What Are Softball Catchers For Anyways?
It's a fact that pitching is the name of the game.
Any coach knows that they can't win without at least decent pitching. It's the same as a quarterback in football or a goaltender in ice hockey.
So, what are catchers for anyways?
To most people that are not too familiar with the game, their job is to squat down behind the plate, make a target for their pitcher and catch balls. That's it.
Pretty much like bucket dads catching their daughter in pitching practice.
Thankfully, most coaches and players realize that catchers are important to their team's success.
But do you realize how much difference a good catcher can make?
You usually don't know until you have such as a catcher.
Wow! Things are much easier and better when you have a catcher that knows what she/he is doing behind the dish.
Your pitcher is better. Your whole team performs better.
I am sure I am not telling you anything new.
But I wanted to point out how…
"catching is a thankless job!"
It's a tough job and catchers rarely get all the recognition they deserve. Even from their own teammates and coaches.
How often do you work exclusively with your catcher on their individual catching skills such as blocking, framing, fielding balls, recovering passed balls and so on?
Probably not often enough and not long enough.
Most catchers, during practices, catch balls coming in during drills, catch the pitchers when they practice and get involved when the team practices their game situations and defensive strategies like pick-offs or first-and-third situations.
But do they get that same individual attention that pitchers get to work at refining their catching skills?
Probably not as much as it should on most teams.
The reason I'm talking about that is that I have main thing
I want to emphasize:
1) We need to have an even greater appreciation for what catchers do and how important they are to us and our success
2) We need to realize that we need to work more on an individual basis with them and need to give them even more recognition for the job the tough thankless job they do.
What's the last time a pitcher throw a perfect game by themselves?
To all the catchers out there… thank you soooo much. You work is really appreciated. Over the years, I have certainly learned the value of a great catcher.
Make your catchers important and see how much better your pitchers and your team will be.
Marc
"Your Softball Peak Performance Coach"
P.S. Don't forget it's not too late to get fit and run faster, hit the ball harder and throw with more power. To help you, I invite to check my new resource to help you get fit only 3 weeks.. yes 3 weeks.
==> http://softballperformance.com/products/get-fit-fast.html
P.P.S. Feel free to post your thoughts.
What questions does this raise for you?If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Share This Post With Others!
Comments on What Are Softball Catchers For Anyways? »
Softball Practice Drills - Three Throws from the Catcher @ 1:29 am
[...] To practice receiving three different throws from the softball catcher. The catcher is working on the techniques involed in three plays at the same time: passed ball, [...]
I have to disagree with this omment. I play catcher on my softball team and I get almost all the credit when we win,along with the picher, but it's mostly me.
That's good. Most of the time, catchers don't get enough credits though which is sad…
I'm going to play catcher, and softball, for the first time tomorrow for my school team. I'm a goalie in two sports, ice hockey and ringette, and I was told that catcher would really help my glove hand in ice hockey and ringette.
I'm definitely use to getting no credit for a win and all the blame for a loss.
What tips or advice would you have for me, my school team is a 8-12 team and the league isn't that serious; it's more for fun.
I've watched countless videos on the internet, read tips, watched international and collegiate games on the internet and pretty much whatever else I could find.
Thanks,
Madeleine Cho
Hi Madeleine,
I think the best thing is to buy a catching DVD. I can recommended Stacy Nuveman (search on ebay or amazon) or the one from Coach Weaver at http://catchingcamp.com/
Thanks, I'll look into those. Maybe I should suggest that the school invest in buying a copy.
Softball Drills - Passed Balls and Wild Pitches @ 8:12 pm
[...] To let softball catchers practice getting to the ball quickly and accurately and throwing it back to the [...]
Softball Catcher Drills - Slow Roller @ 12:37 am
[...] This drill gives softball catchers a chance to practice getting out of their stances quickly and fielding balls that stay within their [...]
I've been the starting catcher for my high school since I was a freshman. It is very true or at least at my high school that catchers don't get reconized. Thats why a catcher has to be a tough kid. They have to be able to take a lot from their coaches and just shake it off when they blame you for things out of your controle. Where I play our pitcher is a "God" (to our coaches) so she never does anything at all. Not saying she isn't a good Pitcher because she is very good, but having a big head only causes problems for you and your team when you have a key player like that. So for everyone out there play softball/baseball for the sport. Dont get a huge head when you have a good game, Doing a great job in your game is kind of what you are suppose to do. And Coaches dont keep venting on oyour catchers they can only take so much, and you are doing nothing but making their season not fun for them at all. Make sure you give them some reconition. I mean they are the ones calling the pitches and framing the all the pitches. Making the pitcher look good.
i play catcher and i fell very important when he pitchers makes and bad pitch and i make a throw down or when a girl stills home andthe pitcher backs me up
My daughter is 10 now, when she started in little league she was in outfield. The coaches of her team could see how well she caught and threw the ball and trained her as catcher. She turned out to be the best they had ever seen. She then went onto All Stars that year at 8 years of age, she went on the next year as well. She again did little league this year and again is on the All Star team. Over the fall and spring she played on an ASA team that just played in State Tourney and got 3rd place, they were invited to go to Nationals, but, seems not enough players could go
What a chance of a lifetime for these girls to go and now they are gonna miss out 
My daughter has played several positions since catcher, she has played, 3rd, SS, 2nd, 1st and getting involved in pitching, I have found that she is an all around good ball player in any position. But, the best that she plays is as Catcher!! She knows it is the most important position and as I read of other comments. It is a thankless job and yes they are awarded for keeping someone from coming home and scoring and yet they are blamed when a run comes in
The catcher makes the team, I agree, they keep their pitcher in check as well as the other players or plays on the field.
Sincerely,
A Softball Catchers Mom
I just want to point out that catching is NOT at all a "thinkless job" and no, it can not be taught to anyone. A catcher has three jobs to do, they are to frame pitches, throw people out, and block pitches in the dirt. If you've ever caught before, then you know how hard it is at first to block the ball. It's human nature to get out of the way of the ball that's coming at you at 60-65 mph. I believe that catching, other than pitching, is the hardest position on the softball and baseball field.