When to get gear

[dadofadirtlover]

Right now she's torn between her 1st love of 1b, her newfound love of C, and her flirtatious glances of P. Looks like C will win out but I'm giving the fall season to know for sure. Then I can allocate coins in that direction.

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[BuckeyeGuy]

I thought it was always better to get a used catcher's glove?

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"Always" is a loaded word. Finding a used LHT fastpitch catcher's mitt that works with small hands was impossible at the time.

 

[dadofadirtlover]

"Always" is a loaded word. Finding a used LHT fastpitch catcher's mitt that works with small hands was impossible at the time.

Ah! I can see how that could be hard to find.

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[Eric F]

Hey Eric - what's with that throwing hand???

BTW, DD is digging the Akadema now that it's broken in and she's seeing pitchers who throw over 30mph lol!

Runner's-on stance. Hand came back to the chest, as programmed. For a pitch in that location, however, I would prefer to see the hand a little higher on the chest.

 

[Eric F]

Right now she's torn between her 1st love of 1b, her newfound love of C, and her flirtatious glances of P. Looks like C will win out but I'm giving the fall season to know for sure. Then I can allocate coins in that direction.

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Caution: Playing catcher can be highly addictive. It's not true for every player who dares to give it a try, but I've seen it happen numerous times. Once they get a little taste of the action behind the plate, that's all they want. One good hit of that special dust, and the inner catcher-beast is released.

 

[dadofadirtlover]

Caution: Playing catcher can be highly addictive. It's not true for every player who dares to give it a try, but I've seen it happen numerous times. Once they get a little taste of the action behind the plate, that's all they want. One good hit of that special dust, and the inner catcher-beast is released.

She's already asked to play C more than 1B. Everyday she wants to put in more work and it starts with C gear on. It's definitely a beast mode kind of light switch that has turned on. Addicted is likely an understatement.

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[Eric F]

She's already asked to play C more than 1B. Everyday she wants to put in more work and it starts with C gear on. It's definitely a beast mode kind of light switch that has turned on. Addicted is likely an understatement.

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Awesome! I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. That was 2 years ago for us, and it hasn't really slowed down at all.

The BEST thing you can do is to make sure she is learning to play the position properly. The catcher position is the most-demanding, and (far too often) the least-coached position on the field. There are a LOT of details that go into playing the position effectively, efficiently, and safely. Unfortunately, most team coaches are oblivious to what those details are, and catchers are putting themselves in danger with poor technique.

It is never to early for your young catcher-beast to start learning proper techniques for receiving, blocking, fielding footwork, throwing, etc. Many DFP'ers (myself included) have used the methods instructed by New England Catching Camp for helping our DDs learn the necessary skills. NECC's instructional DVD is excellent, and is considered by many to be the gold-standard for catching instruction. For my DD, working with the DVD material and attending an NECC clinic helped her develop very quickly into the kind of catcher that is a difference-maker behind the plate.

 

[dadofadirtlover]

That's what I'm struggling with right now. Whether or not to have her go TB after the spring ball season or have her go to the NECC clinic and then have her tryout for TB. Alot of that has to do with her maturity and our budget. This stuff is far from inexpensive. Worth it, but expensive.

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[Eric F]

That's what I'm struggling with right now. Whether or not to have her go TB after the spring ball season or have her go to the NECC clinic and then have her tryout for TB. Alot of that has to do with her maturity and our budget. This stuff is far from inexpensive. Worth it, but expensive.

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The NECC is a game-changer. The things she learns will put her ahead of the curve vs. most girls her age. I recommend getting the DVD, also. Being familiar with the methods NECC teaches will accelerate her learning when she's at the clinic working with Jay and his staff.

For my DD, we elected to have her play her 2nd year of 10U spring rec ball instead of following some of her all-star teammates to TB before the spring season. My DD got a chance to be a dominant player in the league, work a lot behind the plate, and really develop her skills as a team leader (this was the biggest benefit). She lead the team to a 14-1-1 record and the league championship. At the end of the spring season, we skipped all-stars, and went to TB. For us, it was the right decision for her development. She went to TB with self-confidence and good skills to back it up.

 

[dadofadirtlover]

Shouldn't that happen after her current season? The NECC DVD that is. I don't want to throw too much at her at once.