At thirteen and fourteen, you’re competing for their attention against school, friends, and screens. Your practice has to earn every minute. That means clarity, purpose, and an end time you actually keep.
The anchor Start with what you’re solving in this practice. Not what you’re practicing. What are you solving. “We’re solving why we’re not converting the chances we’re getting.” “We’re solving the breakdown in third-base coverage.” Name it. Write it on the whiteboard. Come back to it at the end.
The structure Fifty minutes total. No exceptions.
Minutes 0-5: Warm-up with movement. Not talking. Not stretching on the sideline. They know the warmup. Repeat it every practice.
Minutes 5-10: Individual or pair work specific to positions. Infielders do infield. Outfielders do outfield. If you’re basketball, guards work guards. Centers work centers. Four reps each.
Minutes 10-40: The game. Full-sided or close to it. This is where the solve happens. You’re not teaching form. You’re watching them apply what they know under pressure.
Minutes 40-48: One correction tied to your problem statement. Show it. Do it three times. Be done.
Minutes 48-50: Questions and close.
The math Twenty-eight minutes of actual game time. That’s the work. The rest is the container. They’re at an age where they’ll resent wasted time. Don’t waste it.
One problem. One focus. One solve. That’s the whole plan.