Catchers improve with steady, specific feedback on receiving, blocking and throwing. For Baseball Catching Lessons in Des Plaines, IL, Coach Cinz offers a blend of planned in-person sessions at our Naperville facility and online check-ins between visits. The drive is about 50 minutes, roughly 35 miles southwest of Des Plaines.
Our catching lessons with Coach Cinz page explains the full approach. Here is how it works for a catcher coming from Cook County.
How does catching training work from Des Plaines?
With close to an hour on the road, we suggest making each visit count:
- Plan sessions at the facility: The Play & Thrive Club Naperville, 808 Rte 59 #120, indoors in the off-season and on rainy days.
- Double up: book two 30-minute Private Lessons ($65 each) back to back for a full hour of catcher work.
- Stay on track at home: use Zoom Lessons ($65, 30 minutes) or Video Analysis ($35) between visits.
Private lessons can also take place at a location of your choice within the Chicagoland area.
Skills covered in Baseball Catching Lessons in Des Plaines, IL
The focus depends on your catcher’s goals, but sessions often include:
- A stance that is comfortable with runners on and off
- Receiving with soft, quiet hands
- Blocking and recovering balls in the dirt
- Footwork and a quick transfer on throws
- Communication and confidence behind the plate
Coach Cinz spent the five years before the pandemic as an instructor with the Chicago White Sox organization and teaches through movements, mechanics and timing. Parents say he explains the reasoning behind each change.
Using video between visits
Catching is easy to film. A short clip of a throw-down or a set of blocks shows footwork clearly, and Video Analysis sends drills back your catcher can work on at home. It keeps progress moving until the next trip to Naperville.
Zoom Lessons add a live element. Coach Cinz can watch a catcher go through a stance, a series of dry blocks or a transfer drill, give cues in real time, and adjust the plan on the spot. A parent or teammate holding the camera helps. Many catchers find that a mix of live Zoom work and occasional in-person sessions keeps them sharper through the season than training in person alone, because the feedback comes more often. It also means a busy week in Des Plaines does not have to mean a missed session.
We also coach families in nearby Mount Prospect and players from Park Ridge.
The first step for any Des Plaines catcher is free. Fill out the Benchmark Step 1 goals form, and Coach Cinz replies within 48 hours with times to measure current metrics. Learn more in our guide to catching lessons.
Des Plaines families ask
Can a Des Plaines catcher train online instead of driving every week?
Yes, for part of the work. Zoom Lessons and Video Analysis cover mechanics and footwork well between visits. We still recommend planned sessions at the Naperville facility, about 50 minutes away, for hands-on receiving and blocking work. Two back-to-back lessons make each trip count.
What kind of video should a Des Plaines catcher send?
A short, steady clip from the side or behind works best, showing a throw-down to second or a few blocks. Coach Cinz reviews the clip through Video Analysis ($35) and sends drills back so your catcher can practice at home before the next lesson.
