Blocking fastballs

Jon,

I coach a 13U team and our expectations are the same as those of HS/college coaches - block everything. We work on it almost every practice and expect them to get it right.

What do you mean by expectations? Like a percentage of balls blocked?

One of the drills that I use at all levels from 10U on up is to throw balls from 15-20 feet out at a velocity that keeps the flight path flat to the catcher. The catcher is not allowed to move a muscle until the ball hits the ground approximately 2-3 feet in front of them. They are amazed, at all levels, that they actually do have time to execute the block.

This drill is designed to show them they can block fastballs and also let them know they can take those few hundreths of a second longer to look at a pitch to decide if it needs to be blocked.

So I'll take that to mean that it is reasonable to expect the catchers to get down in time to block fastballs in the dirt. I guess our catchers are a bit slow or react too late. I'm not a catching expert but with my son out injured (patellar tendon) he can't catch so we have two relatively inexperienced and unathletic kids behind the plate. Our coach, who understands catching, it really tough on them. And I wanted to know if his expectations are reasonable.

Thanks.
Jon

It always amazes me that for some reason coaches at the youth level many times put the non-athletic player (i.e. usually big and slow - sorry thats probably not PC) when in fact it is a very important position at all levels.

My son does a drill where he puts one ball in front of the plate and one on either side about 2-3 feet to the left and right. He imagines blocking the middle one then POPs up (no hands) and goes to the left, then middle, then right, then left, etc. After about a minute he is sweating big time.

Another drill he does for quickness is he is in the catchers position - one man in front of him, one behind - 7-8 yards or so. The man in front throws the ball in the dirt, he blocks it, tosses ball to the side and rotates 180 degrees (again its a POP up to the catchers position and spin - no standing up or using hands) where the other guy throws in the dirt as well. This is done very agressively - its bang, bang, bang. This continues for at least a minute and again he is sweating big time.

We all get hung up on the throw out to second, which is great, but the catchers primary job is stop/catch the ball.

All it takes is one spring season and a team that will honestly dedicate some practice time to the catcher. Youth leagues do ofeten falls into this rut of putting the less athletic player at the position. Then they wonder why they have a shortage of catchers with any idea in the next levels. One season, one little championship, a couple of plays at the plate that shut down a team that would always send a kid from third when a play was being made at first. It'll open some eyes.

Catchingcoach, I thought you would might get a kick out of this. Took Aidan to a friends Mustang game Tuesday. That's a level up from where he is now and kid pitch. We're watching and a very aggressive little baserunner walks, steal second on a passed ball, then steals third on another. Aidan is just sitting there shaking his head. The runner on third is making all kinds of noise, clapping and dancing while the pitcher is winding up. Then after each pitch he's half way up the line doing "that dance". I looked down at Aidan and asked him if he was behind the plate what would you call that. "An out!!"

I'm looking forward to next year already!!