At-home softball drills for 7 to 10 year olds: catcher

This is a free sample week of at-home softball training for 7 to 10 year olds, for a catcher: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 11 to 12 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 7 to 10 year olds

Session 1

Catcher crouch and catch 11 minutes

Crouch holds · 3 min
Weight on the balls of your feet
Catch soft tosses from the crouch · 4 min
Glove out front, quiet hands
Stand and throw back · 4 min
Step to the target, easy throws

Session 2

Catcher: Two-Hand Fly Ball Catch 12 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Two-Hand Fly Ball Catch · 4 min
Call it, glove above your eyes. Safety: Use a soft training ball until catching with a glove is easy for you.
Freeze-Landing Jumps · 4 min
Quiet feet, frozen statue. 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.

Session 3

Catcher: Toss and Catch Ladder 12 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Toss and Catch Ladder · 4 min
Watch it into your hands.
Zigzag Path Run · 4 min
Get low to turn. 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.

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

Two-Hand Fly Ball Catch

Ages 7 and up · 8 min

Catch high tosses above your eyes with two hands and call for the ball.

Your partner tosses the ball high.
Call "Mine!" and move under the ball.
Catch it above your forehead and cover it with your throwing hand.
Do 20 catches.

Coach's cue: Call it, glove above your eyes.

Bring: glove, soft ball, partner

Safety: Use a soft training ball until catching with a glove is easy for you.

Freeze-Landing Jumps

Ages 6 to 10 · 6 min

Jump forward and freeze on landing like a statue. The first step of every jumping skill is a safe landing.

Stand with feet hip-width apart.
Swing your arms and jump forward a small distance.
Land on both feet, knees bent and over your toes, and freeze for 3 seconds.
Do 10 jumps.

Coach's cue: Quiet feet, frozen statue.

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.

Toss and Catch Ladder

Ages 5 to 10 · 8 min

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

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

Coach's cue: Watch it into your hands.

Bring: soft ball or beanbag

Zigzag Path Run

Ages 6 to 10 · 8 min

Weave in and out of markers set in a zigzag, getting low to turn around each one.

Set 6 markers in a zigzag line, about 3 steps apart.
Run to each marker and turn around it toward the next.
Bend your knees and take small steps as you turn.
Walk back; do 6 runs.

Coach's cue: Get low to turn.

Bring: 6 cones or shoes

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

Safety for ages 7 to 10

Plans for this age group use beginner 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)