Over use at Practice??

1) How do you all feel about this treatment/situation?

Hopefully it is just a beginning of the season type of situation. I am wondering what the coach would plan on doing in case of injury/sickness. I bet he hasn't even thought about that. At all levels of baseball there are at least 2 catchers.

2) Should he catch both games of double headers plus all this practice?

Do they have doubleheaders all the time? I think catching a DH once in a while is ok, especially if it is a 7 - 5 inning DH. 7-7, or 9-7 is too much. A lot depends on where your son is at growth wise. If he is pretty much grown, then I think that it is acceptable over a short period of time. When he gets to the college level it will be a lot of work for a much longer than HS schedule.

3) How should I approach the coach?

Your son should approach the coach and ask about getting some help in the bullpen and preparing a backup.

4) What should I say to the coach?

If the coach does not respond to the player then you may choose to get involved.

I will say for my son his Freshman year he was the JV catcher (2-3 games per week) AND the bullpen catcher for the Varsity doing all game bullpens and practice bullpens, in addition to a few Varsity starts and limited DH situations. He has slowed running wise but his legs are really powerful and well suited for the position, but I think that is inevitable for a catcher.

I might add that Hydration is critical for all athletes but especially so for the catcher. 17 drinks tremendous amounts of water during the evening after practice/games and stays well hydrated during the game. In the past I have witnessed reduced performance in him due to lack of hydration. It is something he just does automatically now. The goal is to keep as clear a urine stream as possible. Also, no soda during season. He will intake gatorade right before and during games, with water.

I agree with Backstop 17, He needs to drink as much liquid as he can to stay hydrated as possible. NO ENERGY DRINKS like AMP, RED BULL, Monster he'll have lots of energy but they cause dehydration and cramps. Water the night before and gatorade or powerade on game day.
Also, after a long day of catching, have him take a warm bath, not hot. this will help keep his knees strong and flexable. NO Hot Tub the high heat drains energy.
Also at practice, have him grab one or two of the none starters and show them how catch a bullpen. alot of the time, they think it's fun and gives them something to do.

Is your son complaining about the amount of work he's doing or are you just concerned?

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3) How should I approach the coach?

Tell your son to tell his coach his arm or shoulder is sore.......

A catcher can't catch all the throws you mention w/o wrecking his arm or shoulder. He'll never throw out any runners with his arm hanging. THere is no reason why the pitchers or another player can't catch a bullpen.

What does the coach do during a game when your son is behind the plate? How is your son supposed to work on his hitting if he is catching all the time? Maybe he should call in sick for a practice and see what the coach does

At some point you're son will need to tell the coach his arm/knees need scheduled breaks. My son's arm is usually pretty sore if he does two games in two days and will need a day off from throwing.

That coach sure does sound inexperienced. That is way too much activity for a catcher. I'd have your son address it with the coach directly. Get help in the pen. If he's catching a scrimmage, he should be resting between defensive innings.

We would call that "catcher abuse" for certain. When does he get to hit? Not that batting practice would do him any good with his legs so shot.

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Tell your son to tell his coach his arm or shoulder is sore.......

So you are in favor of lying to the coach? Not sure if I can get on board with that advice. Hopefully you were saying that tongue in cheek.

That is too much work and the coach needs to start developing more catchers. Have your son go to the coach and ask for more help.

This guy needs to realize that anybody can get behind the plate but only those who work at it can become good catchers.

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Originally posted by coach2709:

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Tell your son to tell his coach his arm or shoulder is sore.......

So you are in favor of lying to the coach? Not sure if I can get on board with that advice. Hopefully you were saying that tongue in cheek.

........

"I am worried about his knees. He has always been quite fast (6.7 - 60 YD) and now he is sore all the time."

Its not lying if its the truth

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Its not lying if its the truth

Not how it came across but I gotcha.

MontanaDawg,
What your son is going through happens with alot of coaches. Not too often with the good coaches but more than most will admit or even be aware of. Unfortunately, because the position is so important the catcher is needed somewhere during practice every single minute.

Of any level a catcher progresses through, most will tell you HS was the worst in terms of bad advice given by good intentioned coaches; many coaches fall into this category through lack of experience with certain positions. While nobody ever said catching was easy, it is easier than it is often made out to be if properly taught and managed. By far and away I always thought it was the most fun position I played.

