Help teaching wee ones to catch?

[wilson68]

Not that hitting isn't fun, but I have a perhaps even more basic issue: catching. Not the position, but just catching the ball.

The little one in question is eight and has maybe played catch twenty times in her life. A few times in each of the last two years and a few times in each of the last four weeks. So far, I see progress. She is turning to throw, as opposed to the wrong-footed arm flail. She can get some basic rotation down when hitting off a tee, though she likes to extend the bat backwards and sweep it through the zone with the top hand. Better than it was, trust me. (And if I could show you the number of teenage girls I have coached in recent years that have had no rotation, not bad rotation, but none, you would cry.)

But she snatches at the ball. No big deal, she's not good yet with anything, but she isn't going to get hurt if she misses with her throwing, and she really does not deal with pain well. So the question is: does anyone have any thoughts on what might short-cut the learning process? I know she cannot catch a ball thrown right at her until she practices doing it, but I cannot throw it at her until she can catch it. Catch 22.

I have tried soft-tossing her the ball, so that she could get used to taking it close to her face and body. I am able to get it on a line but soft enough that it doesn't threaten her. When I throw it overhand, it comes from a high angle and, because I lob it, she has real trouble judging where it's going. We have tried tennis balls but they tend to bounce off the first thing that they touch and so give her the impression that she is doing badly. I tell her that all little ones reach for it and that it will take time, and this is probably the answer, but still: does anyone have anything different?

I have been thinking of tossing her a foam football underhanded and having her catch with two hands just to get her used to giving with the ball and realizing that she can defend herself with the glove if she knows what she's doing. Every rugby player I have met had good hands.

[Ohioteamz]

I had good luck teaching both kids at around 5 or 6, by initially having them hold out the glove to the forehand side, and kind of tossing a tennis ball in there. Then I'd move the hand to the backhand side and throw a some to that side, stressing they leave there hand somewhat steady. I first wanted them to get the feel of the ball hitting the glove and then squeezing it.

Then I'd work it up and down from both sides until they got familiar. Once they were comfortable with that, I'd then try the throws right at them. Very careful to teach fingers up unless below the belt or somewhere thereabout. Also initially very careful to not throw at the face until there was a comfort level. This put them way ahead of their peers at 6, but since your daughter is 8 she might be feeling pressure to learn quickly.

It takes time and practice and most parents do not commit either so if you are willing and encouraging it will happen. One more thing is that it's possible her hand-eye coordination isn't quite there yet, so don't feel bad if she is struggling it will come.

I sometimes went too fast thinking they mastered something and a pop up hardball plunking them on the head does not make mamma happy.

[Ursa Major]

I think that catching a baseball is in many way inexorably linked with developmental issues, so there is a limited amount of what you can do before kids are ready for it. So, don't push it too hard.

Ohioteamz' suggestions for starting with the forehand throw and working the ball around are right on. Allow for her to try things. Kids may go from only being able to catch forehand to suddenly trying to catch everything backhanded.

You're right about tennis balls bouncing off everything. A little easier are "softstrike" or "EZballs" -- basically soft covered baseballs.

Try little games. Maybe, how many throws will it take for her to catch ten balls -- dropping from 25 to 18 to 15 throws can be an accomplishment.

[andrewlevino]

make it a game

[Chris O'Leary]

I have tried soft-tossing her the ball, so that she could get used to taking it close to her face and body. I am able to get it on a line but soft enough that it doesn't threaten her. When I throw it overhand, it comes from a high angle and, because I lob it, she has real trouble judging where it's going. We have tried tennis balls but they tend to bounce off the first thing that they touch and so give her the impression that she is doing badly. I tell her that all little ones reach for it and that it will take time, and this is probably the answer, but still: does anyone have anything different?

Try tossing the ball slightly off to her glove side. Sometimes kids have problems perceiving the motion of balls that are moving directly toward them.

