I've been teasingly asked why I keep catching for my pitching kid. She takes lessons from a top instructor (Bobby Smith) up in the houston area, we drive up 3.5 hours, take an hour lesson then drive home 3.5 hours - she's good, she deserves the best. So why do I catch for her daily, 57 years old, contact lenses that could power the Hubble, shot hearing, a svelte 260 lbs 6.1 grandpa? Because with all the stuff in her life, school, track, volleyball, friends, boy friend, softball, 4H, church, this she does with just me. Some days, she is so busy with everything else, pitching practice is the only place we actually talk. Since she was 7, (16 now) she and I have been doing this and no matter what else is going on, we get to do this together. Bobby recommended that I pad up, and though I waited a little too long, broken toes, bruised lips, shins that look like moon craters, (they bruise, then dent) but its still fun. Note that I do not pretend to coach her pitching, 99% of the dads that do are full of xxxx, and do nothing but screw up their kid. My job is to catch for her, call the pitches, see that they do what they are supposed to, but I do not correct her. I was not a fastpitcher, I have studied the videos so I know the questions that need to be asked , but the rest of it is between her instructor and her. I try to keep this as fun and practical as a daily practice for years and years has to be - who knows where she is going with this, maybe no where, but I have had this time with this really neat kid.