What should a softball or baseball player write after a lesson or practice?

Write what you worked on, the cue your coach gave you, any assigned homework, something you noticed and a question for next time. Put the date at the top. Name the drill and its setup. For example: “Front toss. Coach asked me to call the pitch location before the next toss. I mixed up inside and outside twice. Ask where to stand for this drill.”

Use these prompts for a softball or baseball player journal. This guide is for players 13 and older and for parents helping younger players. The sample entries are invented. Use your own coach's instructions and your own words.

What to write, and when

Pick the row that fits the session. These are suggested prompts, not a required training log. Leave space for an unanswered question rather than guessing what the coach meant.

When	What to write	Example note
After a hitting lesson	Drill, tee or toss setup, exact cue, assigned homework and a question	“Tee work, ball set outside. Ask coach to show that tee position again.”
After a pitching or throwing lesson	Session topic, cue, assigned work and the rest instructions you were given	“Worked on the target drill. Homework amount was not stated. Ask before adding throws.”
After fielding or catching practice	Position, drill setup, ball location, target, the call you heard and your assigned job	“Relay walk-through, deep ball to right-center, throw home. I played second base. Ask coach to show my alignment again.”
After a team play	Sport, your position, outs, runners, ball location and the staff's call	“Fastpitch bunt walk-through, runner on 1st, one out, bunt toward 3rd. I played second base. Draw the coverage the coach assigned.”
After trying lesson homework	Which assignment you tried, what you actually did and where you got stuck	“Used the assigned setup. Stopped when I could not remember the cue. Bring that question back.”
Before the next lesson or practice	Date of the earlier note, unfinished homework and the question to bring	“Read October 17 entry. Ask coach to demonstrate the toss setup before we begin.”

Keep the assignment and the record of what you did on separate lines. Copy an assigned amount accurately; do not turn a writing prompt into extra swings or throws. If the coach has not supplied an amount, leave it blank and ask. A journal entry does not set your training workload.

Copy this player journal entry

Use these labels in a notebook or a notes tool. You can fill them with fragments. Add a drawing if words do not describe the setup.

• Date and session: October 17. Baseball hitting lesson.
• What we worked on: Front toss, calling pitch location.
• Coach's cue: “Say the location before the next toss.”
• Homework assigned: Coach asked me to write down the drill setup. No extra hitting was assigned.
• What I noticed: I called two outside pitches inside. I asked for the locations to be shown again.
• Question for next time: Where should I stand for this drill?

The example records a lesson without choosing a swing change. If you are unsure of a cue, label it “check with coach.” When two adults use different words, write both phrases with the session dates and ask how they fit together. Keep a new instruction separate from the one it replaces.

What coaches and players say works

The sources below discuss reflection and self-talk. They do not test this softball and baseball template. The prompts here are Rundown's writing suggestions.

Use a prompt when the page is blank

In a September 2013 paper, Richard Neil, Brendan Cropley, Kylie Wilson and Andrea Faull reported that rugby players new to reflection found guided questions easier to use than an unguided page. Their questions covered what happened and the next action. The authors also said cause and effect between reflection and performance was difficult to establish.

For your entry, start with “What did we practise?” Then name a moment from that work. Write the part you want explained at the next session. You do not need to retell every station.

Write a fact and name the feeling

Dr. Andrew Friesen, writing for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology on September 6, 2016, discusses performance debriefs and attention to what an athlete can control. He also describes planning a response to an anticipated situation.

On the page, separate the event from your reaction: “I missed the target on that throw. I felt annoyed and rushed the next setup.” Then record a question or a cue your coach has already given you. “I was terrible” leaves the drill and the moment unspecified. Keep the details you would want to talk about.

Speak to yourself with respect

Tennis coach and sport psychology teacher Ben Loeb, in his April 1, 2024 AASP article, asks athletes to consider how they talk to themselves after mistakes. His advice includes treating yourself with compassion while remaining accountable for your actions.

Try “I forgot the call and asked for it again.” Include something you want to repeat, too: “I waited for the explanation before starting.” You can be disappointed and still write a fair account. Describe your action without giving yourself a label.