[Alibi Ike]

I would think one way to do go about would be to not use a glove at all. First have her get into the habit of actually catching the ball (like an ez toss ball) in her hands instead of trying to take a stab at it.

It will help teach her to catch with soft hands too because if a really softball is more comfortable to catch barehanded with soft hands than with keeping her hands stiff. Plus, it will help her get into the habit of having her second hand nearby to secure the ball and have it ready to be thrown (i.e. catching with 2 hands).

From there, moving up to a glove should be a somewhat easier transition then jumping right into it. Of course, if she hasn't yet gotten the hang of mainly using her "glove" hand to catch it could get confusing. But you can always use a paddle that straps to her fingers (they even sell them) in place of the glove, which will help lead with the glove hand.

And of course, making a game out of it will probably be more productive.

[Chris O'Leary]

I would think one way to do go about would be to not use a glove at all. First have her get into the habit of actually catching the ball (like an ez toss ball) in her hands instead of trying to take a stab at it.

When teaching my kids, I taught them to catch a Splash Bomb ball (used to play gutterball at the pool) using just their hands. If you've ever tried to catch a dry Splash Bomb ball, you have to have VERY soft hands. This is because the ball is very light and filled with a pillow-like material.

A tennis ball would also work, but not as well (because it's heavier and thus won't bounce back out of the hands so easily).

[CoachZee]

One thing I learned from a T-ball player years ago: The first thing a parent does with a young child is go out and buy them a brand new glove. The problem is the gloves for young players are not made well and are very difficult to break in because the ball is never thrown very hard and their small hands aren't strong enough to close the glove.

Go to a garage sale and buy her and old floppy glove. She will at least be able to close it. The best player I ever saw catch a ball at the T-ball level had the oldest mitt I've ever seen, but he was the only one on the team that could catch with any regularity.

Next, teach her the position of the glove when catching is like the hands of a clock. 12 o'clock for a ball near the head, 3 o'clock near the waist, 6 o'clock near the knees, etc.

Lastly, this will sound cruel but use a softer ball. I taught my DD how to catch by throwing the ball at her head. I'm not saying to throw it hard but quit the lobbing throw and throw it directly at her.

The better she got at catching, the harder I threw it and the harder she was throwing it back to me. After a while she didn't even realize how hard a throw she was catching.

Don't baby her and don't treat her easy just because she's a girl.

[YankeesCatcher]

One thing I learned from a T-ball player years ago: The first thing a parent does with a young child is go out and buy them a brand new glove. The problem is the gloves for young players are not made well and are very difficult to break in because the ball is never thrown very hard and their small hands aren't strong enough to close the glove.

Go to a garage sale and buy her and old floppy glove. She will at least be able to close it. The best player I ever saw catch a ball at the T-ball level had the oldest mitt I've ever seen, but he was the only one on the team that could catch with any regularity.

Next, teach her the position of the glove when catching is like the hands of a clock. 12 o'clock for a ball near the head, 3 o'clock near the waist, 6 o'clock near the knees, etc.

Lastly, this will sound cruel but use a softer ball. I taught my DD how to catch by throwing the ball at her head. I'm not saying to throw it hard but quit the lobbing throw and throw it directly at her.

The better she got at catching, the harder I threw it and the harder she was throwing it back to me. After a while she didn't even realize how hard a throw she was catching.

Don't baby her and don't treat her easy just because she's a girl.

Agreed with everything.

My dad got me a new mitt, but he made sure to get a few hardballs, actual baseballs. He taught me how to position the glove. Then went back and wailed the ball as hard as he could at me. After a few bruised arms, I could catch the ball.

[tominct]

I have made similar posts here. I have an eight year old who still doesn't catch with any degree of consistency. He likes to ball to his glove side, and he will move his body to get away from the ball and catch it on that side,sort of extended from his body.

