The term “create space” has always had a definite meaning in sports. Whether it’s a basketball guard working to make a shot or a football wide receiver trying to get open or rack up yardage after a catch, “creating space” is the term equated to getting away from a player. advocate. In youth sports practices, the term acquires a different meaning. Coaches are often strapped for lack of available practice fields, gyms, or even ice time. The youth hockey coach must run efficient practices due to the cost of ice time and sometimes must find a way to train 12-16 kids using less than half the rink. In basketball, court time is also at a premium and coaches sometimes have to make do with one hoop and 12 kids. In baseball, especially in seasonally changing areas like the Northeast, the supply of fields cannot keep up with the demands of coaches. How are coaches supposed to rectify situations like this and run effective practices with limited space?

When I started coaching youth baseball, I remember showing up to a field to practice and another team had just stepped onto the field before us and my coaching staff and I just stood there looking at each other. I got the team together and sheepishly told them that practice had been cancelled. Luckily, most of the parents hadn’t left, so the children’s games were still there. Had he been more prepared and creative, he could have moved the practice from the intended field to any safe alternative, including a much smaller grass field or even a parking lot.

Let’s explore a couple of sports and see how coaches can be creative and execute efficient practices in even the smallest or strangest of venues:

In soccer, some of the best types of drills are dribbling drills. Lou Fratello, a college football coach who helped create a series of football videos, insists that players don’t need a huge amount of space to hone their skills. A ball control drill called “Push-Pull” is one such drill. In this drill, the player pulls the ball towards himself and controls it with the laces. He then gives the ball a slight touch forward. He advances with the ball while controlling it. After moving forward, he moves his entire body backwards, controlling the ball in the same way with his laces. In the description, you can see how a team of 15 players can do this drill in a small, confined area. Another exercise called “Foundation” can also be practiced in a confined area. Foundation is a great footwork exercise. Here, a player plays the ball back and forth between their feet. Players must keep their heads and knees up when performing all basic footwork skills. Foundation, as well as all other footwork exercises, can be practiced in a stationary position, or while moving forward or backward. This drill is great for conditioning and better ball control. The whole team can do this drill in a small area.

In basketball, coaches can integrate a series of ball handling drills that involve the entire team. Stationary drills, such as passing the ball around the body, starting at the neck and then moving down the body, to the waist, and then each leg, are favored by players. The “Ball Switch” exercise is also popular and increases hand speed. In this quick ball handling drill, the player will hold the ball between their legs, with one hand in front and one hand behind. The player will then switch hands, moving both hands simultaneously back and forth and back without letting the ball touch the ground. When a young or inexperienced player starts out, if they cannot do this drill right away, they can dribble the ball, then switch hands with the front hand going back and the back hand going forward and catching the ball after a bounce. The benefit of this drill is that it improves the player’s coordination and develops quick hands. The player can challenge himself and see how fast he can do it. Once again, the whole team can do this drill in a small, confined area.

Baseball can be the most challenging sport to play in a small space, but it can be done. Sure, you can’t hit long fly balls, but you can practice running drills, like rebounding off a base after the pitch crosses home plate. Instead of a single line, you can use three lines and you only need 20-25 feet of space. You can use pull-out rubber bases, use chalk, or even gloves as bases. The assistant coach can fake the opposing pitcher and the manager instructs the baserunners to do one of three things: rebound off the base, steal, or execute a delayed steal on the throw back to the pitcher. Teams can still practice hitting drills, but they need to use the correct type of ball. Some options include a wiffleball, a plastic pickleball, or even a ragball, which is simply a rag with two-inch duct tape wrapped around it until the rag is almost completely covered. A “One Pitch” game can often be fun and effective. This involves splitting the team in half and has two simple rules. First, players must swing at any pitch they get. Second, the results are that the player hits a home run or, if he doesn’t, he’s out. Each team sends all the players to bat and the one with the most home runs at the end is the winner.

These are examples of how to optimize a limited space when faced with a less than optimal environment. Coaches must make two drill lists at the beginning of the season. One list will have drills that are used on the normal field and the other list will have alternate drills for a parking lot or smaller practice area. And Trainers should map out the accessories they’ll need and keep them in their trunk. Youth sports practice time is valuable because coaches can teach the sport and have kids learn from their mistakes. Don’t let limited space change your practice plans. Be creative and create space!