Help teaching a catcher to catch

[trying_2_coach]

Hi,

This is our teams first year playing pitched softball (its been t-ball up until now) and therefore our first season catching also. I've got a few players keen to play catcher, but one in particular has some really good attributes, i.e they see the ball well and generally get their glove to it, not afraid to get behind a swinging bat like many of the others and has a good strong accurate throw. The problem is this particular person can't actually catch, although not alot gets past them.

When they catch in the outfield it is the wrong way round, i.e. if they were catching with 2 hands their pinky fingers would be together instead of thumbs, if that makes sense. Any idea on how I can teach this kid to actually catch?

Thanks.

 

[quincy]

Put hem against a fence with a face mask on.

Sit about 15 feet away, on a bucket, and start throwing balls to them. As they throw the ball to you, throw another one to them. Use softies at first and slowly throw the balls harder.

If they start playing games with their hands the ball is going to hit them or the fence.

Obviously you do not want to hurt anyone so start slow.

11YOA DD can do this really fast and can be fun. She does it in a ready position but should also work in a C’s ready position.

 

[redhotcoach]

Just keep working with them. I see a lot of teams that don't work with their catchers at all, besides "go catch this pitcher."

While we are on the subject of young catchers. I was in conference with our younger team's coaches. They brought up the subject of their catchers needing to block. I let them talk, but I should not have. The more they talked, the more angry I got. We had just talked about how to try to develope their pitchers (8u and first year 10u). In this conversation the coaches had very realistic expectations of the girls and I am sure are encouraging and positive. Then it came to catchers and they started on about different girls how they "need to block." I said "first thing you need to know is they are 8 and 9 years old, 1 in 10 12 year olds block. Be supportive these girls even get back there to have balls throw at them. Second, look in our score book rules at how to score a wild pitch/past ball, "any ball that hits the dirt is to be scored a wild pitch." Now when balls hit the dirt and bounce to the fence, do you yell at the pitcher? Probably not, but I bet $100 you guys are yelling at the catcher 'be a wall, no more past balls'.

Last spring I was approached about holding all team catcher training. My response was that we need all team coach training first.

 

[InsidePitch]

Buy the NECC dvd. Visual and easy to understand, even for younger kids. Watch it in sections to keep their attention.
The New England Catching Camp

 

[Perfect Circle]

Hi,

This is our teams first year playing pitched softball (its been t-ball up until now) and therefore our first season catching also. I've got a few players keen to play catcher, but one in particular has some really good attributes, i.e they see the ball well and generally get their glove to it, not afraid to get behind a swinging bat like many of the others and has a good strong accurate throw. The problem is this particular person can't actually catch, although not alot gets past them.

When they catch in the outfield it is the wrong way round, i.e. if they were catching with 2 hands their pinky fingers would be together instead of thumbs, if that makes sense. Any idea on how I can teach this kid to actually catch?

Thanks.

Teach Mom or Dad to pitch to them, at estimated game speed & distance. Then she'll need to start working on throwing it ("accuratelyer" coined term) at 60' then 85'.. She'll need to get in practice almost every day for quite some time.

 

[redhotcoach]

[video]http://youtube.com/watch?v=7lV4Bo7ICEk[/video]

Necc receiving

 

[shockcoach]

Definitely get the NECC video. Then make sure you spend about the same time working with your catchers as you expect your pitchers to work on pitching. Read through the whole NECC site. Especially about the most wasted 20 minutes of wasted practice time.

 

[trying_2_coach]

Thanks guys, sounds like it's worth persevering with this kid as a catcher then.