I have at times been impatient about his tentativeness, but I have determined that I cannot will him into not being afraid of the ball. He is making improvements, and when judged against the vast majority of kids in our coach-pitch league, he is doing better than most. He has the advantage of coming to practice with my Middle School team occasionally, and they love to throw with him. Interestingly enough, while I can be critical about his catching and throwing from time to time, all of my middle schoolers are impressed with him! In addition they are great with him, never criticize and often compiment him. Which is wonderful.

Reps reps reps. The more reps she gets the better she will be. You guys in the warm climates are lucky, but we've all known that forever.

Tom

[wilson68]

Tom. Reps. I agree, problem is she's my niece, not my daughter and between her schedule, my schedule, the fact that being apart from her best friend for any of her waking moments is enough to bring tears (and I am only exaggerating a little bit), I haven't gotten her out enough. I like it more than she does, so there is a motivation problem.

I live north of Toronto, so I personally have no advantages, weather-wise.

Coach Zee, I don't particularly feel that I am babying her because she is a girl. I have coached girls for 20 years and this one is not the toughest of them. She's a crier. Look at her cross and she cries. I have hit her a couple of times and I think she is getting better with getting hit. Still, I thought I lost her altogether one night when I hit her in the chest, with what was actually a very softly tossed ball.

I find the gloves today are better for the little ones than they were 25 years ago. The one I bought her is small enough, but deep and soft. Not broken in completely but usable. My sister, when she first caught, had just blown a thread in her glove and an uncle loaned us an old catcher's mitt from the 60's. It was small, well-padded and completely broken in. It was beautiful. Strange, that glove came up in conversation this week, my uncle bought it from a guy that once caught for my father. This week, my dad played golf with said catcher.

My initial problem is that the fear causes mechanical problems in the receiving of the ball which makes it more likely to get hit by the ball. If you could get them over the fear, than their mechanics would improve to the point where they wouldn't need to be afraid.

I belive that it is just going to take time. I am looking for a jump start is all. Which is what all coaching is to get them somewhere faster than they would get there themselves. I bought a little soft football but I haven't tried it yet. I am hoping that catching one object will translate to another.

I've started coaching the 9-year old team, I have a whole new thread brewing on fear of being hit by a pitch.

[Ursa Major]

I belive that it is just going to take time. I am looking for a jump start is all. Which is what all coaching is to get them somewhere faster than they would get there themselves. Yup, though hastening the process is sometimes easier said than done. It's sorta like potty training. If you do nothing, they'll get there in about two and three-quarters years. If you push and practice and prod, they'll be outta diapers by the time they're two years and nine months old. :) Whatever you do, be positive about it. Maybe make it a game; play catch for fifteen minutes and and count the number of catches made in each session.
I've started coaching the 9-year old team, I have a whole new thread brewing on fear of being hit by a pitch.That topic is heavily discussed and always in play. Happy to weigh in on it.

[wilson68]

Yup, though hastening the process is sometimes easier said than done. It's sorta like potty training. If you do nothing, they'll get there in about two and three-quarters years. If you push and practice and prod, they'll be outta diapers by the time they're two years and nine months old. :)

A friend's three year old showed no real interest in the toilet. That I could be blase about, as I said to her it's not like the kid isn't going to figure it out eventually.

Problem with playing ball is that some don't figure it out, so maybe it is not speeding the process as much as making sure it happens.

Who am I kidding? It's both. :)

[Jesse]

I came up with something that I believe greatly accelerated my 5-year-old's ability to catch a ball in the air. I've used it with the other kids on our team and so far it's been 100% successful. One girl on the team is very timid, and was having a really hard time getting her glove on the ball (she tended to step away from it). I worked with her using this technique, and within ten minutes she was catching about 75% of the balls thrown directly at her. This occured about halfway through the season, so she caught on pretty quick. It took my son about two weeks before the season started, since he'd never played catch before. The psychology of this drill, and one reason why I believe it works so well, is that they are physically attacking the ball, and in the process of going after it, they forget to be afraid of it. I call it the "slap drill". Maybe I'll come up with a better name for it if it takes off.;)