Age notes: 10U to 18U

These are suggested entry sizes and adult roles, not tested age cutoffs. The 13-and-older audience here refers to the player's age. A division label does not decide who writes the entry.

• 10U, for parents: Ask your child what the coach asked them to try. Write their words and read them back. A sentence or a sketch is enough to start. If you add your own observation, label it “parent note” so the two accounts stay separate.
• 12U, for parents of players under 13: Offer the cue, homework and question labels. Let your child supply the words or dictate them. Ask whether the note says what they meant. Resist filling every blank from your view at the fence.
• 14U, for players 13 and older: Write your own entry. Include the drill setup and the words you want explained. If you are younger than 13 in this division, use the parent-assisted approach above. Choose which lesson question to bring to the coach.
• 16U to 18U: Add context when it matters: a new position, a different drill setup or a changed assignment. Refer to the earlier entry by date. Mark a question answered when you have the explanation; record a changed cue beside the date it changed.

For either sport, a note about a play should name the actual situation and your staff's assignment. Keep softball and baseball entries labeled. If a rule or a coverage is unclear, write the question for your coach rather than filling the gap with an answer from another sport.

A 10-minute after-practice routine

Use this as an optional writing window after you have put the equipment away and can sit down. The minute blocks are a suggested schedule. You can stop earlier or return later. This routine adds writing time, with no extra physical practice assigned.

1. Minutes 0 to 2, identify the session. Add the date, sport and lesson or practice topic. Name the drill and setup. For team work, add your position. If you worked through a play, note the runners, outs and ball location before describing your assignment.
2. Minutes 2 to 4, copy the instruction. Record the cue as closely as you can. Use quotation marks when you remember the words. Otherwise write “my summary” and check it later. Copy the homework, including any amount or rest instructions already assigned.
3. Minutes 4 to 7, describe a moment. Write what you did and what happened. Add how you felt if you want to discuss it. Name an action you want to repeat and something you did not understand. Leave out guessed explanations for why a ball went where it did.
4. Minutes 7 to 9, prepare the next question. Choose the uncertainty you want to bring back. “Can you show the starting position again?” is specific enough to ask aloud. If the homework is unclear, record that question before planning another session.
5. Minutes 9 to 10, read it back. Check that you can tell the assignment from what you actually did. Put the next practice or lesson date beside the question if you know it. Close the entry when it says what you intended.

On a busy evening, shorten it to the cue, what you noticed and the next question. If you remember another detail tomorrow, add it with that date. Do not rewrite the earlier note as though you knew it at the time.

When you return to the field, read the relevant entry before the session starts. Bring the question you chose. If the coach changes the assignment, date the new instruction. Your notes can contain uncertainty, a correction or “no homework assigned.” Write what the session actually included.

Quick answers

What do you write in a softball or baseball player journal?

Write the date, what you practised, your coach's cue, the homework you were assigned, something you noticed and a question for next time. Use the drill name and setup so the note says which work you mean. Short notes are enough.

What should I write after a private lesson?

Record the lesson topic, the cue in your coach's words and the assigned drill with its setup. Copy any assigned amount and rest instructions accurately. Add what you understood and what you need explained. If no homework was assigned, write that and ask at the next lesson.

How long should a sports journal entry take?

Try the 10-minute routine in this guide, or write a few lines when time is short. Ten minutes is a suggested writing window, not a research requirement. Stop when you have recorded the instruction, your observation and the next question.

Should parents write the journal for younger players?

For a player under 13, a parent can ask a short question and write the answer in the child's words. Read it back and let the child correct it. Keep the player's observation separate from the adult's note. Players 13 and older can write their own entries.

Do I need a printed journal or an app?

Use a notebook, a sheet of paper or a notes tool you can return to. Copy the prompts in this guide into whichever format you use. Choose a place for the entries and put the date on each one.

What if the lesson felt bad or I disagree with a cue?

Write what happened and how you felt, then record the point you want to discuss. For example: I felt frustrated during front toss. I do not understand when to start. Ask your coach to explain the cue and its purpose before adding a different instruction.

Rundown JotDown. Your player journal.

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