Assess comfortable movement first; forcing full-speed sprint tests in young players hides form issues.
SESSION 02
Athletic Start Positions
Athletes may begin from defense, base path or a turned body; quick starts need a stable push direction.
SESSION 03
The Safe Stop
Braking under control prevents slips and sets up the next baseball move.
SESSION 04
Week-One Movement Baseline
Track a simple skill combination rather than comparing kids' sprint speeds.
WEEK 02
Accelerate and stop
SESSION 05
First Three Steps
The first three steps often matter more to getting to a routine ground ball than maximum straight-line speed.
SESSION 06
Lateral Shuffle to Run
Fielders often need to shift sideways before opening into a short run.
SESSION 07
Mirror and React
Reacting to a real cue teaches different skills from memorizing a cone pattern.
SESSION 08
Midway Direction Test
Changing direction safely without large uncontrolled steps indicates a useful athletic gain.
WEEK 03
React in new directions
SESSION 09
Two-Cone Burst
Short controlled bursts are close to the distance needed for many youth defensive plays.
SESSION 10
Backpedal, Turn, Run
A fielder may face a ball moving backward but should turn rather than stumble while staring upward.
SESSION 11
Jump-Land-Hold
Stable landing develops body awareness used in defense, running and safe deceleration.
SESSION 12
Reaction Without Exhaustion
A young athlete learns more when fresh enough to respond correctly rather than when exhausted.
WEEK 04
Transfer to game skills
SESSION 13
Outfielder's Angle
Quick footwork must send players toward a useful angle rather than straight after the ball.
SESSION 14
Baserunner's Corner
A base turn needs speed control, body lean and eye focus to stay upright.
SESSION 15
Mixed-Skill Movement Circuit
Random short cues prepare athletes to move between fielding, backing up and running tasks.
SESSION 16
Final Athletic Movement Review
Progress is confidence in controlled movement across varied actions, not a stopwatch ranking.
READY WHEN THEY ARE
Next level starts with confidence.
There is no required seven-day streak, no need to log a child's identifying details, and no promise that practice guarantees performance. These sessions are designed for a parent or coach to lead at an appropriate pace.
46/60 Academy builds the complete young baseball or softball player. When a hitter is ready for deeper swing development, strength and explosiveness, pitch recognition or mental training, progress to AHD's specialist programs. AHD is not a Level 3 pitching, catching or fielding academy.