The following is cut and pasted from another thread, with a few edits. Keep in mind it was written for a 5-year-old boy:

First, position your son about ten feet away with his glove on. Have him hold his glove up in the proper "high ball" catching position (not underhand). Tell him to slap the ball out of the air, and toss it to him near his glove, about the height of his glove-side ear. Don't toss it too hard, but don't lob it either. He should slap the ball down with great relish. Practice this for as long as you can, depending on his level of coordination and how long it takes him to master it. The ball should be going inside his glove, i.e., he should be slapping it down with the palm of his glove hand. He may "accidentally" catch a few, and I have to warn you not to jump the gun. DO NOT encourage him to catch at this point. You may even have to find ways to discourage him, because he might try to catch the ball once he realizes he can. It's very important that there is no emphasis or pressure on catching at this stage.

The second stage is similar, with one difference: Instead of having him slap the ball down, tell him to just let it hit his glove and fall to the floor. Again, he may accidentally catch a few, but DO NOT encourage him to catch. If you start placing emphasis on catching too soon, the pressure will disrupt the learning process. All we are interested in at this point is developing the hand-eye coordination of getting the glove to the ball.

The third and final stage is the same, with one difference: Have him squeeze the ball after it hits his glove. If you do this right, with the proper amount of patience, he should be able to catch virtually any ball that comes his way. How long it takes to reach this point will vary depending on the child's age and coordination. When first teaching my son to catch, we spent an entire week on stage one - meaning, about ten or fifteen minutes a night for a week.

Catching is just getting the glove to where the ball is and squeezing the ball. Focus on that. Develop the skills, coordination, and confidence necessary for catching first, then teach them to catch. Expecting a kid to do something they don't have the skills to do yet often undermines their confidence and prolongs the learning process.

One mistake I made was, once I felt my son had "mastered" catching, I abandoned this drill. His catching has deteriorated as a result. So remember to come back to this periodically if you see them start to slip.

[wilson68]

An update. Threw a few at her head, caught them fine. Then during practice, we were working on the idea of getting to the base ahead of the runner and applying a force. I can't remember if we even had any caught balls but there was one perfect throw. Unfortunately, running and catching at the same time is something she does not have down. Fortunately, the nose is not broken. I thought it looked crooked but the swelling went down while we were at the hospital and the x-rays indicated no break.

In the car on the way to the hospital, she declared she was done with baseball, but she was skipping when she found out there was no break and practicing her pitching motion a few minutes later. We had to stop by a game I was supposed to be coaching and explain why I just didn't show up. She seemed to get caught up in actually watching a real game. Every other game she has ever seen was before she had started to play and she was mostly interested in the playground on those occasions. Still, when asked directly by her father if she was going to keep playing, she waffled. Still ,she blows hot and cold about this, and other things, in general.

[phewop]

I started my 6yr old out by holding my glove in the position that I wanted him to catch (overhanded or underhanded) before I tossed the ball. We started out about 12 feet apart, and I basically threw the ball into the glove. I worked with this for about 2 weeks. In the 3rd week we had increased our distance to about 40ft and I stopped signaling before I threw. To be honest it scared me to death to throw the ball at him I tended to lob and let it drop right in front of him and he would make a 6 oclock glove catch. I have thrown many balls by mistake in the third and forth weeks that were on a direct path to his noggin, but as I would start to get heart palpatations, he would flip the glove up and make the proper catch.

In the 3rd and 4th weeks, he would catch fine at 40ft, but he wanted to stand about 70ft away to play catch. I do not know if he felt safer or he was trying to impress me with his distance (his throws would drop about 15ft in front of me) He would hardly catch anything at 70ft. He wouldnt move to the ball, but if he had a ball thrown to where he was standing, he would stand his ground and either knock it down or catch it. My instincts told me that he was doing this because of a frieght of the ball. (he has been beaned in the head with a fly ball)

I had a talk with him and told him that he should not do anything that he is unsure of with baseball, that baseball and playing catch should be fun. I did not have him out there to test his ability to stand in the line of fire. I stressed that the glove was his shield and that it was going to take time to properly learn how to use that shield.

