How do we make practice fun and engaging, while maintaining energy and effort? While a topic commonly discussed with no real right answers, the question can definitely get the creative juices flowing. Keeping practice interesting and fun does not require it to degenerate into social hour. Simple variability or a new training stimulus can do the trick. However, I believe the most effective way to keep high levels of competition, interest, and effort is through gamification.
Gamification is the application of typical elements of game playing to encourage engagement, which is exactly what we as coaches want from our players at practice.
Working in the college setting, there is no question games bring out the competitive spirits in everyone, no matter how big or small. I would go one step further and say that any high level athlete is going to be fueled by competition, whether it is a game of cards or an opportunity to close the door in the bottom of the 9th.
As a result, we do our best to incorporate games and competitions into the practice setting, as I suspect many coaches do. That said, I try to get a little creative with our game implementation, with a call to childhood recess. One of my favorite games to utilize in all aspects of development is “PIG.”
Yes, I am talking about the same PIG you would play on the playground or in the gym, chucking up shots from well beyond the arc and being sure to call “bank” to show off the touch. I find PIG to be such a useful game in baseball development as it encourages creativity, execution, movement exploration, and skill application. Additionally, it can be used with each position, hitters, and pitchers. Trust me. It is a lot of fun.
PIG for pitchers is a great way to make bullpens competitive and get multiple guys chucking at once. With the exception of live at bats, bullpens are likely the highlight of each pitcher’s week. But at times they can become monotonous, especially as workload and available pitch counts increase. If pitch execution is the focus rather than mechanical work, bullpens can quickly become mindless and lonesome.
By adding a game of PIG, a few pitchers can go head to head to execute different spots, pitches, sequences, velocity percentages, or situations. The purpose behind the drill is to use competition and an additional stimulus to increase the focus on each rep. As any coach knows, pitchers throwing bullpens, especially if they have to throw a lot of pitches, can quickly lose intensity and focus. Consequently, adding a game environment to the pen helps maintain that competitive fire from the first pitch to the last.
So, the way this works is the first pitcher will get on the rubber and call a situation or an objective. The number of pitches per turn can be selected by the coach or pitchers prior to the pen. For sake of example, let’s say there are four pitchers competing and each pitcher gets three pitches per turn. The first pitcher must then declare his objective prior to beginning his turn. He may go with something simple such as “strikes,” but maybe he only threw 2 of 3 strikes. The second pitcher must match 2/3 to be safe or beat it by going 3/3. If the second pitcher goes 3/3, the first pitcher will receive a letter. If the second pitcher were to go 1/3 or 0/3, he would receive a letter. If all of the pitchers go 2/3, thus “matching” the first pitcher, the first pitcher receives a letter – we only play this rule if there are more than 3 players playing at a time to keep the game moving. If at any point a player does not meet the objective or beats the given objective, the following player will then select a new objective. Because the only objective was to throw a strike in this example, pitchers can throw any pitch they wish to execute the objective. However, as the game intensifies, often times the level of difficulty may increase by adding a required velocity – this is done on a percentage basis to prevent a side arm guy and a flame thrower from having to hit the same velocities – or a specific pitch sequence.
This same style of PIG can be incorporated seamlessly into the batting practice setting. Whether it is exit velocity percentages (i.e. hard hit balls), situations, or targets, implementing PIG provides additional competition to daily practice. Additionally, PIG can be played during on-field batting practice, in the batting cage, off of a tee, or during front toss, making the game extremely versatile. We run through game-play and scoring the same as the pitcher example. Typically, we play with 3-6 hitters in a group and will do rounds of 3-5 swings. I find shorter rounds are best for attention to detail and player focus, so 3 swings is my go to, especially as more players are competing.
If you have an athletic group of defensive players, PIG may be the single most impressive show you watch your guys put on all year. In the infield version of PIG, I put all of my guys out at shortstop, and I ask my guys to catch the ball and complete a play towards first base. Players must make a clean play and keep fluid motion throughout the play. From there, it is a completely open floor. I encourage the guys to be as creative and adventurous as possible in making plays. Whether it entails catching the ball a certain way, an innovative transition, a different arm angle for the throw across the diamond, or something in between, I can guarantee your players will find new movement solutions and expand their defensive horizons simply by encouraging them to take chances and experiment. The drill will likely result in some of the more impressive plays you have ever seen your guys make. The only difference in scoring is that each player receives one ground ball/play as opposed to a few during a round.
In the outfield, PIG is played very similarly as the infield, but I allow them to predetermine whether or not a throw is a part of the play. It helps to use a fly ball machine for the outfielders to ensure consistent ball flights. Implementing PIG for outfielders is helpful in developing routes, timing, and new movement solutions to solve the problem at hand, aka execute the necessary play given a specific set of constraints or requirements. Much like infield, I have the guys keep score the same way. They receive one attempt per round, as opposed to the multiple in the pitching or hitting version of the game.
Utilizing simple games is a great way to add some fun and excitement to practice, while also encouraging athletes to push their limits to find new solutions. PIG, a simple and widely known game, is a fantastic tool as it encourages personal exploration, as well as requires players to meet ever-changing objectives. By incorporating these objectives as an external stimulus, players become more focused on finding a solution to accomplish the goal rather than focusing solely on mechanics. As I have discussed previously, there is a time and place to work on mechanics and the process, but once players check the right boxes, it is time to apply the work and compete. PIG is a simple and easy to apply game that emboldens athletes to execute a specific task assigned to them, much like an in-game environment.
Thank you,
Adam Moreau, MBA, CSCS
Director of Player Development and Recruiting Coordinator
Eckerd College
419-250-7243
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