At-home baseball drills for 11 to 13 year olds: catcher

This is a free sample week of at-home baseball training for 11 to 13 year olds, for a catcher: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 13 to 14 minutes, with every step and minute. Nothing here is written for this page alone; it is what the app gives a family.

Everything here can be done in a room, garage or yard. Drills that need a team are left out; a parent can be the partner in a pair drill.

A free sample week of baseball for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Block and receive 13 minutes

Receive soft tosses · 4 min
Quiet glove, catch the ball where it is
Block rolled tennis balls on grass · 5 min
Knees down, chin tucked, keep it in front
Pop-up and throw footwork · 4 min
Feet under you before the arm goes

Session 2

Catcher: Arm Path Throws 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Arm Path Throws · 5 min
Down, back, up, through. Safety: Warm up first, count your throws and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Follow your league throw limits.
Point-and-Go Reaction · 5 min
See it, then go. Safety: Use a clear, non-slip space and change direction only as fast as you can control. Stop if a knee or ankle hurts.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Catcher: Field and Shuffle Throw 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Field and Shuffle Throw · 5 min
Field, shuffle, throw through the target. Safety: Warm up first, count your throws and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Follow your league throw limits.
Step-Behind Rotational Toss · 5 min
Move, land, turn, release. Safety: Use your body weight or a light ball only. Good form matters more than more reps.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Want the rest of the plan?

This sample is 3 of the 7 baseball plans SSTracker has for this group. In SSTracker every step is on the screen, your child logs the work, and you see it. No club needed: the family plan is $7.50 a month per player, or $12 a month for the whole household, and the first 14 days are free.

Get the full plan free for 14 days Coach or club director? Set up your team free Print a free week for another sport or age

The drills in this week

Arm Path Throws

Ages 11 and up · 10 min

Play catch with a smooth arm path: down, back and up, so throws come from good form rather than effort.

Warm up with 10 easy throws from 30 feet.
On each throw, let the ball go down past your hip, back and up to a high-five position.
Step toward your partner and throw to their chest.
Make 20 throws and count the ones that arrive chest-high.

Coach's cue: Down, back, up, through.

Bring: glove, baseball, partner

Safety: Warm up first, count your throws and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Follow your league throw limits.

Point-and-Go Reaction

Ages 10 to 14 · 10 min

A partner points left, right, forward or back and you move that way 3 yards and back. Trains reacting to what you see.

Stand in a ready stance facing your partner.
Your partner points in a direction with no warning.
Move 3 yards that way and return to the middle.
Do sets of 6 points; swap roles.

Coach's cue: See it, then go.

Bring: partner, cones

Safety: Use a clear, non-slip space and change direction only as fast as you can control. Stop if a knee or ankle hurts.

Field and Shuffle Throw

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Connect fielding to a quick shuffle so your throw starts with your feet lined up.

Your partner rolls a firm ground ball.
Field it, then take two shuffle steps toward your target.
Throw to your partner's chest.
Do 20 reps, then swap.

Coach's cue: Field, shuffle, throw through the target.

Bring: glove, ball, partner

Safety: Warm up first, count your throws and stop if your shoulder or elbow hurts. Follow your league throw limits.

Step-Behind Rotational Toss

Ages 11 and up · 10 min

Add a step-behind move to your side toss so you learn to use momentum like a hitter.

Stand side-on to a wall, ball at your back hip.
Step your back foot behind your front foot, then stride.
Turn your hips hard and release the ball into the wall.
Do 3 sets of 6 each side.

Coach's cue: Move, land, turn, release.

Bring: light medicine ball, wall or partner

Safety: Use your body weight or a light ball only. Good form matters more than more reps.

Safety for ages 11 to 13

Plans for this age group use beginner and developing drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard. Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: baseball

Batting helmet whenever anyone pitches or tosses to you, and on the bases.
Catchers: helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector, shin guards and a cup.
Follow Pitch Smart pitch counts: 50 a day at 7-8, 75 at 9-10, 85 at 11-12, 95 at 13-16, with rest days after.
Never pitch three days in a row, and do not catch on a day you pitch.
No curveballs or radar guns for young arms; at least 4 months a year with no throwing.
Slide feet first. Head-first slides are not allowed in Little League Major and below.
Stop if the elbow or shoulder hurts, even if the pitch count is low.

For every sport and age (7)

Head knock or concussion signs (headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling "off"): when in doubt, sit them out. See a doctor, and no return the same day.
Back to sport only with a doctor's written OK, after a step-by-step return. Every U.S. state has a youth concussion law.
Heat: drink water before, during and after. Take shade breaks, ease into hot weather over about two weeks, and stop if dizzy, sick or headachy.
Lightning: if you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside a building or a closed car. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder (the 30-30 rule).
Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Stop and tell a grown-up; pain that lasts or comes back each session needs a doctor.
Water and rest are part of training: 1-2 rest days a week, plenty of sleep, a meal or snack before and after, and other sports welcome.
Know where the nearest AED (heart defibrillator) is, and who calls for help in an emergency.

The research behind these plans

Which drills are shown at which age, and the safety notes, follow the 29 sources below: national governing bodies, medical associations and studies on youth sport (last reviewed October 2026). Where no study gives an exact number, the plans use cautious defaults, and we change them as the research does.

Baseball: governing bodies, safety and development (9)

Youth athletic development and safety (20)