Real reviews from catchers and parents who trained with Coach Bougie

Pop time from 2.22 down to 1.97

Eric Schlay High school (going into junior year, age 16) and Robert Schlay (dad), Sugar Creek, Ohio · Dec 2025 · The Complete Catcher Protocol

Result: Pop time dropped from 2.22-2.23 seconds to a best of 1.97, about a quarter of a second. Throwing mechanics rebuilt around back leg turnover and a stronger arm position. Self-corrects mistakes in real time.

Before: Inconsistent behind the plate: some days lights out with no passed balls, the next day downhill. Wanted help with receiving, blocking, and above all pop time.

“I was like 2.22, 2.23. I think that one video was 1.97, 1.98.”Eric

“Don't look at the price, look at the product.”Eric

“Confidence is definitely higher because I know what to do and I know I'm good enough for it. I can do it well.”Eric

“If anybody else is looking at doing something like this, it's 100% worth every penny. I mean it. As far as the online program, I would 100% advise anybody to do it, because it's legit.”Robert (dad)

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

He ran a kids camp to earn the money, then rebuilt his whole game

Will Sher High school freshman (age 15) and Ryan Sher (dad), Holladay, Utah · Jan 2025 · Online catcher coaching with Coach Bougie

Result: More athletic stances, quicker and crisper throwing with the unnecessary footwork removed, better side to side blocking, and a flinch in his glove fixed once video revealed it. Practicing four to six days a week instead of occasionally.

Before: The family came in wanting one thing: a better pop time. Will had four coaches but none who could give catcher-specific feedback, and he did not know what to work on between practices.

“We were coming in kind of like one area to make an improvement, but I saw a lot of improvement and a lot of feedback and coaching that we did not give him along the way that was really helpful.”Ryan (dad)

“In some ways it was almost better online. The specificity of feedback and the online form allowed him to repeatedly see the feedback.”Ryan (dad)

“Before I started I'd maybe do a little bit, I didn't really exactly know what to work on either. I just kind of get some reps in for blocking or throwing or whatever, and I wasn't progressing a ton.”Will

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

He decreased his pop time by .2-.3 seconds

Cody High school (junior) and Mike (dad) & Cody · Oct 2024 · Catching Made Simple

Result: Reduced pop/exchange time by 0.2-0.3 seconds; smoother receiving; more efficient throw mechanics; whole family joined nightly practice

Before: Struggled with pop time and receiving; not enough on throws to get runners out; only ever worked with private in-person coaches and was skeptical of online

“His throws are quicker, and I can see his confidence growing. The program really helped him dial in.”Mike (dad)

“There's a lot of good out there, but this is different. The consistency and quick feedback are incredible. I'm impressed by how quickly Anj responds to Cody's videos and provides specific insights. I think this works for any age.”Mike (dad)

“I came here for pop time, but I've seen improvements in all areas.”Cody

“It's turned into a family affair. We're all out there every night, and even the family dogs make an appearance in the videos!”Mike (dad)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

He became the leader on the field, whatever position he plays

Caleb (Fifth grade, plays 11u and 14u) and Mike Isaac (dad) · Jun 2025 · The Complete Catcher Protocol

Result: Blocking and receiving improved the most, enough to hold up catching in a 14u game as one of the smaller players on the field. The leadership he learned behind the plate carried to second base and the outfield.

Before: Balls kept getting past him. He had never been taught a single knee stance, a modified kickstand, or to put his glove down.

“What your program really taught him was not just the mechanics of how to be a good catcher, but how to build confidence in the role.”Mike (dad)

“He is still the leader no matter where he's at on that field, just because of the skills that you taught him in the catcher position.”Mike (dad)

“I never knew all this stuff. I never knew to get into single knee, never to go out to modified kickstand, never to put your glove down. That was the biggest one.”Caleb

“Yes, I've enjoyed it a lot. It was a lot of fun and I think it helped me a lot.”Caleb

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

From the worst catcher on the team to the number one catcher

Britt (Youth select ball) and Corey (dad), Texas · May 2025 · The Complete Catcher Protocol

Result: By week eleven he had passed every other catcher on a select team of four and become the number one catcher. Did not miss a single ball in his most recent school game, having missed plenty at the start. Noticeably better than the established number one inside four weeks.

Before: Two years catching on a rec team with no formal instruction at all, winging it. Did not know he was supposed to receive or block, and did not have a real primary stance.

