Need Advice

As a coach and long time supporter of fastpitch, I'm having trouble watching HS coaching undremine the traning that has been provided to my daughter and other players i've coached in TB. Specifically, I have always taught my catchers to move up as close as possible to the batter,(right up unedr the arm pit of the batter if possible). The HS coaching staff wants her back, too far back, to avoid a possible interferance call. My view is that I will take this ever so few penalty rather than loose a step on a base runner, allow the umpire to make more of a judgement call (balls & strikes), with the catchers glove so far away from the plate, and stop a struggeling pitcher by having a target that is closer, a shorter look to the mit. Another issue is no one one base, ground ball hit to the infield (either side), my catcher sprints out of the box and flanks/shadows the runner to first, to cover a possible overthrow at first. I know the right fielder is also covering, however, this is about attitude and pure hussel by the catcher. This weekend it payed off for the first time of many trips by the catcher down to first. I have never heard of a coach not wanting a catcher to hussel untill HS. I guess I could go on and on, or maybe it;s time for me to into the stands and bite my tongue???????

 

I understand your concern. However, the coach should have the final say. Granted the catcher should hustle as much as possible, but it is extremely rare for a catcher to be backing up the throw at first. The catcher works harder than anyone out there, and if your right fielder is doing the job covering then it should allow the catcher a little bit of rest time. As far as scooting up or backing up, 9 times out of 10 the umpire will adjust this. If the girl is too far up, he will ask her to back up. As far as a couple of inches are concerned, hopefully the catcher has a good enough arm to make up for this. A coach's job is harder than anyone can imagine, especially at the high school level. If these are the only things that you are having a problem with, then you've got a pretty good coach.

 

base-running

I love the girls fastpitch game & really respect what those girls can do well, but something I notice often (& many times from experienced players) is a lack of knowledge of sound base-running skills & "smarts" on the basepaths. an example is a runner on 2nd base, ground ball hit to shortstop, many times I see the runner from 2nd base go ahead & try to advance to 3rd base before the shortstop commits on the throw. when this happens the runner is usually an easy dead duck out going to 3rd.
I always coached the girls to "make the ball go through" the left side of the infield before committing to run OR wait til the ball leaves the SS's hand on the throw to 1st, then take off from 2nd towards 3rd.
another thing observed is batter/runner not taking a "turn or swingout" running from home to 1B on a clean base hit that goes clearly into the outfield. instead many times you see them just run straight through the bag at 1st base on such a hit.

I think that pitching, defensive play, & hitting has improved greatly in the girls fastpitch game in recent years.

 

Well, you could quit going to the HS games - or just have your daughter quit playing for anyone else but you.

 

I think, no I know I was looking for some real advise, not a smart remark. Thanks, you've realy been a lot of help!

 

Catcher's mechanics

The hardest thing to do as a dad is to watch someone else teach your daughter or for that matter someone else's daughter improper mechanics at any position. I too coach at the high school level and you have to understand that some of the people coaching at this level, have never coached highly competitive softball before. A good catcher will be as close to the plate as possible fo several reasons, (1) is to give the umpire the best look at the pitch as she possibly can; (2) is that the closer she is to the plate, the better the target is for the pitcher; (3) On steal situations, she has a shorter throw to second base, believe me 9 inches closer to the plate on a steal situation equates to about a step for the base stealer. As for shadowing the base runner down the line at first, this is a great mechanic and should be taught more than it is. Most people don't because they have never caught before or the catcher they have is lazy. It is more than just shadowing the runner, the catcher has to be able to read the throw and get to a benificial point, not to close too the line, not too far down the line and still be in position to see the rest of the field. But the only solution for you is to either accept the fact that in high school she will do it the coaches way and make sure that she understands the proper way of doing things, or to pull her off of the school team and insure that proper techniques are being taught. Although playing softball in high school looks good on her resume' for college, it plays very little in their decision on whether to offer her a scholarship in college. Colleges are playing during the same period as high schools and they do 99% of their observing and contacts during the summer and fall at the showcasae tournaments. Good luck to you and your daughter on whatever path you take.

 

Trojan aint from around here but ...........wait awhile....he may or will grow on ya??

once the ex-players, both college and hs return back home/roots, become educators, coaches, instructors(privately too) and mentors, they will contiune to filter into to our HS System, ........time is coming, slowly but Surely!! Patience is important at the junction we're presently at CatcherDad!
JMHO though.

 

still alot of time and work spent on this at the older levels too(baserunning)!

alot work is still ahead though!!

 

CATCHERS

Give me a Catcher that can control the game,By calling pitches and being a field GENERAL,direct the defense and make a COaching staff look good.This seems to be a lost art these days.

 

Agreed, the catcher does control the game................In conjunction with the calls of the coach. When is the last time you saw a coach give TOTAL control, icluding pitch selection, to his catcher at the high school level?
The "Field General" comment is right. At the high school level, if you have a catcher who can thhrow the runners out, enjoys it, and can set herself up behind the plate to compliment a coaches calls and the pitchers talents, you got a winner, IMO.
I was baseball catcher and I think that you do need to move up a little. It helps you frame up the pitch better before it breaks too hard in its intended position.
Our umps do well, but they are not pro. A catcher who aggressively catches the ball within or near the strike zone makes their team and, particularly, pitcher better, IMO.
For instance, if my # 2 pitcher is a "Bread & Butter" 50 MPH sinker ball pitcher, I want my catcher up, trying to help the ump make up his mind on the low strike.
Can you imagine that same catcher "back" and then that same pitcher, not getting the call, having to come with a fastball?
A 60 MPH fastbal/change up pitcher will get the calls on most of those pitches, not from the umps, but from the opposing girls who will chase their off pitches.
My point is, the catcher and the coach have to be in sink to help the team and the pitcher win, particularly a weaker pitcher.