I also told him about when I was younger, I had broken my nose by practicing softball in the dark. I was running after a batted ball at dusk. I saw the black ball against the purple dusk sky, and saw it heading for a leafless tree. I thought I would play big Pete and run under the tree and simply flip my glove out after the ball bounced amoungst the tree limbs and make an easy catch. As the "black" ball dropped into the "black" treeline, I lost sight of the ball. Needless to say the ball never touched a limb, and it caught me as I was running to catch it. I shatterd the nasil bone above where the cartlidge connects, and split the skin from the broken bone. After 7 stitches to close the cut and $2600 to the doctor, to move my nose from under my left eye to the center of my face, I was good to go.

I told my son that I wasn't good to go, because I had nightmares of that ball hitting me, and sometimes I was afraid to even catch the balls that he was throwing; because of the broken nose, I was having to force myself to stay or move in front of his throws.

In the 4th week, his catched ball percentage at 70ft increased. I told him that the coach would be perfectly happy if he batted the ball down if it came close to him as long as he retrieved the ball and made a quick throw. The key to being a good player, was to keep the ball from "not" going past him.

In the 5th week, we laid out 2 bases and I tossed balls that he would have to stetch to catch, while keeping his foot on the base. Later in the week, I tossed the ball to where he would have to leave the base and make the catch, then get back to the base as quickly as he could. This seemed to start him on his path to going to the ball. We made a game of how many outs we could get.

As we entered the 6th week, he was making catches at 70 to 120ft that impressed his teammates. He was moved from 3rd base after it dawned on the coaches that he was a left handed 3rd baseman. (most of his retrieved balls were across his body). He was moved to shortstop. As we entered our 7th week, our biggest problem was not with his catching, but with his throwing.

I taught him to hold his arm upright with the elbow bent at 45 degrees. his wrist was a snake head bent foward at 45 degrees when it was in the foward positon; the index and middle fingers were the snake fangs. As he moved the arm to the back, the snakes head would snap back, and as he brought the arm around, the fangs would snap forward and make the bite. I told him to make sure that he held the ball with the finger tips and not in the palm of the hand. A month ago at our local Childrens Science museum, he threw a ball at 31mph. after the snakebite trick, a week later, he was throwing at 46mph. He can now throw the ball from 3rd or 10 to 20ft in the outfield over to 1st base.

As we close out our regular season, my son has become an interigal part of an 18 and 0 "undefeated" 5&6 team. Last Friday night, we had the chance for him to practice with a 7/8 team. He played some at 1st and then was moved to 3rd after the 1st baseman showed up. After my son made a few shinning plays, It got to the point that the coaches stopped the interteam schrimage and told his team that my son was only 6 years old.

If you are going to teach your kid to catch, the first thing to do is check your temper at the door. The 2nd is to realize that you have a kid that happens to be playing baseball, and not an athlete that happens to be a kid.

The 3rd thing is to realize that your child will cherish the time that you were interacting with them while playing catch. Make it enjoyable for you and your child. Praise them when they do good, and let them know that doing bad is all a part of the process of learning.

[wilson68]

The first time we went out after she was hit, we used a tennis ball. She would close her eyes and turn her head. I told her that I didn't care if she turned and ran but for God's sake don't stand in front of it with your eyes closed. I swear this kid has no fight or fllight reflex. Her reaction to a threat is to curl up into a ball or burst into tears. Having said that, she will catch the ball out to her glove side now, a few weeks later, in a very matter of fact fashion, but the same ball at right her causes jumpiness. Still, she seems to need time to adjust to every concept that comes along. The first time we do anything it's a chore, but if you give her a couple of days, she seems to come around. I know I am being impatient, and, frankly, acting like a ass in some instances. But we are never too old to keep learning, and I have to learn how to stop acting like an ass.

