Baseball, Lacrosse, and Why I'm Not Spending My Summer at a Softball Tournament
I was editing a drill from the Collective Showcase the other day and found myself thinking about why I liked it so much.
The Tufts coach shared a baseball-inspired 3v2 that she said her players LOVE. Apparently, it gets wildly competitive, which already had my attention. But I think what really sold me was the baseball/softball connection.
I love sports. All sports. I love stealing ideas, terminology, movements, and concepts from other sports and finding ways to incorporate them into lacrosse. And the more I think about my own kids and their athletic development, the more convinced I am that baseball and softball are two sports I really want them to experience.
Now, will you find me hauling my kids around to travel softball tournaments every summer? Absolutely not.
My mom wasn't particularly interested in spending her summer weekends watching me play doubleheaders either, and now that I'm a parent, I get it.
A fastpitch softball doubleheader in the middle of July? Or a day at the beach with my family?
I mean, say no more. 🏖️
But here's the thing. I really do think the fundamentals of baseball and softball are incredibly valuable for developing athletes, especially lacrosse players.
Athletes First, Lacrosse Players Second
Think about fielding a ground ball. Moving your feet, getting your body behind the ball, tracking it all the way in, and using your hands correctly.
Sound familiar?
Or hitting. Hand-eye coordination, tracking a moving ball, coordinating your hands and body, and generating power.
There is SO much crossover.
Baseball and softball have also had a much longer history of studying and teaching catching mechanics than women's lacrosse. Why wouldn't we borrow some of that knowledge?
We don't need to figure everything out ourselves just because we're holding lacrosse sticks instead of gloves.
And beyond the physical skills, there's something to be said for simply understanding different sports.
Wait, You Don't Know What Tagging Up Means?
Back when I was coaching Division 1 and playing kickball with our team., we decided to change up practice one day and play some kickball. At some point, we realized that some of our players didn't know what it meant to lead off a base or tag up.
These were Division I athletes. Really GOOD athletes.
And here we were explaining the rules of kickball. 😂
It was funny at the time, but I've thought about it a lot since. With kids specializing earlier, joining club teams younger, and having increasingly packed schedules, I wonder how much of that unstructured play is getting lost. Backyard kickball. Pickup baseball. Making up games with the neighborhood kids. Not every game needs a coach, a registration fee, or matching uniforms.
Sometimes kids just need to play. It's something I've thought about in my own parenting, and it ties back to my earlier post, You're Allowed to Say No.
Just because another sports opportunity exists doesn't mean we need to sign up for it. Sometimes saying no to another organized activity leaves room for something just as valuable.
Like playing catch in the backyard. Or going to the beach. Preferably the beach.
Anyway, Back to the Drill... ⚾
What I love about the Tufts 3v2 Baseball drill is how simple it is.
It's competitive, it's creative, and it takes a familiar game and gives it a lacrosse twist.
And yes, if you listen closely to the video, you can hear me asking about adding offensive stipulations.
Two passes before a shot? A behind-the-back pass? Because apparently I can't just watch a drill without immediately thinking about how to change it. 😂
But that's what makes coaching fun. Taking an idea, figuring out what you like about it, and finding ways to make it work for your players.
Want to see how the drill works?
I broke down the setup, rules, and how to run it at practice over on the Lax Free or Die YouTube channel.
And if you've got a creative twist you'd add, let me know in the YouTube comments. I'm always looking for new ideas.
One Last Thought
I want my kids to learn how to field a ground ball, hit a baseball, play kickball, and understand what tagging up means. I also want them to have summers that involve sandy feet, ice cream, and absolutely nowhere they need to be by 7 a.m.
I don't think those things need to be mutually exclusive.
And if all of that eventually makes them better lacrosse players? Great.
If not, they'll at least know how to play kickball.
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