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

This is a free sample week of at-home softball 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 softball for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Frame and block 13 minutes

Receive tosses at the edges · 4 min
Catch the outside half, hold it still
Block rolled tennis balls on grass · 5 min
Knees down, chin tucked
Quick feet to throw · 4 min
Feet first, then the arm

Session 2

Catcher Stance and Soft Receiving 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Catcher Stance and Soft Receiving · 5 min
Relaxed mitt, stick it. Safety: Wear full catcher's gear (helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector and shin guards, plus a cup for boys) whenever a ball is thrown to you. A chest protector that meets NOCSAE ND200 is recommended.
Incline Push-Up Progression · 5 min
Body like a plank, elbows in. Safety: Good form beats more reps: stop the set when your form slips. Muscles may feel tired; stop if a joint hurts.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Catcher: Light Ball Chest Throws 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Light Ball Chest Throws · 5 min
Step and push through the wall. Safety: Throw only into clear space or a solid wall, with nobody in the way. Use a soft or light ball.
Hop and Hold · 5 min
Stick it like glue. Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.
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 softball 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

Catcher Stance and Soft Receiving

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Learn a steady catcher's squat and catch each pitch quietly in the strike zone.

Squat with feet wider than your shoulders and your mitt relaxed out front.
Your partner pitches easy from a short distance.
Catch the ball and hold the mitt still for one second.
Do 30 catches.

Coach's cue: Relaxed mitt, stick it.

Bring: catcher's mitt, full catcher's gear, softballs, partner

Safety: Wear full catcher's gear (helmet with mask, throat guard, chest protector and shin guards, plus a cup for boys) whenever a ball is thrown to you. A chest protector that meets NOCSAE ND200 is recommended.

Incline Push-Up Progression

Ages 10 to 14 · 8 min

Push-ups with hands on a bench, moving lower as you get stronger, until floor push-ups are clean.

Place hands on a bench, body straight from head to heel.
Lower your chest to the bench with elbows at about 45 degrees.
Push back up without the hips sagging.
Do 3 sets of 8; move to a lower surface when all are clean.

Coach's cue: Body like a plank, elbows in.

Bring: bench, step or sturdy table

Safety: Good form beats more reps: stop the set when your form slips. Muscles may feel tired; stop if a joint hurts.

Light Ball Chest Throws

Ages 10 to 14 · 10 min

Throw a light weighted ball from your chest into a wall with a step. Builds whole-body power safely.

Stand 2 to 3 yards from a solid wall.
Hold the ball at your chest, step forward and push it hard into the wall.
Catch it on the rebound or let it drop.
Do 3 sets of 6.

Coach's cue: Step and push through the wall.

Bring: light ball of 1 to 2 kg (2 to 4 lb), solid wall

Safety: Throw only into clear space or a solid wall, with nobody in the way. Use a soft or light ball.

Hop and Hold

Ages 10 to 14 · 8 min

Hop forward on one leg and hold the landing for 3 seconds. Trains the knee control that protects ligaments.

Stand on one leg.
Hop a short distance forward.
Land softly and hold for 3 seconds, knee over toes.
Do 2 sets of 5 each leg.

Coach's cue: Stick it like glue.

Bring: soft ground

Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.

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: softball

Batting helmet with a face guard whenever anyone pitches or tosses to you.
A fielder face mask is wise for pitchers and corner infielders; catchers wear full gear.
Count every pitch, including practice and bullpen. Windmill pitching still causes overuse injuries.
Rest after a big pitching day; play another position on rest days, and stop if the shoulder, elbow or back hurts.
Spin pitches like the rise ball wait until about 13, with a pitching coach.
Slide feet first. Head-first slides are not allowed in Little League Major and below.

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 27 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.

Softball: governing bodies, safety and development (7)

Youth athletic development and safety (20)