“For my school, I didn't miss any balls the last game, and at the start I missed like tons.”Britt

“He had never had any formal coaching before for catching, and the transformation he's made, I am super impressed. He's by far surpassed the other catchers on the team that have been on this team for a long time, and he's now the number one catcher.”Corey (dad)

“Before we did this, whenever I missed a ball I felt silly for missing the ball. But now I know I can do it, because I know how to do it correctly.”Britt

“At the start I didn't want to do it. I thought it wasn't going to get me anywhere, but then I did it and it got me a lot better.”Britt

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

Three and a half weeks in, his coaches asked who he was taking lessons from

Jackson (10 years old) and Kevin (dad) · May 2025 · The Complete Catcher Protocol

Result: Inside three and a half weeks his team coaches noticed the change unprompted and asked whether he was taking catching lessons. Stances alone fixed a large share of the problems.

Before: Interested in catching since age eight but never coached on it in any practice or in little league. His dad worried a 10 year old was too young to start.

“In three and a half weeks his progress has been tremendous. What really stood out to me is when some of the coaches came up to me and said, is he taking catching lessons? I said he is, and they said we can tell, his form is strong, everything's looking good.”Kevin (dad)

“I was worried, hey, is my 10 year old too young? Is this too early? I probably started too late, actually, I think about it. We get kids into batting and pitching lessons at seven and eight. I think it's time we start thinking differently about catching.”Kevin (dad)

“It's also good for me to learn how to practice with him, which for the long run is even better, because now I am the person with him more consistently.”Kevin (dad)

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

From third-string catcher to the starter, and 40 clean catches in a row

Elliott (12 years old) and Matt (dad), Kansas City area · Mar 2025 · The Complete Catcher Protocol

Result: Went from backup catcher to the main catcher for his team. In a receiving game off the pitching machine he went from catching about 3 of 10 to 40 in a row. Shortstops are now late to the bag on his throws. An MLB pitcher who saw him praised his blocking.

Before: Physically talented but low on confidence. Dropped third strikes constantly. Was the secondary catcher, treating every inning behind the plate as a test he had to pass.

“Back then it was like I got this, let's do this, cool, dang it I dropped it. Versus now there's less pressure because I know how to do it and I know that I can do it a hundred times in a row.”Elliott

“It used to be Elliott get rid of the ball quick, and now it's turned to Elliott that was perfect, shortstop you got to get there.”Matt (dad)

“You could tell in his head he was saying a lot of negative thoughts or scared thoughts versus being like, all right, pitch is coming in, I know what to do.”Matt (dad)

“He knows what he's talking about.”Elliott

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

A clean game on the big field, nothing past him

Max (Moose) (12 years old, playing up a year on the big field) and Mark (dad), Charlotte, North Carolina · Feb 2025 · CatchCORE (now part of The Complete Catcher Protocol)

Result: Caught a full game with no wild pitches and no passed balls, and came close to throwing runners out on the big field, which almost never happens at that level. Throws improved before the program even reached the throwing week.

Before: Moving up to the big field exposed throwing mechanics he had been powering through on the smaller diamond, and he did not know which stance to use when.

“He caught last Saturday. I don't even think you had a wild pitch that I remember, passed ball, or anything got by him. The throws, even though we hadn't even gotten to the throwing part of the program yet, were way better.”Mark (dad)

“I loved the bite size instruction, where Moose could watch the video and then we're outside for five to ten minutes working on this. If there was a longer commitment there would have been less ability to keep on schedule.”Mark (dad)

“It wouldn't be like, oh I have to do catching again today. It's just like, can I do catching today before it gets too dark out?”Max

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

An 8 year old in Australia makes the rep team

Chase (8 turning 9) and Luke (dad), Australia · Jan 2025 · CatchCORE (now part of The Complete Catcher Protocol)

Result: Made the rep team. An Australian rep coach who saw him said he had not seen a catcher his age catch like that. Stances transformed first, then receiving, all inside four weeks.

Before: Two years into catching in Australia, where catcher-specific coaching is scarce. The family was working from YouTube videos alone.

“All your training helped me get into the rep team, and I want to thank you for that. I don't know if I would have ever even made that if I didn't do this.”Chase

“I was watching his first video that he put up, and to see the difference just from three weeks, his transformation is amazing. I can't recommend it more.”Luke (dad)

“This has been the best extended four weeks of my life.”Chase

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

He earned a starting catcher spot at a 72 player showcase

Liam (11 years old) and Matt Michaels (dad and coach), Titusville, Florida · Jan 2025 · CatchCORE (now part of The Complete Catcher Protocol)

Result: Halfway through the program he went to a UA Prospect tournament with 72 players from across the Southeast, and out of four or five catchers on his team he became one of the two mains and caught about half the innings of the tournament. Straightened out the leg position that had been limiting him.

