Youth Catchers Gear Review
Youth catchers gear the most important equipment on the team.
And it’s not just for protection. Consider this-if you are searching for youth catchers gear for your catcher make sure the gear fits properly. As a veteran coach, I can assure you that getting the proper gear is essential for success.
The catcher is probably the most thankless job on the team roster. Lost among agile shortstops and quick center fielders is the catcher. The sad part about the catchers position is the lack of coaching at this position. For this reason alone, the proper catchers gear is essential.
In my days of coaching youth sports, the catcher was always a kid lost among the others. Hiding behind gear was an attribute I’d apply to many of my players seated at this position. When I tried teaching them to throw off the mask in order to look for a foul ball, I discovered many times the catchers mask didn’t fit right. In fact, after evaluation all my catchers gear, none of it fit properly.
This is a huge self esteem issue with youth sports. How can you ready a young player to throw down to first in a pick off move when everytime the catcher comes out of the squat he has to wrestle with the chest protector that is sized improperly. Do you think this may play a role in his or her ability to succeed at the catching position? Of course it does.
My players we taught to look to the catcher as the team leader. Primarily this is because there is no other player on the team, except the pitcher, who is involved in every play of the game. When other players look to the scoreboard to remember the number of outs remaining, the catcher has the information stored.
Another reason for carefully chosen youth catchers gear is because you want your catcher up and out from behind the plate. The right shin guards are crucial if you want your catcher running down the first base line to back up a throw. Likewise, if you expect your catcher to block the plate, you can hardly expect the young player to accomplish this task if the gear is loose fitting or improperly adjusted.
Expect to spend from $150-$900 for youth catchers gear. Many will want to purchase their own equipment as the old adage about one size fits all is no longer the case. Most of the time your team will have gear, but if you are a parent, consider the opportunity to invest in your players success by purchasing catchers gear that fits.
