Why is there so little coaching for softball catchers?

[MightyMO]

I've been watching fastpitch at different age levels both rec and travel for the last 10 years or so and it's disturbing how little coaching there is for the catchers out there. Every pitcher on the field has a private pitching coach but 95% of the catchers (at least in my area) only get instruction from their team coach and most of those team coaches know very little about catching.

After getting frustrated about this over the years I decided someone needs to work with the younger catchers that want to learn. I started working with 2 nine year old catchers a few weeks ago and they couldn't be more excited to finally have someone show them more than "squat down and catch the ball". One of the catchers caught last year for a team and didn't know what it meant to block the ball. I asked her what her coach taught her about her receiving stance and she said "he told me to be up on my toes, that's all".

I'm done ranting now.

 

[KCPRK]

You are correct as we talk about it here often. there is actually a wonderful baseball AND softball catching company that travels the nation and has dvds aimed at training coaches to train catchers.

NECC. Someone link it up pls.

 

[MightyMO]

I have the NECC DVD and am using it to help teach the girls I'm working with. It's a great resource for sure.

I caught when I played baseball and still find myself watching the catcher as much as any other part of the game. I guess that's why I noticed the deficiency.

I just don't understand the lack of work done with the girls who play arguably the most important position on the field. (Don't tell my DDs that I said that since neither of them wanted to catch. )

 

[KCPRK]

I am a pitching instructor with DDs as pitchers and I agree with you. The catcher can make or break a team as well as a pitcher.

There are simply a shortage of catching resources and catchers are unsung heroes.

As a coach I found that the performance of my pitchers greatly increased when I educated myself on catching and worked with the P/C together.

 

[guero_gordo]

I applaud your commitment to solving the problem, 8-9 is a good age to start.

NECC started because Dave Weaver was in the same situation as you, and spent the rest of his life parsing and compiling good instruction to fill that void of good information. Jay and Kevin are still doing just that.
The New England Catching Camp

 

[MightyMO]

I am a pitching instructor with DDs as pitchers and I agree with you. The catcher can make or break a team as well as a pitcher.

There are simply a shortage of catching resources and catchers are unsung heroes.

As a coach I found that the performance of my pitchers greatly increased when I educated myself on catching and worked with the P/C together.

DD2 is an aspiring pitcher. I don't have the knowledge to help there so she goes to lessons and I sit on the bucket and try to help where I can.

I completely agree with you about the catcher making the pitcher better (or worse). My other pet peeve with that is that I don't see enough catchers calling games at the 16U and 18U levels. DD1's high school team had an all state catcher last year but I never saw her call a game over the last two years.

 

[MightyMO]

Thanks guero. I've told the girls that I'm working with that my goal is to have the other teams in the area making comments about how the best catchers come out of our town.

I didn't realize that was how NECC started. They seem like great guys from what I've seen on the site and DVD.

 

[CoogansBluff]

There aren't that many good hitting coaches out there either, IMO. So yes, the quicker that we as parents realize that it's hard to find good help for anything in softball, the better. This site is the best thing I've found.

 

[Eric F]

Thanks guero. I've told the girls that I'm working with that my goal is to have the other teams in the area making comments about how the best catchers come out of our town.

I didn't realize that was how NECC started. They seem like great guys from what I've seen on the site and DVD.

It sounds like you're taking the right steps to reach your goal. DFP'er Chaz from Advanced Catching Concepts is another guy doing specialized catcher training based on the NECC techniques.

The guys from NECC are fantastic - nice people, and great teachers! My 9yo DD attended one of their 3-day camps this Winter, and it improved her game tremendously. Also at the camp was another 10U girl from our league. Her father and I are spreading the techniques with the catchers in our league. Even simple instruction on proper stances and receiving makes an immediate and dramatic difference in the ability to play the position effectively.

Here's my DD from last Saturday's game...

 

[chazbz1]

We got Dave at NECC to work with our DD long distance. That plus hosting NECC clinics gave us some knowledge. Dave warned me I would be the "village idiot" for catcher training and now folks drive from 4 states for catching sessions with us at advanced Catching Concepts in Kansas City.

Dave was right!