Catching Coaches: Find Top-Rated Baseball Catching Instructors Near You

Finding a good catching coach is hard. It’s even harder to know if they’re actually helping your son.

A good catching coach will speed up their process of learning. Basically, you can pay money to shortcut time and skill by working on the right things.

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 after 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 catching, and get their mindset right.

By the end of this article, you’ll know 3 easy steps to find catching coaches near you, 5 qualities to look for, and 5 tips on evaluating catching coaches.

How to find catching coaches near you (3 easy steps)

Finding a good catching coach near you can be hard. Here’s a 3 step process to help you find the coach to best help your son:

1. Determine if online coaching is an option
   
   The internet allows for coaches across the country (or the world!) to be “near you” and easy to access.
   
   
2. If you’re open to trying online coaching, then you want to decide on what type of coaching you want
   
   1:1 video coaching, group program coaching like the 4-week challenge, or self-paced courses can be great options here.
   
   
3. If you want to do in-person coaching, you want to gather data on who’s in the area.
   
   You can check out my directory of catchers here.
   You might also ask for recommendations from other coaches, players, or parents.
   Finally, there are likely baseball training facilities around your area you can call and ask for catching instruction.
   
   

5 qualities to look for in a catching coach

1. Care for their players
   
   If they don't care about the players as a person, do you want them to coach your son?
   
   
2. Communication and teaching style
   
   How do they communicate with the players? Do they yell "Do better!" or do they take the time to articulate what they're doing well and what they need to fix and how to fix it?
   
   
3. Raving fans (of other people just like you)
   
   If your coach has loads of raving fans with testimonials, you can assume they're a really solid coach. 
   
   
4. Deep knowledge of the game (and the ability to explain the “why” behind what they teach)
   
   Catching is a complicated position and there's a lot of common misunderstandings about the position. Can they explain what they're trying to teach and why? Can they explain it in a way where you truly understand it?
   
   
5. Good teaching sequence, making sure they teach one thing at a time, in the right order.
   
   If a coach tries to teach too much at once, nothing gets communicated effectively. This is called "Channel Capacity" - take a look at this video:

@catchingmadesimple Communicating 3 things at once will mean they understand 0 things. One at a time #catching #coach #baseballcoach #communication ♬ Roxanne - Instrumental - Califa Azul

5 tips on evaluating catching coaches

1. Do an initial phone or zoom call to get to know them
2. Look for evidence of other catchers they’ve helped (like testimonials)
3. Ask if they have a philosophy on how to teach the position
4. Watch how they coach - do they say “do better!” or do they actually teach the skill?
5. Make sure they actually care about your son (or daughter) as a person more than a baseball player and a number

Doing these 5 things will ensure you're making a wise investment with your money that pays off far beyond the days when they finish playing baseball!

Is Anj from Catching Made Simple a Catching Coach?

Yes, Anj from Catching Made Simple is a catching coach based out of Irvine, California. He primarily does online coaching including the 1:1 Mastery program, the group coaching program like the 4-Week Challenge, and online catcher assessments.

If you want to arrange a time for an in-person lesson in southern California or just want to talk more with Anj, consider booking a call with him.

Next steps to choosing the right catching coach for your son

You came wondering who were the best catching coaches in your area.

Now you know who’s around you and what your options are, including online catching lessons.

At Catching Made Simple, 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
• How much do catching lessons cost?
• What are the best catching camps?