram @Athlete1Podcast
- Website - https://www.athlete1.net
- Sponsor: The Netting Professionals
- https://www.nettingpros.com
Chapters
00:00 - What Makes This Program Different
02:05 - Subscribe And Coach Outreach
03:20 - Team Identity And Competing Hard
04:27 - Game Planning By Mastering Ourselves
08:26 - Playing Elite Teams Early
11:26 - When To Small Ball
14:12 - Pulling Pitchers And Managing Stress
17:36 - Trusting Players And Keeping It Fun
19:52 - Competitive Practice Drills That Translate
26:27 - Bunting For Hits And Bunt Defense
30:50 - Celebration Without Disrespect
33:56 - Hate Losing Or Love Winning
35:45 - Picking The Championship Players
38:02 - Coaching Joy And Closing Thoughts
Transcript
WEBVTT
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Today on Baseball Coaches Unplugged, one coach's approach to practice that carries over the games.
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Eagle defense drill and PFP Olympics are just a few ways of making practice competitive and the players love it.
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Also, who are you taking to help you win a championship?
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Freddy Freeman or Bryce Harper?
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All this and more with Del Lever, head coach at Chapin High School in South Carolina, next on Baseball Coaches Unplugged.
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This is the Ultimate High School Baseball Coaching Podcast.
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Baseball Coaches Unplugged, your go-to podcast for baseball coaching tips, drills, and player development strategies.
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From travel to high school and college, unlock expert coaching advice grounded in real success stories, data-backed training methods, and mental performance tools to elevate your team.
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Tune in for bite-sized coaching wisdom, situational drills, team culture building, great stories and proven strategies that turn good players into great athletes.
00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:10.560
The only podcast that showcases the best coaches from across the country.
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With your host, Coach Ken Carpenter.
00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:20.000
Today's episode of Baseball Coaches Unplugged is powered by the Netting Professionals, improving programs one facility at a time.
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The Netting Professionals specialize in the design, fabrication, and installation of custom netting for baseball and softball.
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This includes backstops, batting cages, BP turtles, screens, ball carts, and more.
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They also design and install digital graphic wall padding, windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, and cubbies.
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The netting pros also work with football, soccer, lacrosse, golf courses, and even pickleball.
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Check out Netting Pros on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn for all their latest products and projects.
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Hello and welcome back to Baseball Coaches Unplugged.
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I'm your host, Coach Ken Carpenter.
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And before we get to uh my interview, I would like to uh do something I haven't done in a while, and that's thank you, the listener, for tuning in every Wednesday to hear from some of the best coaches from across the country.
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And I got a simple ask for you today.
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If you get an opportunity, hit that subscribe button, look for a new show every Wednesday, and I will be uh putting out episode number 200 coming up here in about a month.
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So if you have a great guest or an idea, reach out to me on any of my social sites or you can check us out on our website.
00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:51.360
It's www.athleteone.net.
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That's athlete number one.net.
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And uh would love to hear from you.
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If you also get a chance, share this episode with a friend.
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Today's guest is going to uh provide a lot of great insight on drills and stuff he does in practice to help make his team better each and every day.
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It's Del Lever, head baseball coach at Chapin High School in South Carolina.
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Thank you for having me.
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I'm excited to talk some ball with you.
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Here's where I want to start.
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Every program has its identity.
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And when someone comes to watch your team play, what do you want them to notice immediately?
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It's a really good question to kick this thing off.
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Um I want them to come and say, and I honestly I'm glad you asked that because I hope our guys are gonna listen to this because I tell them all the time that you never know who's in those stands watching you.
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It could be the first time they see you, and it could be the only time.
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So anytime we step across those lines and play, everyone that watches you need to see that we play hard, we play the right way, we're unbelievable teammates, and we compete.
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And if we can do those four things as individuals, we're we're gonna put on a pretty good show.
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I love that.
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That's uh the the compete part is the the one I like the most.
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Is if you can get a bunch of competitors, anything's possible.
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Absolutely.
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Well, let's get into the game itself.
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Uh, when you're preparing for an opponent, what are you evaluating that actually uh shapes your your game plan for them?
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Um obviously you kind of want to know how they pitch.
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Um, you know what what you're gonna see on the mound and and from an offensive standpoint, just standard stuff, right?
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How how do they swing it?
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Are they more catered to the the small ball approach, or they're gonna slug and send the ball out of the yard from one through nine?
00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:06.959
Um so we kind of look at that.
00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:18.879
But as far as preparing, um, I'm a big believer in, like I just said, preparing our guys and how we play and how we handle our business.
