Teaching a Young Catcher: My 10U Catcher Training Plan (With Videos)

A look at the 8-week plan I’m using to teach my daughter to catch in 10U softball. We focus on short, consistent sessions that build confidence in receiving, blocking, footwork, and leadership. Includes a printable tracker and video links to follow along — even if you’re not a pro.

Lou LaMedica

Jun 23, 2025

Sports Coaching

Teaching a Young Catcher: My 10U Catcher Training Plan (With Videos)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How I’m Training My 9-Year-Old to Catch: Our 8-Week 10U Softball Plan

Our 10U Catcher Training Plan

Session Structure (30 Minutes)

1️⃣ Warmup (5 min)

2️⃣ Receiving / Framing (10 min)

3️⃣ Blocking (7 min)

4️⃣ Throwing / Footwork (5 min)

5️⃣ Leadership / Fun Game (3 min)

Videos We Are Using for Reference

How I’m Training My 9-Year-Old to Catch: Our 8-Week 10U Softball Plan

My daughter is starting her journey as a catcher in 10U softball, and I wanted to give us a simple, repeatable plan to help her build confidence and strong habits behind the plate while we have time during summer break.

At this age (she’s 9), short, focused sessions work best — we’re aiming for two indoor 30-minute sessions per week. The key is to keep it fun and positive while teaching core skills:

Receiving and framing
Blocking
Quick footwork and throwing
Leadership and vocal confidence

Below is the training plan we’re following — plus a playlist of great YouTube videos I found to use as visual reference for both of us.

Our 10U Catcher Training Plan

Session Structure (30 Minutes)

5 min — Warmup
10 min — Receiving / Framing
7 min — Blocking
5 min — Throwing / Footwork
3 min — Leadership / Fun Game

1️⃣ Warmup (5 min)

Arm circles & dynamic squats (1 min)
Glove taps (10x each hand) (1 min)
Shadow blocking with perfect form (3 reps) (1 min)
Bounce-catch tennis ball game (2 min)

2️⃣ Receiving / Framing (10 min)

Week 1-2 Focus: Soft hands

Week 3-4 Focus: Quiet glove + edges

Drills:

Barehand tennis ball framing (3 min)
Stick framing with bat on floor (4 min)
4-corner framing drill (inside, outside, high, low) (3 min)

👉 Coaching cue: “Show the umpire a strike.”

3️⃣ Blocking (7 min)

Week 1-2 Focus: Confidence + form

Week 3-4 Focus: Lateral movement

Drills:

Knees blocking (2 min)
Movement blocking (3 min) — sides, middle, between legs
Recover & fire drill (2 min) — block, pop up, recover ball

👉 Coaching cue: “Beat the ball to the ground — chest over ball!”

4️⃣ Throwing / Footwork (5 min)

Week 1-2 Focus: Quick transfer

Week 3-4 Focus: Full pop to 2B

Drills:

Quick exchange drill (2 min) — toss over shoulder, fast glove-to-hand
Footwork drill (chalk ladder or tape) (3 min) — simulate right-left-load-throw

👉 Coaching cue: “Quick hands, fast feet!”

5️⃣ Leadership / Fun Game (3 min)

Drills:

Situational calls — coach calls out game situations, catcher responds
OR Boss of the Field Game — catcher gives loud commands and leads infielders

👉 Coaching cue: “Loud and proud — I run this field!”

Videos We Are Using for Reference

Receiving / Framing

Blocking

Throwing / Footwork

Leadership

How to Build a Leader Behind the Plate

Here’s your printable 10U Catcher Training Weekly Checklist — perfect for tracking each session over the full 8-week program:

👉 Download the Weekly Checklist (DOCX)

10U_Catcher_Training_Weekly_Checklist.docx

36.2KB

It includes:

Checkboxes for all major skill areas
Effort + fun rating options
Notes section for each session

The checklist tracks the work. A short video shows what’s changing. Record a few reps at the beginning, then film the same drills a few weeks later. I’ve learned that documenting your progress helps you see improvements you might otherwise miss—and gives your young catcher proof that the practice is paying off.

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Lou LaMedica