Coaches · Coaching

Building a Season Plan

This lesson is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have a health condition, food allergy or specific goal, talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

Plan · Free lesson

about 40 minutes

Coaches Lesson 2: Building a Season Plan

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Area: Plan (Practice and season) · Time: about 40 minutes · Need: a 12-month calendar, the IHSAA calendar, your staff

Goal: Build a 12-month plan that moves players from building strength and skill in the off-season to peak performance in the spring.
Why it matters: Teams that “just play” all year often reach the spring tired or rusty. A simple plan for each phase keeps arms healthy, sets clear goals and keeps you inside IHSAA rules.

1. Watch first (about 27 min total)

Video	Channel	Length	Why we chose it
How to Choose a Throwing Program That GETS RESULTS	Driveline Baseball	8:22	Driveline explains how to choose an off-season throwing program and walks through its free 16-week plan.
IN-SEASON VS. OFF-SEASON PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: How to Do it Right	Simple Sabermetrics	6:49	How player development changes between the off-season and the season.
How To Manage In-Season Lifting	Tread Athletics	9:29	How to keep strength in-season without wearing players down (Tread Athletics).
Baseball's Strength and Conditioning Philosophy	Virginia Tech Athletics	2:43	A short look at a college program’s strength and conditioning approach (Virginia Tech).

2. What you need to know

Topic	The short version	Source
IHSAA 2026–27	First practice Mar. 8, 2027. First game Mar. 22, 2027. Sectionals May 26–29 and 31; state finals June 18–19, 2027.	IHSAA 2026–27 Seasons at a Glance
Game limit	28 regular-season games with no tournament, or 26 games plus one tournament. The IHSAA Tournament Series does not count.	IHSAA By-Laws 2026–27, Rule 51-3 (game limits)
Limited Contact	Baseball: Monday of Week 9 to Saturday of Week 15 (Aug. 31–Oct. 17, 2026; up to 14 sessions) and Week 23 to Week 35 (Dec. 7, 2026–Mar. 6, 2027; up to 26 sessions). Up to 3 sessions a week, 2 hours each. Voluntary and open to all students of the school.	IHSAA By-Laws 2026–27, Rule 15-2.4 (Limited Contact)
Conditioning	Out of season, conditioning can include throwing a baseball, but not off a mound, to a batter, or with pitching instruction.	IHSAA By-Laws 2026–27, Rule 15-2.3 (Conditioning)
Time off throwing	Pitch Smart (ages 15–18): at least 4 months off competitive pitching each year, including 2–3 straight months with no overhead throwing; no more than 100 innings in 12 months.	MLB / USA Baseball Pitch Smart: ages 15–18
In-season club rules	During the HS season, students may not try out or play for a non-school team such as American Legion (IHSAA Q&A 51-5).	IHSAA By-Laws 2026–27, Rule 51 Q&A

Season map (our estimate; dates are for 2026–27)

When	Block	Notes
Fall (Aug.–Oct.)	Evaluate and build skills	Limited Contact window 1. Many players also play fall travel ball.
Winter (Nov.–early Mar.)	Strength, throwing build-up, cage work	Limited Contact window 2. Pitchers build up before the first practice.
Preseason (Mar. 8–21, 2027)	Team defense, roles, game speed	Pitchers stretched out gradually. Set lineups and signs.
In-season (from Mar. 22, 2027)	Compete, maintain strength, recover	Shorter practices on game weeks. Track pitch counts.
Summer	Travel or summer ball, rest from throwing	Plan rest from throwing; follow Pitch Smart.

3. Common mistakes and fixes

Mistake	What you see	Fix
No off-season plan	Players show up in March out of shape and not ready to throw	Give every player a written winter plan for lifting and throwing.
Pitchers start from zero in March	Sore arms in the first two weeks	Build up throwing in winter so pitchers are ready by the first practice.
Ignoring summer and fall ball	Your pitchers throw all year without a break	Talk with travel coaches. Schedule real time off from throwing.
Same practice all season	Players are tired in May	Shorter, sharper practices in-season, with recovery days.

4. How to know it is working

Plan on paper: one page per phase with goals, days per week and who leads each part.
Readiness: by the first practice, every pitcher has a completed build-up and a planned first outing.
Simple tests: repeat the same few tests in fall, winter and spring (Lesson 8).
It is working when: players are healthier and sharper in May than in March.

5. Do this at practice this week

Mark the IHSAA dates and both Limited Contact windows on your calendar.
Write a one-page goal for each phase.
Ask each player what teams he will play for in summer and fall.

Challenge: Hand each player a one-page winter plan this month and check in on it every two weeks.

Check the latest: IHSAA dates and Limited Contact limits change by school year. Check the latest IHSAA calendar and by-laws: [IHSAA 2026–27 Corresponding Weeks](https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/2026-27%20IHSAA%20Corresponding%20Weeks.pdf). Numbers marked “our estimate” are the Hub’s guidance, not rules.

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