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It's clean defense, we're gonna throw strikes, we're gonna compete in the box, and we're gonna execute.
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And obviously you're gonna prepare for each opponent, but you're gonna it's not the same as football, where you've got the playbook and you know what they're gonna run.
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So I we have an idea going into it, um, but I just if we practice the way that we practice every day and we prepare as individuals at our positions with our position groups to the top tier ability, top down, when we go play someone else, I feel pretty good about our chances.
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So I don't necessarily focus too much on the other team.
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I really focus in on what we do and what we do well and make sure that we can do that well for seven innings each timeout.
00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:10.319
So I hope that answers your question there.
00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:28.240
Yes, because I I really think when it comes to high school baseball that uh, you know, if you focus on what what you just said, what you guys do well and uh play as close as you can to mistake-free baseball, you're gonna give yourself a chance to win every time out.
00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:36.240
And, you know, I mean, maybe when you get closer to tournament time, you might be able to go out and take a look at a team and that you might be playing.
00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:43.360
But you know, I see where you're coming from when you say that guys, let's just worry about ourselves.
00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:58.319
We, you know, we can't even uh worry about what's happening because I can recall a time when there was a team that we uh that I when I was coaching, we played and just the way that uh they took infield was just incredible.
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And I was you know, I was like we had a young team and I thought I can't even let these guys watch this.
00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:07.199
I'm I'm gonna give them a reason.
00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:09.839
Let's go behind Doug Down and talk about something.
00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:20.879
And uh, you know, but uh, you know, sometimes that can that can have an effect on how the game's played because you you never know what you're gonna get after a team takes I.
00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:22.399
Right.
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Yeah, that's my thing.
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You know, I I think with today's youth as a whole and a social media world and the way that it's just society's gotten, I think they already see the external factors anyway, and it's all it's the comparator mindset.
00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:42.240
Well, they do this.
00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:43.920
And I don't look at it that way.
00:07:44.079 --> 00:08:05.279
Like I preach to our guys all the time, if we can really focus on ourselves and our own skill sets and master those, it doesn't matter what the other team does, doesn't matter how big they are, how fast they are, how they play, because we're masters at our own craft and we're playing with confidence, and then we can mash up with anybody.
00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:18.800
So I really try to hone in that with our youth and our in our program from varsity all the way down to the middle school team is just hey, we're gonna be the best that we can do, we can be every day.
00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:26.319
And if we can start stacking those days when it comes game time, we're gonna be able to go out there and compete at the highest level.
00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:42.320
Well, prior to recording, we we talked for just a few moments, and you talked about uh how you guys opened up the season, and uh you're down, you're you're you're playing in South Carolina, so you guys are playing in a state where baseball is really good.
00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:53.919
And talk about how going out there and playing tough opponents is gonna make you guys a better team when it comes tournament time at the end of the season.
00:08:55.360 --> 00:09:03.039
Yeah, we we play we we kicked off the season in a preseason tournament.
00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:07.279
It's called the Classic in Georgetown, South Carolina.
00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:10.960
I'm about 15, 20 miles from Myrtle Beach.
00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:15.519
It's it used to be called the the IP, the International Paper Classic.
00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:21.679
It's been around since I think 1990 or 1991, and it's a big deal.
00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:35.840
And there were eight teams down there this year, and all of them, you know, are some of the top teams in the state from the top classification in 5A, 4A through all that.
00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:49.279
I mean, you're I believe we in our bracket or our pool rather, we played three um reigning state champions in in different classifications.
00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:55.200
So, you know, you're going down there and you're playing some of the best competition that the state has to offer.
00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:57.440
Um, so it's a good test, right?
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You go down there, you learn about yourself as a team because you think you're okay, you think you're good, and then you go down there, you learn, you know, what you need to work on.
00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:16.960
And then, you know, as a whole, from our varsity team, from coaches and players and parents and everybody, like we see where we want to go because we're playing those teams.
00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:24.159
So now we our guys, I our coaching staff included, see these teams, and that's who we want to emulate.
00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:27.679
That's where we want to get to as far as a program.
00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:34.639
And in order to, it's like you said, you know, you sometimes you don't want to see a team take I.O.
00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:43.200
because then you're like, oh no, but like I think it was good for us because we're playing the likes of Dorman High School, who's nationally ranked, James Island, who's nationally ranked.
00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:50.240
They, I mean, they're both of those teams have, you know, 10 Division I guys.