The rest of the team has come along nicely without any special tricks. A couple, who looked real iffy early, are catching quite well. As well, for anyone who followed the thread in which sliding was discussed, we recently did the cardboard trick and that works like a charm. No game slides yet, but the technique improved greatly in the one practice we have had with the refrigerator box. Most of them had flung themselves at it a few times before we even had explained what we were doing. The next few times we do a station set up we will include the box. If we can send eleven little girls on to next year who are able to slide properly and willingly then I will be a happy camper.

[ncsouthpaw]

The best method I have seen is to sit the child in a chair (they can not move out of the way very easy) with no glove, start with a wiffle ball so they know it will not hurt them. Have them hold thier hands up with their thumbs together and just keep throwing to them. Do not toss underhanded or put any arch on the ball as that will have them moving their hands up and down with the flight of the ball. Keep throwing by backing up and throwing harder until they have some confidence. Then put the glove on and start over by moving foward and backing off the pace a little. When they get comfortable go to a tee ball that is softer then to a hard ball.

[phewop]

My 6yr old caught a line drive in the nose at 5yrs at 6yrs he caught a popup over the tip of the glove that hit him just below the temple (it looked like a severe case of child abuse). He would stretch the glove out ensuring that his head was away from the ball with each attempted catch after the last incident. Most thrown balls would fall to the ground, about 6 inches from the tip of his glove.

Playing a game of how many outs we could get when placing bases out and having him stretch to catch the ball, was what got him to center himself more under the ball.

When I saw him doing something wrong, I would calmly ask him why he chose to play the catch in the manner that he did. (I knew that it was from getting hit in the temple). I told him that he made the wrong choice, but I was proud of him for trying to protect himself, and that I would try to throw the ball and let him know beforehand where to place the glove, to best proctect himself.

I have seen plenty of batted balls, where I was silently saying to myself, "God, please make this kid move out of the way" No one wants to see a kid hurt! It is our job to ensure that we give them the training that enables them to play the game safely.

If your daughter is curling up into a ball, she is not out there because she enjoys catching. She is out there because, she enjoys being with Dad. She has been hit by the ball and she is showing the effort to make you proud by just playing catch. Work with her; make it safe, and she will come around.

Tell her that you are throwing the tennis ball, because you dont want to see her get hurt. throw the ball up into the air and let it hit you on the head to show her that the ball will not inflict the pain that a baseball would. If she curls up into a ball, let her know that with a real baseball, she would have been hurt. Show her what she should have done. Tell her that she will have to fight her natural instincts to better protect herself.

Wether you are an ass or not, you are at least out there interacting with your daughter. If she does something wrong, ask yourself why she reacted the way she did before you say something to her. Let her know that you worry about her getting hurt, and that your playing catch with her, is to help her to learn to proctect herself. Tell her that you love her, and tell her thanks for playing catch with you.

[wilson68]

The curl up into a ball thing is not just a baseball thing, it's how she reacts to everything. Always has, since she was a toddler. At the slightest hint that someone was unhappy with her, and many times no one was, she would crumple to the ground and burst into tears. She is eight and already does stuff she knows is stupid because otherwise her friends won't like her. She is a bright, articulate, physically athletic kid and it is frustrating because both her older sister and her best friend have emotional conditions and she will adopt their behaviors and artificially put limits on herself that need not exist. I used to worry about her older sister, because she does have problems, but one problem she does not have is that she will fight for herself. The one I am coaching will get teary when we are simply trying to tell her to change her technique. I said to her after the last practice. 'Was I not telling everyone to change something? That's all I am doing with you. It doesn't mean I don't love you.'

