Summer baseball is competitive. Travel ball tournaments, long practices, and sweltering heat can all add up to something most young players don’t sign up for: burnout.
That’s why more coaches and parents are embracing a simple but powerful tradition to keep the game light, fun, and relationship-focused.
👉 Wiffle Ball Wednesdays.
No pressure. No scores that count. No stats.
Just teammates laughing, trying ridiculous pitches, making diving catches on grass, and remembering why they fell in love with the game in the first place.
⚾ What Is Wiffle Ball Wednesday?
Wiffle Ball Wednesday is a weekly tradition during the summer baseball season where a team replaces (or shortens) a typical practice with a full-blown, lighthearted wiffle ball game. It can take place on a grass field, in a park, or even in someone's backyard. The goal?
Fun. Freedom. Friendship.
Whether you’re a coach, parent, or team organizer, here’s how and why you should start this simple tradition.
🌟 Why It Works
1. Reduces Performance Pressure
Kids often feel they’re being evaluated every time they touch a ball. Wiffle Ball Wednesday removes that pressure entirely.
No scouts. No parents charting pitches. No lineup stress. Just play.
2. Reignites Creativity and Joy
Want your players to swing freely? Let them invent their own batting stances.
Want them to problem-solve? Let them design their own field layout.
In a wiffle ball game, they don’t just play the game — they shape it.
3. Builds Stronger Team Bonds
Players laugh more in one wiffle ball game than they might in an entire tournament weekend.
Inside jokes, shared victories, silly celebrations — all of these boost team chemistry that carries back into "real" games.
4. Encourages Role Experimentation
Let your shortstop pitch. Let your left fielder catch. Let the kid who never bats cleanup try it just for fun.
Low-pressure environments build confidence.
🧩 How to Set Up Wiffle Ball Wednesdays
✅ What You Need:
- 1–2 plastic wiffle balls (bring backups!)
- 1 plastic bat (or allow kids to bring their own)
- Cones, lawn chairs, or hats to mark bases
- A speaker for music (optional, but fun)
- Sunscreen, water, and snacks!
🕓 Suggested Format:
- 5–10 min: Warm-up/stretch (or skip entirely for younger kids)
- 5 min: Choose teams (switch them up weekly)
- 30–45 min: Game time! Set your own rules.
- 5 min: Post-game team huddle or “player of the day” moment
🔄 Fun Variations to Keep It Fresh
1. Home Run Derby Week
Set up a mini home run fence with cones or a rope. Give each player 5 swings.
2. Parents vs. Players Game
Let the parents step in with wiffle bats. Instant memories made.
3. Theme Week
o Backwards Hat Game
o Slide Into Every Base Game
o Left-Handed-Only Game (optional chaos!)
4. Wiffle Ball Olympics
o Longest throw contest
o Most ridiculous wind-up pitch
o Trick shot hitting challenge
🎯 Coach & Parent Tips for Success
- Keep the tone playful. Don’t correct swings or criticize errors.
- Mix up teams weekly to help friendships form across cliques.
- Encourage silly plays — double somersaults, dramatic walk-offs, goofy celebrations.
- Celebrate effort over outcome — cheer when someone tries something new.
- Invite injured players to ump, DJ, or announce the game — keep everyone involved.
💬 Real Team Feedback
“My son said Wiffle Ball Wednesdays were the best part of his summer team. He looked forward to them more than the tournaments.”
– Youth baseball parent, age 12U
“I’ve seen quieter kids come out of their shell during these games. It’s where personalities really shine.”
– Travel ball coach, age 10U
🧠 The Deeper Impact
While Wiffle Ball Wednesdays might look like fun and games on the surface, their long-term impact goes far deeper:
- Builds love for the sport
- Teaches joy in movement, not just performance
- Reduces anxiety around mistakes
- Encourages kids to stay in baseball longer
Because the truth is, kids don’t burn out from playing baseball —
they burn out from only working at baseball.
🥎 Final Thoughts: Keep the Game a Game
At the heart of every great baseball player is a kid who fell in love with the sound of the bat, the smell of the grass, and the freedom of running around with their friends.
Wiffle Ball Wednesdays are a chance to revisit that joy — and protect it.
So bring the plastic bat. Crank the speaker. Let them be silly.
Let them lead. Let them play.
Because when fun is part of the process, growth always follows.
For Wiffle Ball Wednesdays: Low-Pressure, High-Fun Team Bonding, we have baseball gear at an affordable price, mpthreebaseball.com has a great selection of both on-field gear and gameday shirts that are sure to spread some smiles. Shop our shirts, sunglasses, and more.