Which catcher would you go with?

[Sparky Guy]

I currently have 2 catchers I'm considering for 10u TB team. One is is very well rounded working catcher. She has very good glove technique and plays really good " heads up" ball. My only problem with her is that she's not particularly quick. The 2nd one is just opposite. She is incredibly quick and aggressive but doesn't have particularly good receiving skills.

This is a no-brainer at 10U. I've had both types of catchers over the years. For me. Give me the athletic catcher. You can teach them how to be a catcher. Especially, if she has a passion for the position and a head for the game.

You can try to enhance a catcher's speed with proper techniques and mechanics. However, there is no substitute for natural ability. You can't teach it, you're born with it.

 

[MsDinosaur]

I'd keep them both. You never know at 10U. What's most important IMO is the intangible of which girl really has the desire and will to catch, enough to keep working on improving her abilities year-round, year after year.

I'd lean toward that girl turning out to be catcher #1 because it sounds like she has a catcher's brain and has already been doing the work. However, catcher #2 could possibly become great if she wants to. Does she know what she needs to do and is she willing to go through the grind of learning to be a catcher?

Athleticism is great, but above all, a catcher has to...catch. ;-) She's got to be a wall, receiving the ball in a way that gets the pitcher her strikes, blocking errant pitches to prevent runners from moving up on them, and staunchly positioning herself, catching last-minute throws and making those tags at the plate. She has to have her head in the game, watching out for her pitcher, assessing opposing batters, figuring out how to work the umpire and his/her zone, and loudly directing the defense. Speed and flash is great, but the "dull" stuff has to be rock-solid.

 

[SCDad]

Smart over quick any day.

NO! Being smart can be taught. Quickness cannot. When evaluating catchers at the highest level, quickness becomes the defining criteria!

 

[ArkFastpitch]

I am trying to look past what they are right now and focus on what they will be by spring and beyond. I talked to a speed and agility coach and he basically told me to ignore the awkwardness that comes at this age.. It is possible that the roles will be reversed when their bodies mature. It just all depends on how they adapt and learn to work with what they have.

For now I plan to focus on sound fundamentals and teach efficiency versus blazing quickness. Both girls are eager to work.

 

[MsDinosaur]

NO! Being smart can be taught. Quickness cannot. When evaluating catchers at the highest level, quickness becomes the defining criteria!

I disagree. You can give them experience, but no amount of teaching is going to turn a (non-LD) kid from a 100 IQ into a 130 IQ. Whereas quickness actually can be taught. Through practice, an athlete can build his/her myelin sheathing to make certain actions extremely quick and efficient.

However, I still say that 10U is too young to pigeon-hole either of these girls. ...Best to work with both and see what the future brings. JMHO.

 

[ArkFastpitch]

I would never pigeon hole a player into a particular position. My # 1 rotates out at 1st and left field and also occasionally pitches. My #2 plays SS, 2nd and left field. I try to give them a whole field experience and hopefully make them a more well-rounded player.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Whereas quickness actually can be taught. Through practice, an athlete can build his/her myelin sheathing to make certain actions extremely quick and efficient.

Only to a point, then natural abilities limit a player. If speed and quickness could be taught then everyone would be able to run sub 10 second 100 meter dashes. Everyone of us has our physical limits as well as mental capacity limits.

What I've seen over the years from working with young players. The standout athletes at 10U usually end up being the standout athletes as they get older. Better techniques can be taught to help a player perform more efficiently at a position and a player can be educated about game flow, but only to a point. After that athleticism and innate game sense takes over.

CMA (Cover My A**) statement: There are always exceptions and your mileage may vary.

 

[ArkFastpitch]

I agree physical makeup may predispose some to certain limitations, but I beleieve it is possible to train someone to be quicker. Will they be as quick as someone with tons of God given ability? Probably not, but then again we don't always need a sub 10 second 100m either.

I hear "ugly duckling" stories from high level athletes all the time. Talking about how awkward they were at certain ages. I'm sure some of them just tell those to inspire some young wanna be, but there are those that truly overcame.

 

[marriard]

What I've seen over the years from working with young players. The standout athletes at 10U usually end up being the standout athletes as they get older. Better techniques can be taught to help a player perform more efficiently at a position and a player can be educated about game flow, but only to a point. After that athleticism and innate game sense takes over.

CMA (Cover My A**) statement: There are always exceptions and your mileage may vary.

My mileage definitely varies. Most standout athletes I see people raving about in 10U are the early maturers - and everyone else catches up to them in 2nd year 12U/1st year 14U and they end up being one of the pack or in many cases struggling because their physical advantages are not as pronounced anymore.

The ones in 10U that I see develop into the standout athletes are the moderate sized ones that can hang with the mature girls despite clearly not being there yet and the ones who are all arms and legs but haven't figured out how to move them in the same direction at the same time.

 

[Mr T]

I agree having two is nice. Especially if you live in a hot area or it happens to be hot at a given tournament. Catching is hard work at that age.

To decide which one to play in a given game I would think about factors such as how accurate is my starting pitcher? How far away is the backstop? Have we played this opponent before and did they try to bunt us to death or did they just swing away?