00:10:50.639 --> 00:11:01.039
And you're facing top-tier pitching, you're you're facing guys who they're gonna play high-level baseball at the next level and then probably beyond.
00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:03.759
So it it really tests you early.
00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:18.240
Um, it tests, you know, your coaching, the mental aspect, but it really helped prepare us for getting into the region or the our region play our regular season and hopefully making a run in the playoffs.
00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:21.759
So, man, it's a baseball hotbed down here.
00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:25.360
And every time out, you're gonna get someone's best, and that's what makes it fun.
00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:26.559
Yes, definitely.
00:11:26.799 --> 00:11:36.240
Well, you know, one thing that separates coaches is the uh I guess good coaches from the the the great coaches would be the their fuel for the game.
00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:47.039
And how do you decide when it's time to, hey, you know, we need to play some small ball here versus just letting your guys get after it and swing.
00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:54.879
I think I've learned from some really good dudes in in my coaching career.
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I've been so I've been fortunate to coach under some unbelievably just brilliant baseball men.
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And I've learned so much.
00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.960
I've learned a little bit about feel on what you're saying.
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What's the game, and then like what's the game telling you to do and such.
00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:18.799
But I, you know, for me, I like sending the guys out, hey, this is your game.
00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:31.919
Go play a little bit, and then um we'll kind of see how the game goes as far as is this guy we're facing, is he, I mean, is he mowing, is he locked in?
00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:32.879
Is he mowing us down?
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Do we need to kind of change a little bit?
00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:45.279
But as far as the nuts and bolts of I, you know, kind of how we play and how we like to play, you know, we want to execute, we want to move the baseball, we want to get guy.
00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:49.919
I tell our guys, and this is something we've been preaching for the last couple weeks, is get on the plate, get on base.
00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:53.759
And then when you get on base, we're gonna, we're gonna play some situational baseball.
00:12:53.840 --> 00:13:00.399
We're gonna execute to get you in scoring positions so the next guy can have his moment to drive you in.
00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:05.039
So um, I'm just a believer in just playing baseball.
00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:27.600
And whatever that individual who's in the box or who who's on the mound, whatever his skill set, his best attribute is, we're gonna accentuate that to help us maximize that particular moment to hopefully score a run or get get an out or just get us to the next half inning and so forth.
00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:37.600
So I really like using strengths as a as a pitching coach who would call pitches, like, you know, that I'm kind of rambling here, so feel free to stop me.
00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:51.840
But as far as uh I never really focused too much on a scouting report of a hitter so much because I I didn't want to fill my pitcher's head with all of this information when his stuff was good enough.
00:13:51.919 --> 00:14:02.320
And if he just competes in the zone, I don't necessarily see where he could beat us over and over again as long as we compete, pitch with conviction.
00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:06.320
And I've kind of taken that as far into a head coach role where you know what?
00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:18.240
If we go into that moment relaxed and playing to the best of our ability and understanding what the game needs us to do or is it telling us to do, more often than not, we're gonna come out on the positive end.
00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:19.200
Makes sense.
00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:42.240
Well, you know, touching on what you said about about calling pitches, you know, that the whole momentum thing there, uh, you know, is I had written down, you know, when you have a pitcher that, you know, maybe he's starting to struggle a little bit, what do you look for before you you make a move and uh take that starting pitcher out and go to your bullpen?
00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:46.720
How the swing the swings, obviously.
00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:51.600
Um the crisp the crispness of the pitches.
00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:52.639
Are we up?
00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:53.679
Are we down?
00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:55.279
Are we left right?
00:14:55.600 --> 00:14:57.840
Are we consistently up, down, left, right?
00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:00.240
That kinds of those kinds of things.
00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:09.279
Um the the total number of pitches from in in stressful situations.
00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:11.759
Because I mean, you know as well as I do.
00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:20.879
I mean, if a guy's rolling out there and he's not having anybody on base, yeah, he may have thrown 65, 75 pitches, but are they taxing pitches?
00:15:21.360 --> 00:15:34.559
So you can you may could roll him out a little further, but if it if there's constant traffic or if we've booted a couple balls behind him and he's having to pitch out of the stretch to get out of jams, he may have only thrown 60 pitches.
00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:39.759
But when you look at it, that 60 may be 80, 85 as far as stress.
00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:54.240
So um I take those into account, but I also as a coach, I really, really take great pride in getting to know each kid.
00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:59.600
So as a pitching coach, like I wanted to know, I wanted to really get into their line of thinking.
00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:14.799
And I felt like, or I feel like by doing that, when it comes to struggling on the mound, or maybe, maybe they're kind of on his pitches, I've kind of got an idea of where he's at mentally.