She does need time to ease into ideas and she has been getting consistently better. The me acting like an ass thing comes from having a kid I am responsible for on a team I am coaching for the first time in years. She is my niece by the way. The previous child that belonged to me was my little sister, this one's aunt, who was always one of the best players on the team. I was impatient with her as well, when I think back on it, but she was enthusiastic and would tell me to go to hell if I needed it. That's what I have told my niece, that I would actually respect it if she would start defending herself by telling me off when I needed it. I wish she would do that more than I want her to catch, which, as I said, is coming along. And I do understand that it is my responsibility to govern myself not hers to police me.

I have really liked some of the suggestions I have read by the way. Most of the team seems to be doing well with no real special effort beyond playing catch, still they are of an age where they should be able to do so. I didn't really mean this to turn into the assorted psychological traumas of my family but it's all part of it, especially when coaching family is involved.

[phewop]

Start off by telling your little leage'er that the baseball glove is their shield, and that they need to learn how to properly use that shield.

Get them to slowly swing their glove in a counter clock wise circle. For Right handers, start the glove at the right knee in an underhand position, as they cross the head level, the glover enters an overhand position, as the ark continues, the glove stays in the over hand position untill it crosses the left knee,where it rolls into an underhand position between the legs. Let them get the feel for rolling the glove from the overhand position to the underhand position between the legs. The key here is to keep a slow counterclock wise circle movement.

Start throwing wiffle or tennis balls timed out as they make their counter clockwise ark. Tell them to only knock the ball down and not to catch it.
They will catch quite a few balls, tell them that they caught the ball, because of having the glove in the right position, but also let them know that they are to try to knock the ball down instead of catching it.

Work through this drill for a couple of weeks and you should be able to progress to real baseballs; with a kid that feels they can protect themselves.


If you have a kid that is constantly dropping a ball after it is caught, revert to using a tennis ball, which forces them to close the glove because of the springiness of the tennis ball off of the glove. For left handers, the circle will be in the clockwise direction and you should start in an underhanded position over the left knee.

[Baseball gLove]

I do it the easy way. I tell my 14 year old who throws 75 mph to teach his little brother how to catch. I tell him no Playstation if the little one gets any nasty bruises, broken bones or if he draws blood.

[GFK]

I do it the easy way. I tell my 14 year old who throws 75 mph to teach his little brother how to catch. I tell him no Playstation if the little one gets any nasty bruises, broken bones or if he draws blood.

Priceless!

[5LilPlayers]

I've been "training" mine since they could walk/run. Since yours is already 8, you can probably skip some of the process (or start from the "beginning" but make it go faster by not doing it as much).

What I do, as soon as they're able to make a general "sweeping" motion with their hands, no gloves...is get a supply of inexpensive balloons.

I started all of mine when they were about 18 months old, close to me, blow up a balloon and gently toss it to them ("fingertip push"). By 2 years old, I was able to to "shoot" the balloon at them (holding the knotted part and stretching it) with them standing slightly further away. Of course, starting this young, if the balloon breaks, get rid of it ASAP!!

At 2, once they had mastered the balloon, I moved up to the squishy balls...typically rag balls (available almost everywhere now, but can be found at wolverinesports.com, too) in larger sizes...slightly bigger than softballs...then worked my way down to smaller balls.

After this, anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years old, still no mitts, I moved on to wiffle-ball type balls....plastic with holes....starting over from softball size, down to golf ball size (the golf ball-sized ones work good if you're closer together, and they're great for hand/eye coordination -- the golf-ball sized ones also work well for hitting practice to develop good hand/eye coordination, letting them throw it up into the air themselves as they are rather hard to "pitch").

Once they got the hang of the "wiffle" golf balls, I'd move on to the regulation balls, softballs at first (bigger generally means easier to catch)...still with no mitt, gently tossing them...then finally on to baseballs.

Once they got the fundamentals of cathing regulation balls tossed to them gently, I'd finally give them an older mitt (more..."floppy"...than a new mitt, easier to control for little hands) and work on hand position with them.

