The Juniors/Seniors division is for the kids who are ready for the traditional size baseball field with 90ft base paths and 60 ft mounds. This division gives kids options to continue playing baseball after Little League

Games in Junior/Senior division mirror high school rules and field sizes. The fields are bigger (90ft base paths, 60ft from pitching mound to home plate, 300 ft outfields).

Leading off, dropped third strikes, and every other baseball rule is in effect in our Juniors/Seniors Division.

Continuous batting order is no longer used.

Your mission as a coach is to develop each individual on the team. Winning at the expense of development is not acceptable. Below are the minimum set of skills we expect players to have by the end of the Junior/Senior season.

• Master ability to always throw with the 4-seam grip
• Consistently use proper throwing mechanics: "Ready, Break, Throw" (YouTube Throwing Drill)
• Strength to throw across the larger diamond (e.g., Third Base to First Base)
• Strength to throw from larger outfield to infield

• Proficiency of the ready position
• Consistently uses proper footwork when fielding a ground ball: "Right, Left, Catch; Right, Left, Throw"
  (YouTube Video Explaining Groundball Footwork Fundamentals)
• Consistently able to field ground balls in rhythm
• Consistently able to catch a fly ball
• Know the fielding responsibilities on a baseball diamond
• Know backup responsibilities on the baseball diamond
• Know cutoff responsibilities on the baseball diamond and how to double cut
• Consistently able to anticipate the next play (i.e., before the pitch, know where you should go with the ball if it is hit to you)
• Knows situational defense

• Consistently uses proper hitting fundamentals to hit a pitched ball
• Ability to recognize a strike zone
• Ability to avoid a bad pitch or how to get hit by a bad pitch safely
• Ability to recognize pitches (e.g., fastball vs. curve)
• Consistently able to bunt a baseball (directional bunting and situational bunting)

• Able to leadoff and safely slide headfirst back to base
• Able to recognize a pickoff attempt and return to base
• Consistently gets a legal secondary lead
• Proficiency at situational running (e.g., to tag up on caught fly balls or line drives, running on a force, always running with two outs)
• Ability to steal a base on a pitch
• Proficiency at sliding feet first and head first

• Consistently use proper pitching fundamentals
• Mastery of a 4-seam fastball
• Proficient ability to throw a changeup
• Developing ability to throw off-speed pitches (e.g., curveball, slurve, and slider)
• Ability to use proper release point when pitching
• Ability to attempt pickoff of a runner on base
• Understanding of the balk rule

• Consistently use different catcher stances (e.g., primary position and secondary position for when runners are on base)
• Consistently use appropriate setup in the catcher stance (e.g., appropriate distance from the batter, do not reach into swing patch, and keep throwing hand out of harms way)
• Ability to give pitch signs
• Consistent fundamentals to block a bad pitch
• Ability to recognize a runner stealing a base and make appropriate throw
• Ability to throw across the larger diamond
• Understanding of dropped third strike rule

• How to be a good teammate (e.g., Do not laugh at others when a mistake is made; encourage each other; be patient while others are learning)
• Ability to handle adversity (baseball can be hard and the results of the play won't always go your way)
• Understands situational calls like balks, batter interference, and catcher interference and how to avoid those calls

Practice is necessary to develop players' skills. Coaches should hold one or more practices a week throughout the season in addition to games.

At this level, appropriate practice duration is 90-120 minutes. Below are practice plan templates to help you have a fun and productive practice.

• CCLL Practice Plan Template - Minor AA, Minor AAA, and Majors divisions