Girl's do not want to catch

[PlaySundaySoftball]

My daughter (10 now) had always played first base since she was 4 in rec. She played one fall ball season at 10U rec and pitched. She made her select team the following spring. The coach there had her pegged for third because of her strong arm. My wife called me one day from practice and said "you will never believe this but coach is having her catch" She loved it and has been the bracket catcher ever since. She still pitches some, but only in pool games. What she loves about it is that she is involved in every play of the game on defense. Within a month or so she was calling in third basemen because she could tell when they were bunting by the way the held the bat. Nothing makes her madder than to have someone steal on her. The point of all of this story is,,,your good catchers are your go getters on the team. The ones that don't mind getting hot, dirty, and taking some bumps and bruises. They want action all of the time and they hate to get beat. I am sure "catching Coach" has seen this type of mentality with the girls he works with.
Play Sunday Softball

 

[absdad]

I tried to talk my daughter out of it when she first came to me asking about catching. I tried to give her all the "it's going to be 100 degrees and what if it's a long inning", sweaty, crouched down..." she didn't care. We decided to buy her the equipment and she took to it like a fish in water. She practices her chosen craft as much as possible, and always asks us after games if we noticed anything she did wrong, or could have done better. It's a very demanding position, physically and mentally. We quickly got to a point where we were well beyond dad's knowledge of the position, and she began taking lessons.

I think the positions takes a mental and physical toughness. I would imagine that a girl will either love it, or hate it immediately. It takes an enormous amout of dedication, similar to pitching.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I love it when this girl walks up at the first practice. 9 times out of 10, I can spot a catcher, too.

Take care of her knees and ice them just like you would her arm.

 

[NWITom]

Since this is resurrected I will tell what happened this summer.

My DD caught all the games. Not because I made her but because she found a position that she was not scared of ball and felt she was a main player in game. She also made allstars as the catcher and granted she needs practice in field she pretty much loves it. I am working on her fears of ball in field and will work on her being a better catcher all winter. Should be a fun year, 2 pitchers and a catcher all my DD's on same 10U rec team.

 

[mad hornet]

I tried my dd there once and she was so far back there wasn't room for the umpire!

Had the same problem with High School girls. They would get mad if we put them back there and put forth little to no effort which was a killer. When I talk to the young ones I tell them that becoming a good catcher at a young age is the fast track to varsity.

 

[softball_chic_12]

I don't know why girls don't want to catch. My very first softball coach in rec league was also my basketball coach. I was a bigger girl and I was athletic. he put me behind the plate. I enjoyed it at first because I was allowed to be aggressive (is that a bad thing??) and the fact that I could be aggressive really attracted me to that position. Then as we got live pitchers, i enjoyed it because I was able to do more with my position such as throwing to the bases. then the pitchers were more advanced and i was already working with them....just learning and growing and developing my skills with the pitchers was the most fun. It was hot, sweaty, grueling work, but somebody has to do it, and why not someone who likes being behind the plate????

 

[BBRB]

My daughter (10 now) had always played first base since she was 4 in rec. She played one fall ball season at 10U rec and pitched. She made her select team the following spring. The coach there had her pegged for third because of her strong arm. My wife called me one day from practice and said "you will never believe this but coach is having her catch" She loved it and has been the bracket catcher ever since. She still pitches some, but only in pool games. What she loves about it is that she is involved in every play of the game on defense. Within a month or so she was calling in third basemen because she could tell when they were bunting by the way the held the bat. Nothing makes her madder than to have someone steal on her. The point of all of this story is,,,your good catchers are your go getters on the team. The ones that don't mind getting hot, dirty, and taking some bumps and bruises. They want action all of the time and they hate to get beat. I am sure "catching Coach" has seen this type of mentality with the girls he works with.
Play Sunday Softball

This is how it has been with every good catcher that I have been around......It's like once they try it they never want to play anything else. AND A LOT OF THEM DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO TRY IT...Personally, I got stuck back their as a fill in while attending the game of an older friend (when I was 9 I think)....After that I was CONSUMED with the position and pi$$ed when they made me pitch 1/2 the time on my own team

 

[bray1981]

Tom, I don't think it is not just a Softball thing I caught in HS and in College and it is a position that just isn't for everyone its hot and dirty your getting foul balls off of you ,It takes a special person to like to catch, allot of boys and girls just don't have it in them. I was always told that catching is the easiest path to college and further if your good. I actually give catching lessons to young boys and girls and some take to it but allot just don't have it in them to be really good. I have two daughters one is a really top catcher my other daughter I couldn't pay her to get behind the plate. look for a very confident person that's a go-getter.

 

[InsidePitch]

My dd started catching on her first rec team but complained she didn't want to catch after someone else wore the helmet. Bought her a helmet the next day and she has been a starting catcher since. Having coached 10U, I made all the girls try the position. I have never had a problem finding 2 or 3 willing to do it and do it well. Probably helped that one of them was my kid.

 

[rowdy]

In rec ball the problem is sometimes the pitchers not the catchers. No one wants to continually get hit by one hoppers all night long. When my daughter started she was moved to catcher because she was the only one who could catch our pitcher. We moved to another state and joined a team whose coach pitched his daughter eventhough she had very bad control. My daughter got beat to a pulp catching her and if she was her first experience catching I am sure she would have hated it. Well we survived but it convinced me that a quality pitcher makes finding catchers easier. If your pitcher is wild, try to find another or rotate your catchers until you find someone who like to do it.