Youth Catcher Fundamentals

[4xACharm]

DD3 is an 8yo starting 10u early and she wants to learn to play catcher. She is what her biased father would consider "athletically gifted" and she has a good arm, although she has some mechanical things we are trying to work out at the moment. What are the fundamentals/drills we should be doing or working on at home so she can be ready a year or so from now? What do coaches look for in a catcher that age? My background is in basketball so I am just trying to figure out where to start as far as footwork, stance, positioning, etc.

For reference and expectations of the position, they are usually a B-Class 10u team, but will probably be an above average/decent C class team this season since 8 girls moved up to 12u.

 

[Ken B]

Here's one option:

E-BOOK — The Catching Camp

www.catchingcamp.com

 

[apsalartoll]

My daughter is a 10u catcher. From my observations, the super basics are being able to catch the ball when it's catchable, and reliably getting it back to the pitcher. When the ball is not catchable, they need to learn to block it. That's especially important when there's a runner on 3rd, and in 10u there is often a runner on 3rd. Positioning and framing. Being able to make the throw to any base. Know when there's a dropped 3rd situation and when there's not.

 

[stox]

Here's one option:

E-BOOK — The Catching Camp

www.catchingcamp.com

Would this be a good investment for someone with no experience to use to help their daughter learn the position?

Are private catching lessons worth it at the beginner level? Actually has an ump in 8u all stars ask me if she was already talking lessons. Didn't know anyone that young got catching lessons.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

 

[Josh Greer]

Some slightly related observations: I would suggest investing in a quality set of catchers gear around U10. This is about the age to start teaching them the "crazy catcher" mindset. They will learn to drop and take balls off the chest, legs, and mask. A quality set of gear will help develop that trust. At around U12, I would invest in a quality mitt. That's when speed starts increasing. Sounds like you folks are embarking on a fun journey. Enjoy it.