It took only a slight transition for them to go from catching with both hands and no mitt, to the one-hand with mitt style. It also helped to let them watch (in that final stage) my husband and I play catch. They can clearly see when a ball is thrown "here", your glove hand should be "there" to catch it....seeing the proper hand position for catching knee highs, chest highs, and "over-the-head" throws...and I think seeing that mommy and daddy weren't afraid of the ball helped, too.

Some kids will have that natural fear of getting hit with the ball...one of mine did...but now, of course we still don't throw hard with the little ones, but even she, the three yr. old, will get hit with the ball, laugh it off, and try to peg the ball back to us. At her age, I don't really know if it's natural ability or just from watching us, maybe a combination of both?...but she knows how to "look for the cut-off man" and properly step into her throw.

You can try this technique, speeding it up a bit. I'm sure an 8 yr. old will be able to catch a balloon, both gently "tossed" and "shot", as well as rag and wiffle balls. Don't forget to let her see adults play catch, too. You didn't say if she was yours or if you're a coach...but you could probably turn it into a teaching lesson if you do coach. Just have the kids sit and watch you and the assistant coach (or other willing adult) play catch. Tell the kids to pay attention, you'll be asking questions. Have some catches "high", "low" and in between...and after catching them, ask the team "Where was my hand when I caught that one?" or "Did I have to move to catch it?" (a lot of little ones seem to think the ball will always come to them...that they won't have to move), etc. Even if the 8 yr. old in question doesn't, or can't, answer any of the questions, she'll still be learning proper hand placement just by listening to her teammates answer.

Some kids...even adults...work better with that "watching" approach as opposed to hands on...she may just be the type who "gets it" after watching a game of catch or two...and there are several "training" videos out now that you or her parents could get her, ranging from "no way would I pay that much" to only around $10 (or even less if you can find them at a garage sale...tis the season, afterall, for garage sales).

[Jesse]

That's a good idea starting out with the balloons. I'll have to try that with my little ones.

[5LilPlayers]

That's a good idea starting out with the balloons. I'll have to try that with my little ones.
Using the "Quick Reply" feature not sure if this works, did click "Quote message in reply?" button but I'm not seeing your message in here Jesse.

Anyway, here goes....

I thought the balloon idea, as well as the other stages without using a mitt, was good, especially with kids, since you want to teach them to use both hands...glove hand to catch the ball, other to make sure it stays in the mitt...on certain catches (grounders and low flying balls). I think learning to catch two-handed at first helps with that. Whether they're young enough to start off with the balloons or if they're old enough to "start" with rag, wiffle, or even regulation balls. I did try starting with regulation balls with the oldest, but at 2, he simply lacked the motor skills, wasn't quick enough, so I "discovered" the balloon trick. I typically use larger balloons only, but you can vary it up a bit, depending on how young you really want to start them, and go with big balloons at first, down to a "water balloon" size (no water, just air). Like I said, the larger the ball, the easier it usually is for a child to catch...so starting with the larger one first and working your way down to as small as possible for that type of ball really helps. Balloons, rag and wiffle balls don't hurt either, neither do regulation balls when tossed gently...so that also helps a little in getting them over that fear of being hit.

I also use a similar method when teaching them how to bat....balloons just naturally "float" gently to them, using a big/thick plastic bat at first, working your way down to a wiffle ball bat...it gives them confidence in hitting since it comes in so slowly that almost anyone can hit a balloon. They don't go far, either...balloons with hitting or the whole method up to wiffle balls for catching...can be worked on inside without fear of breaking anything, if you have the room. Our house is tiny, but the kids could all swing a short (2 ft. or shorter) bat in the living room, using a balloon when they were around 2 or 3...and of course, with catching, unless they have a REALLY wild throw, even wiffle balls don't do much damage. It also helps with our 5 little ones, that we don't keep breakables out, anyway. Granted, if you're in a warmer climate, practicing inside isn't necessary. I work with the smaller ones year round, but I'm in Ohio...I hate snow! LOL