Fundamentals of Sliding is a drill designed to introduce athletes to the proper way to execute a feet-first slide.  Safety is paramount to sliding and thus it must be taught.  Too many times, we as coaches take sliding for granted.  Most of the time it’s not a problem, but you don’t want to be that coach dealing with a split open knee or twisted ankle.  So let’s teach first so we can use sliding in any other drill or practice scrimmage down the road.

EXECUTION – Teaching sliding can happen on any safe and soft patch of grass.  For this video, we brought with us the luxury of a sliding mat… because we could!! Consider running this drill on a rainy day, or in a spot where you can wet down the grass.  Teaching sliding requires only a throw-down base and a couple cones. Begin the drill with athletes in the learning position between this station’s side-to-side cones.  Teach and review the slide fundamentals prior to sliding reps:

• Figure 4 – Foot tucks, laces to back of opposite knee.  Both arms in the air.
• Get Air – Take a low jump to allow your inner “transformer” time to maneuver (leg to back of opposite leg and arms up).
• Lean Back – Get the body on the butt… rather than the knee.  Even if it’s only a skinned knee, a scrape there can be a season-long nuisance.  The slide should happen on the back of the leg / lower butt.

DC KEYS

1. Slide then Coach – After sliding, practice the body language of telling a teammate to “Get Down!!”  Then, help your teammate to his feet.
2. Hands in the Air – Avoid hand injuries: scrapes, jammed fingers, broken wrists.  This is why you see MLB baserunners holding batting gloves in their hands. Or sometimes running the bases with wrist guards.
3. 2 Lines? – If numbers are high, or the entire team is doing this drill… form 2 lines.

EQUIPMENT LIST