Catcher @ 8U Level

[kchmcbaz]

I appreciate the comments, both postive and negative. You have to be able to take criticism. I will be the first to admit I am not an expert in softball. I am a baseball guy who started young, played through HS and still try to goof around a little bit, thats why I am here getting other opinions who have been around softball. I have read the comments about baseball people trying to coach softball so you don't need to go there but I do have a couple of comments.

Is it "normal" to use pitching machines at this level instead of pitchers or coach pitch? Although the speed is set a little faster I see several hitters swing at the same location everytime. It doesn't seem to teach them to swing at the ball but instead at the same location. Is it harder to teach youngsters to swing at the ball as they move from 8u to 10u (machine pitch to player pitch)?

And I also wanted to respond to some of SoftSocDad's comments.

Won't happen. Most 7-8 year olds are lost in the field and often have to be told where the play is after they've already fielded the ball, even if coach told them before the ball was hit and got verbal acknowledgement on the instruction to 'throw it home'.
The rec team that my daughter was on during the summer would tell me your wrong. Again, I don't have alot of experience but they made outs at first, second, and third.

You have officially taken my title as craziest parent of a less-than-8yo. Wow.

I don't fell like I am crazy. I am someone who does not have alot of experience coaching youngsters. How much you should expect from a player at 8u is a learning process. That is why I am here asking questions instead of just pushing forward. I see what she is capable of doing against the other 50-60 8u girls in the league and I want to be able to help her excel as she continues to develop.

I would not, however, be looking for 50% or more of the innings, as that's not fair to the other girls on a rec team.

I have noticed one thing. Trying to get a girl at this age to don the equipment and catch is like trying to get someone to climb a radio tower in a lighting storm.

Again, appreciate the comments. I think you all have changed my mind.

 

[quincy]

Is it "normal" to use pitching machines at this level instead of pitchers or coach pitch?

I think I am in minority in that I like pitching machines, most posters here seem to agree with your experience. This would be an interesting poll, I will need to see if I can pose the questions right and start one. Even though I like pitching machines, you absolutely need to supplement them with live pitching, at the age you are talking about probably an adult 3 times their size.

rec team that my daughter was on during the summer would tell me your wrong

At least from what I saw at this age fielding was very spurattic. Hit to the right girl, and have the right girl playing the base the ball was going to, we could get outs. Vast majority of the time it is hard to get this happen. Sure some innings 1, 2 then 3 we are done. Other innings ……maybe 1. The talent and attention level is so different between the individual girls it just falls apart a lot of times. Same experence I have coaching baseball.

Trying to get a girl at this age to don the equipment and catch is like trying to get someone to climb a radio tower in a lighting storm.

At this age C was a fought after position on our Team. Sure a handful of girls wanted nothing to do with it but if you take it a little slow they seemed to figured out C was where the action was and most girls wanted to play the position. Needed to beat them off with a stick and tell them they could play next game a C. Not positive why your experence is different then mine unless you have a couple hard throwing pitchers.

Nice to have a board title after 1 post.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Is it "normal" to use pitching machines at this level instead of pitchers or coach pitch? Although the speed is set a little faster I see several hitters swing at the same location everytime. It doesn't seem to teach them to swing at the ball but instead at the same location. Is it harder to teach youngsters to swing at the ball as they move from 8u to 10u (machine pitch to player pitch)?

Machine pitch has the limits that you state, but I prefer it to coach pitch.

Coach pitch can be excruciating because some/many/most coaches don't do it right.

 

[centralwaguy]

I appreciated this post and all the replies regarding this as recently my 12 year old daughter has also been put in a dilemna of playing majority of innings as catcher on one team or moving her to another team where she may only get a 1/3 of the innings she does now at that position. I certainly feel torn both directions. Although I agree she needs to learn other positions, I hate to see her not get the experience behind the plate that she desires. Daughter is self-motivated and has put in the time on her own to learn this position.

 

[Arbie]

I agree with SoCalSoftball Dad: when my daughter moved from c-ball baseball to 8U softball, she had already been catching baseballs. She was the only 8U softball in our county's rec league that would actually squat behind the plate and catch the ball. If your daughter is showing an interest in that position, by all means, let her try it. But do not limit her to that one position. Catching is a tough position: first of all, you cannot be "bat blind" and you would be surprised at how many girls are. Second, you have to be able to squat and you have to be able to take getting hit with a ball when it's fouled off. In our area, catchers are few and far between. Seems like every girl wants to pitch!! Hopefully there are enough girls on the team who want to catch so that your daughter can play other positions. Because once they get to 12U, their positions are pretty much set. And our 12U travel team had such a tough time this year, my daughter was the ONLY catcher we had for the last 3 months of our season. Not good for her because she also plays second base but was not able to get any playing time there in Sept. Oct. and Nov. Good luck to your daughter!!

 

[KevinC]

I agree with most here that I would not overspecialize for 8U rec league. She needs to get the experience of the other fielding positions. In our league the rules are modified in 8U and 10U (can't steal 2nd or home) so that the catcher is not such an important position.

That said my DD started specializing as a catcher in 10U and is about to move up to 12U where it is a much more key position.