Twenty-five minutes is your window. Longer and you lose them to fatigue and distraction. Shorter and the practice feels incomplete. Here’s what fits into that time.
Minutes 0-3: Gathering Kids arrive at different times. Don’t wait for everyone. Start moving them into a circle or a line the moment they show up. The ritual of “we’re here now” matters more than perfect attendance before the clock runs.
Minutes 3-8: One ball, one skill Pick one thing. One. Not three variations of the same thing. If it’s baseball, it’s ground balls or catching. Not both. If it’s soccer, it’s passing or kicking toward a target. At this age, the brain can hold exactly one instruction. Give them five reps minimum, ten if you can.
Minutes 8-18: Small-sided game This is the engine of practice. Four kids on a side, two baselines, one simple rule. The game teaches more than the drill because it forces them to solve problems at real game speed. Let them play. Don’t stop every thirty seconds to correct their stance.
Minutes 18-23: Wind-down drill Something easy. Something they’ve done before. Success matters here. End on a good rep, not a mistake. This is where they leave with momentum.
Minutes 23-25: Dismiss and hydrate Same time every practice. This is not optional. Kids as young as five understand routine, and routine builds trust in your program.
The principle At this age, you’re not teaching sport. You’re teaching presence and joy. If a kid dreads coming to practice, you’ve failed. If she comes home tired but happy, you’ve succeeded. The technical work will happen. But right now, the first practice job is to make her want to come back.
Don’t overcomplicate. Don’t show them a PowerPoint or a lengthy explanation. Show them what to do. Show them again. Let them play. That’s the whole system.