Catcher Time at Practices

[shockcoach]

I don't devote hardly any team practice time to pitching or catching. We have pitching clinic 2-3 days a week and we have catcher's clinic 1-2 days a week for these specialty positions. I also have my catchers come in and catch for the pitchers during their clinics and I work on some items with them at this time. It gives them to practice the items we work on with them during their catcher's clinics.

Catchers suit up during situationals and will work on certain items, including throw-downs.

 

[quincy]

We aren't really able to do anything with catchers in 8u

Disagree. Too many Teams just throw out catchers that are not as good as they can be, they hurt the pitchers and the entire Team. The most common problem I see with non helped catchers is their setting up 2 feet behind the batter, nothing for the pitcher to throw to. Regardless of stealing, catchers are huge part of the game.

Last year we had a catcher that, I know it is a not an original phrase, she was the human rain delay. She hurt the entire Team. She could catch OK but she was pulling our entire Team down when she caught.

I have discussed it with her and her parents and received no good feedback. She is done catching until I see a behavior change.

 

[Arbie]

I, too, wish all coaches devoted that much time to their catchers. Unfortunately most don't. So...as a parent of a 12U catcher who has been catching since she was 7, I have taken it upon myself over the years to find my daughter someone in the area who can work with her one on one. Usually it's a high school age girl who also plays travel ball. I ask local travel coaches each summer if they have a player that they would recommend to work with my daughter. The three girls who have worked with her so far over the years were all players who went to college on softball scholarships. So, if you aren't lucky enough to have a coach who works extensively with your catcher, you have to find another way to help her improve.