Before: Had caught for years with no proper training, just his dad and a couple of coaches doing their best with what they could find on YouTube. Mobility was the biggest limitation.

“You never think that you're going to make that many big jumps in 30 days. I couldn't even imagine if I took him to a catching coach a couple times a week, how much that would be, but the fact that he's getting feedback 30 days in a row and now he has that stuff to just keep doing. Hands down it was one of the biggest jumps that I saw in confidence.”Matt (dad)

“I feel a lot more comfortable and safe, because I know I can reach those areas that I really wasn't able to before.”Liam

“Everyone on the team seems to be looking at him a little bit differently. You can tell he's just dialed in and focused, and it almost sets him apart from a lot of the other kids that catch.”Matt (dad)

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

A fifth grader who made the middle school team learns to coach himself

Whit (10 years old, fifth grade) and Whit's dad · Jan 2025 · CatchCORE (now part of The Complete Catcher Protocol)

Result: Learned the windshield wiper receive, a flat glove, and hips-first throwing, and can now break down his own video at ten years old. Made a middle school baseball team in fifth grade.

Before: Playing AAA majors travel ball and comfortable blocking, but he had never been taught to receive low in the zone, which is where pitchers live as they get better.

“I could watch the baseline video multiple times, and then I would watch a video now, and I would see how different the shapes were and how much more connected I was.”Whit

“Everybody can sit there and soft hand and catch a ball right down the middle, but you're not going to be catching middle middle pitches as a catcher as you get older.”Whit's dad

“Even though the four weeks is over, I think the habits that were developed are going to end up helping him out in the future, even outside of just the catching position.”Whit's dad

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

11u Catcher Becomes a THREAT Behind the Plate

Isaac 11u (started catching at 10) and Brian (dad), Pittsburgh · Jan 2024 · CatchCORE

Result: Fixed glove positioning and stances; moves fluidly with whole body instead of reaching with the arm; journaling built game IQ; can now critique his own video

Before: New to catching at 10; dad searched YouTube for drills; struggled getting glove and forearm flat at the same time

“I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to improve their catching skills or any aspect of their game. The results we have seen in Isaac's catching abilities are remarkable. The program has exceeded our expectations, and I believe it is worth every penny and more. Don't settle for average; invest in your growth and unlock your full potential!”Brian (dad)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

From scared of the ball to happy and confident behind the plate

Nicolino (Youth) and Caroline (mom) · Oct 2023 · CatchCORE

Result: Overcame fear of getting hit; solid stances within week 1; confident blocking by week 3; stopped dodging his head on throws

Before: Afraid of getting hit by the bat; lacked confidence in stances and blocking; unsure what to do in game situations

“Working with Coach Bougie was really fun. It helped me gain confidence when batters are up.”Nicolino

“The program's guidance on recording practice sessions and specific techniques made it easy for me to help as a parent, and Nicolino could practice at his own pace.”Caroline (mom)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

11u catcher improves more from online lessons (and likes it better than in-person!)

Aaron (11u) and Aaron's family · Oct 2023 · CatchCORE

Result: Recovered from thumb injury caused by bad receiving; visibly more athletic and strong on video; family now prefers online to in-person

Before: Skeptical of online training; struggled catching the ball correctly, leading to a thumb injury

“Video analysis lets the video and a trusted coach correct Aaron rather than mom, and the whole family gathers around the table to watch the review before practicing in the backyard.”Family

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

Learning to block with online catching lessons

Alastair (Youth) and Kevin (dad) · Sep 2023 · CatchCORE

Result: Passed balls came down measurably in games; better stances; more strikes called on his receiving; more game confidence

Before: Mound moved back with age, wilder pitchers exposed his blocking; dad is a runner with no baseball background; local team had one inexperienced coach

“The number of past balls throughout this activity has continued to come down and that's something we've been able to see happen in the game. We do the drills and you can see like, okay, that should work. And then it's been exciting to go to games and see like, 'Oh, it works.'”Kevin (dad)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

8u catcher drills transformation (from simple daily practices with his dad)

Tristan 8u (age 7) and Rob (dad) · Sep 2023 · CatchCORE (first cohort)

Result: Went from struggling with balls hopping off the ground to catching them in one motion; journaling improved his understanding (and handwriting); dad and son 'became teammates'

Before: Dad had coached older kids but had no idea what a 7-year-old could handle in catching

“It felt like we were on the same team when it came to this. We were teammates in this program.”Rob (dad)

“When they actually see themselves on camera, they can figure, 'oh, I don't feel right.' Now I'm more aware of it when I actually do the drill the next day.”Rob (dad)