Few HS coaches know how to really teach catching and those programs that have a designated "catching coach" sometimes tend to go overboard on drills because that is what he read on the Internet. 30 minutes of blocking 75-80 mph throws do little except beat up the catcher to where the other drills that day are a waste. The coach just says "it'll toughen them up" and "it's good for them" ( catchers just love hearing that from a coach that was an outfielder in HS/college). While a set number of drills is fine, too often catchers do not spend enough time on specific drills to improve their weaknesses (but that requires a coach to actually know what he is looking at).

Bullpens are a necessary evil but are usually a killer in HS as the "pitching coach" is oblivious to the 2 hours of non-stop work by the catcher as he rotates pitchers in and out. Heaven help the catcher that misses a 55 ft. curveball after 2 hours. Catchers are also expected to work on their skills in bullpens which often upsets a HS pitching coach.

Your son needs to talk to the coach but don't be suprised the coach takes it the wrong way. He may get the "it's my way or the highway" speech. Hopefully they will come to an understanding that help is needed...just be ready for something else. Good luck.

Great advice - thanks to everyone. I lurk here alot and you guys are awesome.

This is the second year in a row our program has a new head varsity coach...like I said, he has very little experience at coaching, much less running a program.

Backstop-17 - Do they have doubleheaders all the time?

Typically they play 3 games a week total - Saturday games are 7-7 double headers. I anticipate they will experience alot of long innings since the team is weak and pitching will be a big issue for them. He's a very strong and tough kid but he is definitely still growing and has not fully developed yet. What they will do if he can't be there for some reason is beyond me and another cause for concern for the whole team, not just him.

*good points on hydration - we'll make it a priority.

Tooldforthis - Is your son complaining about the amount of work he's doing or are you just concerned?

He never complains but he is concerned about it because I have discussed this type issue with him in the past. Basically gave him the "you only have one pair of knees-don't get abused & tell them if you are hurting" talk. He'd never quit or dogg-it and is not the type of kid to ever say no. I'd say it's a mutual concern more than anything...and like I said, I've never seen him so sore.

CollegeParent - What does the coach do during a game when your son is behind the plate? How is your son supposed to work on his hitting if he is catching all the time?

He gets his hacks in scrimmages but when he's not up to bat he is catching the next pitcher. Agreed he needs to voice any pain and/or soreness to the coach.

Rob Kremer & Coach 2709 - Agreed. I know there are a few kids on the team who have experience catching because they have played on some of my summer teams...it's not clear if the coach knows he has other backup/bullpen options - he definitely has not asked the team.

S. Abrams - You put the life of a catcher in a nut shell. Thats why I asked about approaching the guy because I think he will take it wrong from my son (and probably me for that matter). I'm with you on the teaching aspect for catchers. C is not a strong point for me so I have taken him to camps to get better/specific instruction...so far he has not had a HS coach who knows much about the poistion at all. Yep - He has heard the "you need to get in shape-it's good for you" comments already this year...they are, as you say, oblivious as to how hard a carcher works.

Again thanks to all. Great advice. I am going to have him sit down with the coach, off the field and after a practice, and voice his concerns/need for help during extended practices and scrimmages.

We had similar issues concerning pitching for my older son last year (he's now playing college ball) and while my meeting with the coach was effective it definitely didn't make the coach happy...I'd rather avoid that this time so I'll let my kid talk to the coach first.

You guys Rock!!

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CollegeParent - What does the coach do during a game when your son is behind the plate? How is your son supposed to work on his hitting if he is catching all the time?

He gets his hacks in scrimmages but when he's not up to bat he is catching the next pitcher. Agreed he needs to voice any pain and/or soreness to the coach.

What happens during live batting practice? Does he get to do the stations before he hits? Does he get to hit first while the bp pitcher is still throwing good and he's not tired, or is he always the last guy and sometimes never gets live bp?

What happens during live batting practice? Does he get to do the stations before he hits? Does he get to hit first while the bp pitcher is still throwing good and he's not tired, or is he always the last guy and sometimes never gets live bp?


On those days he gets all the stations and gets his cuts in. But generally he has to catch pens after practice.