There are no catchers in tee ball, not really at least. You don't get to put on all the equipment, squat behind the plate, and call pitches until much later; but I can remember opting in for the position at the very first opportunity I got.

I was eight when I started catching, and I can remember being immediately drawn to the position. Bored of playing first base because I was the tallest on the team and could catch the ball really well, I wanted to play a position that was involved in every play of the game and pitching never really appealed to me.


Catching requires some very specific physical qualities,
but the mental side of catching is just as important

I know realize that I began developing the physical skills necessary to be a solid catcher at an age when I didn't realize I also possessed the mental, emotional, and character qualities that make a great catcher. Catching is so much more than having strong legs to squat all game and a cannon to gun down runners, so FloSoftball is giving a nod to all catchers by highlighting some of intangible qualities that make truly great catchers.
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Catching is a tough job. Squatting for hours on end, 70-mph foul balls off the facemask, and collisions with metal spikes all sound like enough hazards to keep any sane player from willingly playing the position.

Only a fool would strap on the “tools of ignorance,” right? Not so.


Catching is a tough job suited for only a select
group of players

Catchers are some of the brightest players on the field, having intangibles that cannot be taught or recorded as statistics. These intangibles come from the mind, personality, attitude, and character of the catcher and are critical to creating a cohesive battery and team.

Here are five intangibles that should recast the “tools of ignorance” as a badge of honor.

1. Emotional Intelligence
Catchers need Mensa-level emotional intelligence; being able to recognize and control their own emotions so if they strike out with the bases loaded, they can immediately take the field and be the steady rock their team needs. Identifying and understanding nuanced personalities of their pitchers is of monumental importance to the success of the team. Guiding their pitchers through the emotional turmoil of a strenuous game is no small task, and only the great catchers are equipped to do so.

2. Communication Skills
Sure, everyone hears catchers communicating outs and base runner positions, but catchers really function as an extension of the coaching staff. They are the gatekeepers of information and instruction entrusted to them by the coaches, and they must be able to communicate those messages to their team. Not every player knows how to speak to a team in the middle of a two-error, four-run inning; but that responsibility frequently falls squarely on the broad shoulders of the catcher.


​Catchers must be good communicators, especially 
when relaying information from the coaches to the team

3. Confidence
Catchers set the tone of the game with body language and control the pace of the game with their decisions. An air of confidence and quality decisions instill a sense of assurance in the team, particularly the pitcher. The battery is arguably the most important relationship on the diamond, and catchers are their pitchers’ confidants. Pitchers must have the utmost trust and confidence in their catchers’ skills and choices for the battery to succeed.


The battery is one of the most important relationships
in softball, and catchers must gain the trust of their
pitchers

4. Salesmanship
Umpires can be a hard sell, but catchers should possess the ability to influence them throughout the game. Casual conversation, timely jokes, and thoughtful questions can build a strategic relationship that subconsciously causes the umpire to call a strike on the black and give a strike for a perfectly-framed ball.

5. Humility
Catchers should go relatively unnoticed if they do their job and keep their pitchers and the game on track. They must appreciate being the unsung hero of the team, knowing their role is to facilitate the success of their pitchers. Catchers know they control the game, but they understand their pitchers must feel in control each and every pitch. Ultimately, they are content staying out of the limelight and giving it to their pitchers.

“Tools of ignorance?” More like tools of brilliance.