7 Fun Baseball Drills for 8 Year Olds! (Get Started Today)

Baseball for 8 year olds should be a ton of fun! 

The goal of any season is to not only help 8 year olds develop their skills, but also have them experience a fun and positive season.

With any seasons that I have coached, regardless of the sport, I tell parents and the players that I want the kids to want to play again next year, while at the same time helping them get better.

One way to make these two goals happen is to utilize fun baseball drills for 8 year olds.

The excitement of making a great play whether in the field, on the bases or at the plate will help the kid experience the fun of the game.

Fun Baseball Drills for 8 Year Olds (7 Great Options)

1. Contact Drill
2. Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby
3. Knockdown Drill
4. Knockout Drill
5. Simulated Game
6. Running Bases
7. Sliding Drill

The outcome of most practices should be to develop the players ability to hit, throw/field and run the bases.  These are the three main areas of the game at this age.  The player must be able to hit the ball, make the play in the field and then run the bases properly and efficiently.

All of these drills are fun, have a competitive element and players will enjoy based on the enthusiasm the coach brings to the practice.  Make it fun coach!

#1 Contact Drill

For the portion of practice when we are focusing on hitting, we will often have multiple stations going on.  We break the players into groups of 2-3 players and set up a hitting cage, tee station, wiffle ball station and a heavy ball station.  The players move from station to station.  Once we have completed these training zones, we will add some fun through a contact drill.  You can use baseballs or whiffle balls for this drill.  To get the most amount of swings, I would recommend wiffle balls with multiple coaches.

How The Drill Works:

• Set up multiple stations with multiple coaches.
• Break the players into groups of 3.
• Have the first player in each group step to the plate.
• See how many consecutive strikes the player is able to make contact with. (Foul balls do count)
• Have the players compete within their group and go through this cycle for 5-10 minutes.
• At the end, identify the winner of each group and bring to the main plate.
• Have each hitting cycle through two times and identify the winter for that practice.

Benefits:

• The players learn to make contact.
• This helps focus on making contact even on a pitch that isn’t perfect.
• Players learn to make a simple, compact swing.

Make sure you have the right equipment. Here are some of our top choices:

Baseballs and Wiffle Balls:

#2 Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby

After we have completed our hitting portion of practice in different stations, on the days we don’t use the contact drill we will work on hitting with some power.  We will once again use wiffle balls as for the weaker players, they are easier to hit with some distance.  Not all wiffle balls are created equal and sometimes a tennis balls are a great option as well.

How The Drill Works:

• Set up multiple stations with multiple coaches.
• Break the players into groups of 3.
• Mark off the distance for a reasonable homerun.  Keep in shorter at first so more home runs are hit and players are encouraged.
• Have the first player in each group step to the plate.
• Throw 5 pitches and see how many home runs each player hits.
• Have the players compete within their group and go through this cycle for 5-10 minutes.
• At the end, identify the winner of each group and bring to the main plate.
• Have each hitting cycle through two times and identify the winner for that practice.

Benefits:

• Players can learn how to drive the ball.
• They must also generate some speed.
• A combination of a contact drill and driving the ball helps develop both essentials of hitting.

#3 Knockdown Drill

This is a throwing drill.  After we have warmed up at the beginning of practice with some simple catch.  We will set up a station or multiple stations to help the players improve their ability to throw the ball a bit further with some accuracy.  The goal is to field a ground ball or catch a fly ball, take a good crows hop and knockdown the target.  We will often utilize a cone on top of a chair.

How The Drill Works:

• Set up a cone on a chair.
• Have players cycle through for 7-10 turns.
• Keep track of who knocks the target most often out of the total number of attempts.

Benefits:

This drill helps keep the players focused on hitting a target and it adds some fun to the practice!  Make sure you focus on proper form, getting the front shoulder closed and keeping your feet in quality balance underneath you.

#4 Knockout Drill

This is a drill where the players have to not only field the ground ball cleanly, but then they have to make the second part of the play, which is an accurate throw.  As long as they make the play successfully they stay in the game.  If they get knocked out, we typically have a secondary game taking place to keep the number of total number reps high and to prevent players from just standing around.

How The Drill Works:

• Break players into groups of 5-6.
• Throw or hit ground balls to the first player up.
• The players must make a clean play and throw to remain in the game.
• Complete the process through the line and continue until there is only one player left.
• Consider having a secondary line where players can continue to field ground balls.
• This game can also be played with fly balls.

Benefits:

• Players learn to deal with a little pressure and must field the ball clean and make a quality throw.
• Players enjoy competing and trying to stay in the game.

#5 Simulated Game

Most teams will have between 10-12 players on the team.  Take 3 players and have them hit and put the others into position.  Most 8 year old baseball is played with a coach pitching and I would recommend this for the game.  The goal is to have the ball hit often, players running the bases, and fields make the proper play in the field.  The players love this game as they feel like they are “scrimmaging” and they get an opportunity to bring their skills all together in this format.

How The Drill Works:

• Identify 3 hitters to get ready to hit.
• Place the other players in the field.
• Utilize a coach to pitch.
• If you are short on players, don’t use a catcher or leave out an outfielder.
• Have the players hit and then run the bases.
• The fields must make the proper play.
• Rotate the fields through hitting and the different positions in the field every 5-10 minutes.

Benefits:

• The game of baseball can happen fast.  Even the players that can field the ball when drilling, may struggle once in a game situation.
• The simulated game keeps it fun and real!
• The opportunity to run bases is enjoyed by the players!

Utilize these portable bases indoors or outdoors:

#6 Running Bases

This drill is usually used at the end of practice.  Players will run a single, then a double, then a triple and finally a home run.  Coaches have the opportunity to teach to run through the base on a single, listen to their coaches and make the proper turn.  This will take months for players to finally catch one, but it is something you can do repeatedly to help build awareness of where the ball is and what the coach is telling them to do.  Coaches should work on staying consistent with arm motions and the verbiage used.

How The Drill Works:

• Have every player line up at home plate.
• Have them make a simulated swing and run the bases.
• Start with a single and then progress to the other bases.
• You can also have runners start on 1st and work on going from 1st to 3rd on a base hit.

Benefits:

• Kids love to run bases and score.
• This is a great way to get rid of some energy.
• This helps keep kids in shape and most kids enjoy running!

#7 Sliding Drill

Sliding is one way to stay safe when there is a close play at a base.  This is an opportunity to explain the proper way to slide and to encourage players not to slide into first base.  We will use this drill on a wet, rainy day.  Or you can bring a slip and slide to practice to work on sliding.

How The Drill Works:

• Set up a slip and slide or utilize wet grass.
• Have players take turns sliding safely.
• Properly instruct the proper way to slide.

Benefits:

• Helps remove the fear of sliding.
• Teaches the proper technique.
• Players have fun on a slip and slide or wet grass.

Fun Baseball Drills for 8 Year Olds: Final Thoughts

Many people debate if 8U baseball should be played as coach pitch or player pitch.  I think the coach pitch is great as the goal is to develop skills in hitting, fielding and running bases. 

More opportunities happen in a game where there is coach pitch vs player pitch.  In coach pitch, the ball is often hit solidify, there is an opportunity to field, and players get to run the bases.

There is plenty of time further down the road for players to play player pitch.  The goal once again is to have every player return for next season and develop skills at the same time. 

With these drills above, players will have an opportunity to have fun and develop their skills. They will want to come back next year and be ready for some more fun with their improved skills!

Part of the job of the coach is to make sure the practices and games are fun.  Stay positive, have an encouraging approach and take care of the players!