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Toss and Catch Ladder

Climb a ladder of catching challenges: toss to yourself, clap then catch, spin then catch.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

Toss a soft ball up and catch it with two hands 5 times.

Core: Usual. Beat your own highest rung.

Ages
5 to 10
Time
8 min
Players
Just you
Space
Yard or field
Bring
Soft ball or beanbag
Level · skill
Beginner · Short Game

The steps

How it works

  1. Toss a soft ball up and catch it with two hands 5 times.
  2. Then clap once before you catch.
  3. Then clap twice, then touch your knees.
  4. Count your catches out of 10 at each step.

Coaching point

Watch it into your hands.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Toss-and-catch pairs: take turns picking the next trick and the other tries it. Climb the ladder together.

Challenge

Pick a rung: Less (easier), Core (usual), More (a new trick). Beat your own highest rung.

Story

You are a circus performer with a bag of tricks.

My best

Beat your own count

Beat your own highest rung. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

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