“A lot of kids will play baseball, but then will they do it on their own? I found out how much he loves baseball through this part of it.”Rob (dad)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

Rediscovering the joy of baseball

Teddy (Youth) and Frank (dad) · Sep 2023 · 1:1 coaching with Coach Bougie

Result: In two months went from 'hoping' for success to expecting it; confidence carried over into other sports and academics; his smile came back

Before: Dwindling confidence was robbing him of the joy of the game; lacked foundational basics, causing repeated failures

“I saw less of his smile on the field. The joy of playing seemed to vanish.”Frank (dad)

“You made Teddy understand hand placement, which might seem basic but made all the difference.”Frank (dad)

“If your child wants to learn the right way, they'll thrive under Coach Anj.”Frank (dad)

“Believe in your child, introduce them to the right mentor, and watch them flourish.”Frank (dad)

“Usually when you have private lessons you're expecting, I'm going to throw you 500 balls. When we did our first lesson, you guys didn't even have the glove out. It was as simple as hand placement, and teaching him to understand a process where he could start to feel good about it.”Frank (dad)

“For probably the first time since t-ball, that laughter, that smile, that joy from playing baseball is back. My wife and I were starting to lose him from a confidence standpoint.”Frank (dad)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

Online catching lessons help transform Connor's game

Connor (Youth) and Gil (dad) · Aug 2023 · CatchCORE

Result: Big improvement receiving inside pitches; can now articulate correct vs incorrect mechanics; more proactive and organized on the field

Before: Struggled with receiving, often getting hit due to incorrect form or mispositioned elbows; group training was expensive and hard to find

“Online training was affordable and flexible, and the organized step-by-step approach helped both Connor and me understand the game better.”Gil (dad)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

10 year old catcher: 'I got better and it got so much funner'

KG3 (10 years old) and Kenny (dad) · Aug 2023 · CatchCORE

Result: Confidence transformed; successfully caught for a friend entering high school; three generations of the family follow Coach Bougie's content

Before: Never coached or trained in catching; lacked confidence; didn't know how to position himself to catch or block

“I got better and it got so much funner.”KG3

“Just spending time with my dad and just having a blast.”KG3

“That's where I saw the most improvement for him: the want to keep practicing and getting better. It's fun when you're doing it right and succeeding.”Kenny (dad)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

A little league dad's journey to find the perfect catching program

Nathan (Little league) and Henry (dad) · Jul 2023 · CatchCORE

Result: Solid stances, proper receiving, picking short hops; visible improvement by day 7; ~15 minutes a day

Before: Limited local catching coach options; wanted effective training without a huge time commitment; needed fundamentals ironed out

“You learn a lot, but it's really fun because he doesn't make it hard on you. You learn it bit by bit. So it's really easy to do.”Nathan

“I thought it would be like a hard camp where the things you taught me would be pretty complicated, but you teach us hard stuff in tiny bits every day.”Nathan

“I'm the one filming the video, and just from where I'm standing, I could definitely see an improvement, even from day one to day seven. Things are looking more natural by day seven.”Henry (dad)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

How Bubba gained confidence behind the plate

Bubba (Youth beginner) and Mark Banks (dad, former college infielder) · Jul 2023 · CatchCORE

Result: Threw a runner out at third by the second weekend; commands the field and communicates with pitchers and infielders; answers questions before older players

Before: Brand new to baseball; dad played college infield but knew nothing about catching

“The program was so effective it should be a baseball library for beginners, a know-all resource for catching. I even found myself staying up late to see what was coming next.”Mark (dad)

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube

He earned the starting job and won his first championship ring

Creighton (11 years old) and Tony (dad) · Mar 2023 · CatchCORE 4 Week Challenge (now part of The Complete Catcher Protocol)

Result: Fixed a stance that forced him to rest every fifteen seconds, which let him get lower and see the ball better. Started self-correcting mid-session by day four or five of each week. Earned the starting catcher job and won his first championship ring.

Before: Less than a year into catching, thrust into it because he was the only one who could catch the other pitcher. Stance and blocking were the two things he could not grasp, and a coach had told the family mobility was the reason he was not catching.

