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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| CaCO3Girl |
Posted - 04/30/2015 : 14:41:59
I feel like I see postings for CATCHERS NEEDED every other day on 13u and older...where did they all go? I know the pitching got faster, but that can't be the only reason there is a shortage of catchers.
Thoughts? |
| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| CaCO3Girl |
Posted - 05/01/2015 : 15:22:42
quote:
Originally posted by rippit
I agree that most coaches - I said MOST - don't know how to teach the catcher position. They need reps of the right kind just like everybody else.
Also, just because your parents bought you catcher's equipment doesn't make you a catcher. And, many end up hating the position and move on to the corners etc. after 13-14u. I've seen all of the above.
LOL, agreed! Just because you have a catchers bag and gear does not make you a catcher.
Do I need to start a whole other thread or do people want to weight in on "What makes a good catcher?" |
| rippit |
Posted - 05/01/2015 : 11:25:03
I agree that most coaches - I said MOST - don't know how to teach the catcher position. They need reps of the right kind just like everybody else.
Also, just because your parents bought you catcher's equipment doesn't make you a catcher. And, many end up hating the position and move on to the corners etc. after 13-14u. I've seen all of the above. |
| Ryno23 |
Posted - 05/01/2015 : 10:35:20
Father of a catcher as well. I feel like the quality of catching really seperates itself around the 12/13 age year. While a kid "might" have been serviceable behind the plate at younger age groups, the need for a solid quality catcher that can acutally receive the ball properly, constistently block balls and have the quickness and ability to throw runners out are what coaches are in desperate need of. A strong catcher will make your pitchers stronger as well. My son is a 12 year old this season, he worked hard this winter at becoming all three qualities I mentioned before and his play behind the dish has taken a huge step forward...to the point where he has received multiple invites to fill in for other teams, and NO we did not take any coach up on their offer!
All goes back to the phrase, "being strong defensively up the middle" and I feel like they are truly the general of the infield...look how many successful MLB managers are former catchers.
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| in_the_know |
Posted - 05/01/2015 : 09:46:56
quote:
Originally posted by CaCO3Girl
I get the whole it's a grueling position and multiple catchers are needed, and to be in that gear on a 90+ day...well you really have to like it back there....but still seems there is a divide around 13u and up...the 11u team has no problem finding 3 catchers....the 14u team seems to be short on catchers every season.
Because as the field gets larger and the game speeds up, much like pitchers, not just a good athlete can fill in as a catcher. At the younger ages, players tend to be far more flexible in position availability. As you get to 14u and above, many of those options change as kids who were previously small and nimble grow themselves in and out of some positions. Your positions up the middle (C, SS, 2B, CF) require more specialized skills and the pool begins to thin as puberty hits. Where you have many players considered servicable behind the plate in their younger years, as you get older, catching pitchers with movement, higher velo, arm strength, blocking, etc., etc. become skills a catcher must have. Many kids catching at 11u and below don't have those skills now and won't when they're 14.
Long winded way of saying that there are far fewer good catchers in the pool as you get older. It's a position that you can never have too many and there never seems to be enough. The gap between your #1 and #2/3 becomes far more evident around the puberty years.
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| CaCO3Girl |
Posted - 05/01/2015 : 08:43:36
I get the whole it's a grueling position and multiple catchers are needed, and to be in that gear on a 90+ day...well you really have to like it back there....but still seems there is a divide around 13u and up...the 11u team has no problem finding 3 catchers....the 14u team seems to be short on catchers every season.
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| DecaturDad |
Posted - 04/30/2015 : 19:26:40
I also have a catcher. And I agree with baseballmom6. A good team needs more then one good catcher. For example, when my son is not catching, he plays 3rd. But the other 3rd baseman can't catch when he is not playing 3rd :-)
It is also a position that many coaches do not know how to teach. We have traveled out of state a few times to get top notch instruction over the years. |
| BaseballMom6 |
Posted - 04/30/2015 : 17:01:38
I have a catcher. They are plenty of them out there. But, it is a grueling position, especially in the summer. It is also a more injury prone position, so teams need multiple catchers. That and every team seems to be out there looking for someone better than they have. |
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