Catching

My son has been catching for 6 years. A catcher has to be quick on his feet. I really don't think a straight back has much to do with it, my son has never straightened his back. Holding the glove where he wants the pitcher to put it is important, as well as framing the pitches. Train your son not to turn away from the ball, as this will result in side injuries. Practice with him throwing to 2nd base, he will need a strong arm to throw the base runners out. My son has always held his left hand in back of the catcher's glove, this gives him extra seconds to throw steelers out if needed. Train him to give the pitcher good clear signals, drop down and block dirt balls, this is done by droppng one or both knees in the dirt. Train him to be the leader, as in remembering batters. This way he can position the infield/outfield accordingly. Train him to keep his eye on the ball at all times. If he ever gets afraid of the ball, throw tennis balls at him with the catcher's gear on. Later on you can train him to position himself inside or outside of the plate, so the pitcher can hit the corners. Hope these tips help.