00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:26.320
Is he fatigued, or can we push through that a little this a little bit to hopefully steal one, two, three outs to then bridge to the next guy rather than having to make a hasty move?
00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:32.720
But with that said, I also do try to make a move earlier than later, obviously.
00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:33.840
I mean, that's just standard.
00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:44.080
But I I really take great pride in getting to know pitchers and knowing how and teaching them how to pitch in certain situations, how to compete.
00:16:44.879 --> 00:17:01.759
And that way, you know, I guess what I'm getting at is I I put trust in them to get out of a situation rather than go make a move maybe at two or three hitters too soon when he actually could have gotten out of it.
00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:05.440
So I hope that in a roundabout way, I hope that made some sense.
00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:15.119
But you know, I look at the swings, pitch count, the number of pitches he's thrown in with traffic and all that, but um yeah.
00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:16.400
Makes sense.
00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:33.920
Well, you know, the um you know, you talked about uh a couple mentors that you had as uh coaches that helped you out along the way, and just on your experience alone, where do you think high school coaches mismanage games the most right now?
00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:38.880
That's a tough one.
00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:54.160
Um I think sometimes in today's realm of baseball with the type players, I think I think sometimes we don't give players enough credit.
00:17:55.039 --> 00:18:07.200
Because more often than not, you're gonna, you know, is especially at our level in 5A baseball, in the type of baseball that we play in the teams that we play in this state, every team is full of top-tier players.
00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:23.039
So they've been playing since they could walk, obviously, and they've been playing high-level competitive baseball, whether it's high school ball in state or the the showcase, the travel organizations, like these guys know how to play.
00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:31.680
And I think sometimes as a high as a whole, as high school coaches, we sometimes cripple them in a sense.
00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:38.960
Maybe that's not the right word, but we sometimes handcuff them or I get what I'm saying is we don't allow them to go play.
00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:44.160
We don't allow them to relax in a moment because we're trying to do everything for them.
00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:53.119
When in reality, if we just pull the rap, pull ourselves, you know, pull the reins on ourselves a little bit, these guys are gonna, they know what to do and they can go get the job done.
00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:54.720
We just have to trust them to do it.
00:18:54.799 --> 00:19:00.640
So I don't know that as a whole, you know, especially with today's player, that we we may not trust them enough.
00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:09.519
We may not trust them to go out there, compete, and just execute in the situation when they really know what to do and they can handle that.
00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:12.799
How important is it for them to have fun when they're playing?
00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.480
One uh it uh to me, it's the most important thing, right?
00:19:16.640 --> 00:19:23.759
Like if you uh, you know, if if if they're not having fun, they're not gonna play to to the best of their ability.
00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:25.519
And that's just gonna trickle down.
00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:31.119
And then we're as a team, we're not gonna be as successful and play at the level that we that we can play.
00:19:31.359 --> 00:19:35.279
And then from a coaching standpoint, if they're not having fun, we're not having fun.
00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:39.440
So to me, the fun aspect is the most important.
00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:41.680
And obviously winning helps that, right?
00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:44.000
Winning is a lot more fun than losing is.
00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:49.599
But if you're not having fun and you're not enjoying what you're doing, you're probably not gonna win anyway.
00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:51.759
So I'm all about fun.
00:19:52.079 --> 00:20:00.000
Well, what is a drill or something you do in practice that you feel is a has a huge carry over to actual gameplay?
00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:09.440
We like I said, I I have learned so much through doing this and different from different guys.
00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:25.440
And I've taken things from my college coach to every my high, even my high school coach to even the guys that I've coached under and tried to formulate and build my own kind of mindset of of what I want practice to be.
00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:28.160
So, you know, we kind of have a theme each day.
00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:30.079
So we have different drills each day.
00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:33.599
One day it may be tempo, so we're boom, we're moving, moving, moving, moving, moving.
00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:35.200
And then we're competing one day.
00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:36.480
One day's urgency.
00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:42.880
And this and so every day we have different drills that these guys love.
00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:48.319
Um, a couple off the top of my head, we do an eagle drill, an eagle defense drill.
00:20:48.480 --> 00:20:52.079
Our mascot is the Eagles, so just call it the Eagle Drill.
00:20:52.319 --> 00:20:52.640
Okay.
00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:58.319
But um, we set machines up on both sides of home plate.
00:20:58.400 --> 00:21:06.480
We've got a coach on a fungo at home plate, and we like we call out a situation and we are shooting balls and we're hitting them.
