Best Baseball Catching Camps in the USA (and 5 things to look for!)

Since I don't do camps at Catching Made Simple, people will often ask me, “What are the best catching camps to go to?”

After coaching at catching camps myself, I know a thing or two about what makes a good camp, but I have to say I have not personally experienced many of these camps.

If you don’t know who I am, my name is Anj Bourgeois and I’m the founder of Catching Made Simple. I transitioned from infield to catcher my Junior year of college, having never caught before, and now have a passion for teaching other catchers the fundamentals of the game.

I’ve helped hundreds of catchers get into a better stance, learn the fundamentals of the game, and get their mindset right.

In this article, you’ll learn some of the top catching camps in the USA. Note, they are in alphabetical order and aren’t ranked in any other way.

Catching Academy

Camp location: San Ramon, CA

Founder: Brett Thomas and Kevin Stanley

Website: https://www.catchingacademy.com/

Jen Schro Catching Camps

Camp location: Southern California

Founder: Jen Schro

Website: https://jenschrocatching.com/

Note - Jen focuses on softball!

Next Level Catching Academy

Camp location: Chino Hills, CA and Southern California

Founder: Justin Duarte

Website: https://nextlevelcatchingacademy.com/

The Catching Camp

Camp location: New Hampshire and tour across the US

Founder: Dave Weaver / Now run by Jay Weaver

Website: https://www.catchingcamp.com/

The Catching Guy

Camp location: Reno, NV and tour across the US

Founder: Todd Corbin

Website: https://thecatchingguy.com/

Stronghold Catching

Camp location: Nashville, TN

Founder: Chase Andrews

Website: https://strongholdbaseball.com/

*Note - if you run a catching camp and I missed you on here, I’d love to feature you! Reach out to me at [email protected].

What makes a good catching camp?

I see 4 major things that make a good catching camp:

1. Quality instruction

Catching is a difficult position to teach. If someone is offering lessons, they'll likely be able to help you, but make sure they have good coaches who know how to teach!

2. Good coach to camper ratio

If there's 20 campers to one coach, obviously your catcher won't get the same amount of attention. Small groups of 8 campers to 1 coach or less are great, as you can still get excellent instruction as well as community and friendly competition. 

3. Make it simple and easy to understand

If the coaches know a lot about catching, but can't help the kids understand what they're talking about, obviously that's not going to help your catcher! Make sure they can communicate in an effective way. 

4. Coaches who care about their campers (know their names!)

The best coaches take an interest in their campers and get to know them as people! Pay attention to coaches who learn their student's names. Sports are a great training ground for character, and we want to be intentional about making better men than baseball players.

5. Video instruction

Most catchers have no idea what their body is doing. So the coach says "Move your glove down" and they say "I am!"

Video changes that really quickly. Video paired with quality feedback is the most helpful tool for learning to catch. The video feedback is taken to another level when the coach asks the right questions to the catchers as well, then the catchers really understand their own game. 

Next steps to getting the catching coaching you need

You came looking for a place you could develop your son’s catching skills.

Now you know some great camps around the US.

At Catching Made Simple, I don’t do any camps, although I do offer online group training and in-person lessons.

I create content, courses, and coaching programs to help hundreds of catchers increase their mobility, strengthen their mental game, and develop the physical skills they need to catch at a high level.

Book a call for a free 15 minute Catching Consultation with Anj if you want to get an expert take on what you need to do to get better.

And if you’re not yet ready to talk with me, check out these other resources:

• 7-Day Stance Challenge - get a stance like the pros in 5 min a day
• 8 best mobility drills for catchers - so you can be athletic!