“My stance was absolutely horrible. I wasn't on my toes, I wasn't having to take a break every fifteen seconds because my knees were killing me. I was able to see the ball better because I was able to get lower, and it just makes it easier to receive.”Creighton

“The biggest change in Creighton to me is his confidence. That field two weeks ago was his field.”Tony (dad)

“By day four, day five, day six, he would do his videos like, no, hold on, I got to redo that, because my stance, I got to bring my right foot forward, or I've got to get my hips lower. He would self-diagnose just based off of the feedback.”Tony (dad)

“The material was presented in such a way that a seven year old grasped it and was able to do the work, and you've got a 17 year old who is vying for a varsity spot. I think there is no age. If they're interested in being a catcher, they need to take this course.”Tony (dad)

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

There is a lot of information online, you broke it into bite sized chunks

Jeremy (Youth beginner) and Stephen (dad) · Mar 2023 · CatchCORE 4 Week Challenge (now part of The Complete Catcher Protocol)

Result: Learned the one knee primary and stopped burning energy in his secondary. Got quicker on the exchange to second. Came out with a foundation solid enough to take coaching without needing video feedback for every cue.

Before: Had never caught a real game. His dad gathered used gear over the winter to see if the interest was real, then hit a wall of contradictory advice online about what a proper stance even looks like.

“There's lots of stuff online, so you kind of take bits and pieces from everything and you try it and you see what works and what doesn't. What was great about this program is that you were able to break it down into bite sized chunks that he could build off of. You could really see the changes day after day.”Stephen (dad)

“Jeremy has a strong foundation to build off of. When somebody says that to him, he'll know what they're talking about without necessarily getting the video feedback. If you took two kids, one that went through the program and one that didn't, and they're both starting out catching, he's just that much further ahead.”Stephen (dad)

“Sometimes I wasn't even realizing that I was taking your feedback. The day before, my dad would read it to me, and then my mind would just process it and be like, okay, tomorrow we're going to fix blank.”Jeremy

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

Four weeks in Puerto Rico beat four months at a catching camp

Gian (12 years old) and Israel (dad), Puerto Rico · Mar 2023 · CatchCORE 4 Week Challenge (now part of The Complete Catcher Protocol)

Result: Went from scared to block to blocking without hesitating. Fixed a one knee stance that had been hurting him. Improvements visible game over game. His dad can now diagnose and correct him without video feedback.

Before: Blocking was the wall he could not get past, and coaches shouted at him to block without ever teaching him how. He had spent three or four months at a catching camp without seeing the details.

“I went there for like three months, four months, and you helped me a lot in a month.”Gian

“Before, he was a little scared to block. The coaches always scream, hey, you have to block, you have to block. But now he is very confident to block, without thinking, because you have to do it so quickly.”Israel (dad)

“I could not identify what he did wrong. He watches the video, he thinks that he did it right and moves on. But if somebody like you tells him, okay, look for this, the chicken wing. I didn't know that was wrong. He didn't know that it was wrong.”Israel (dad)

“I have a photo of me before. Boy, was it terrible. I was doing everything wrong on my one knee stance. But now I feel confident, comfortable.”Gian

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

A softball catcher comes back from a dislocated thumb, and her teammates start copying her

Kayla (Silent Dub) (11 years old, softball) and Melanie (mom), Pensacola, Florida · Jun 2025 · Online catcher coaching with Coach Bougie

Result: Her inside pitch went from popping out of her palm to her strongest receive, stronger than her outside pitch. She blocked for the first time in her life. Teammates began mimicking her single knee stance and framing at practice.

Before: Thrown into catching out of shortstop because nobody else would do it, then paired with the fastest pitcher on the team. Dislocated her thumb at a lesson and had to be coaxed back behind the plate. There is effectively one softball catching coach in the entire area.

“We've always been hesitant to do virtual because we're like, where's that personal touch? It's weird because I was not a virtual training plan person, that wasn't where I was thinking of going, but I think it actually worked better.”Melanie (mom)

“In live lessons you can't slow it down. If you don't have a million eyes in a million different directions, you're going to miss it. My husband and I both were like, wow, we learned so much more about catching in these past four weeks than we ever thought we'd ever learn.”Melanie (mom)

“Even though you are 2,019 miles away, you made it feel like you were down in Florida actually teaching me.”Kayla

“You don't just say this is wrong. You say this is wrong, but this is how you can fix it.”Kayla

Source: watch the full interview on YouTube

How Greg improved his catching skills to better coach his players

Greg Biddle (adult coach) (Adult / coach) and Greg Biddle, little league coach, San Mateo, CA · Aug 2023 · CatchCORE + Mobility Made Simple

Result: Significant improvement in his own blocking; does Mobility Made Simple daily for hip mobility; now confident coaching young catchers

Before: In charge of developing little league catchers with limited experience; skeptical of online resources; couldn't find reliable materials

“CatchCORE has all the resources a catcher would need to develop their skills.”Greg

Source: original case study · watch the full interview on YouTube