00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:08.960
And as soon as one play is made, we move to the next.
00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:18.559
So I we try to do that once or twice a week, and it takes about 20 minutes, and we've we you can really throw out any situation you want.
00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:20.799
So we do two or three rounds.
00:21:21.119 --> 00:21:30.000
One round we're doing kind of routine plays, and we'll call something out, you know, runner at second, one, whatever, but it's boom, rapid fire.
00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:34.079
Pitchers are involved, we'll work PFPs with it, we'll shoot balls to the outfield.
00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:39.839
Second round, maybe we're maybe that day we're doing a cut and relay type situational stuff.
00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:42.079
So you've got eight to ten plays in that way.
00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:44.559
And then the third round is kind of the do or die.
00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:46.240
Like we're going to try to win the game.
00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:55.200
So um I've I've I've seen where that really helps these guys um because it allows them to go play.
00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:59.680
Um, you're not necessarily on the clock, but we don't move to the next.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:04.799
Play until the the previous ones completed perfectly.
00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:06.880
Um, and they take great pride in it.
00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:13.680
It it, you know, they learn, hey, you know, on our cut and relay, we're gonna line the glove up, we're gonna catch it, we're gonna turn, and we're gonna throw.
00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:14.880
And it's gonna be crisp.
00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:21.279
Our outfitters are talking, our infielders are talking, communication on fly balls between infielders and outfielders.
00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:22.480
Our pitchers are moving, man.
00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:28.880
You come and watch us during that drill, it it is it is a beautiful sight when everything's done crisp perfectly.
00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:30.319
The guys are just jumping around.
00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:35.519
Pitching the pitching coach in me loves it because the guys are jumping around, they're having the time of their life, man.
00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:36.880
Our catchers are involved.
00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:38.799
So that's the Eagle defense drill.
00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:41.519
I'll be glad, you know, someone can reach out to me.
00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:43.759
I'll be glad to talk with them.
00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:44.720
Love that drill.
00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:51.920
Another one we actually did it today during our little Sunday afternoon practice is the PFP Olympics.
00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:54.000
Um, this is something that I love.
00:22:54.160 --> 00:22:56.000
I take great pride in PFPs.
00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:03.599
As a former pitcher, I probably was never gonna win a Cy Young, but I felt pretty good my chances of winning a gold glove.
00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:14.960
So um the PFP Olympics, the each pitcher has nine plays, and the coach can come up with whatever nine they are.
00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:21.599
You know, you have a bunt to one, bund to three, comebacker two, three, six, one, squip, anything, really.
00:23:22.319 --> 00:23:23.759
But they're on the clock.
00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:27.519
So I have a pitcher on the mound, I have a pitcher at home.
00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:29.119
This is strictly a pitching drill.
00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:30.880
Like no position players are involved.
00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:34.480
This is all for pitchers to have fun, but also compete.
00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:40.720
So a pitcher on the mound, pitcher at home, pitcher at first, pitcher at second, and occasionally I'll put one at third.
00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:48.400
The guy on the mound has to complete all nine of those plays on the stopwatch.
00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:53.119
So fakes his pitch, whatever the play is, we call it out.
00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:57.279
He completes it, runs back to the mound, pitch, next play.
00:23:57.440 --> 00:24:03.519
As soon as he completes all nine cleanly, stop the clock, write it down, next guy jumps up.
00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:10.079
So we compete, and obviously the one with the fastest time completing those plays would would win.
00:24:10.160 --> 00:24:17.599
And we've played from anything from you know, a WWE championship belt that I just happened to find at Walmart one time.
00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:19.279
Um, we played for that.
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:24.319
We played for a glove that we actually spray painted gold.
00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:33.279
So I mean, it is it's whatever you want to make of it, but those dudes, man, at every place that I've been, they've bought into it, and that that's a weekly staple.
00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:35.200
They love it, they love to compete.
00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:37.839
Um, but like I said, we just compete.
00:24:38.240 --> 00:24:53.440
You know, we we we we put in a competition BP here this season, um, where the outcome really isn't necessarily the forefront what we're looking for.
00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:58.079
We want to hit balls hard, so we're grading off smoked line drives.
00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:03.200
Obviously, if they got carry home runs count for a certain amount of points, but even hard contact.
00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:05.119
Um, they've really bought into that.
00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:10.000
And that's really helped our our approaches at the plate where you know you're trying to simplify it.
00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:12.559
You don't want to make it too difficult in a situation.
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You don't want to make them robots, you just want to go out there and compete.
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