The chicken/egg of breaking in a new pitcher

One of the toughest things in softball from both sides of the equation (player/parents and coach) is what it takes to break in a new pitcher. She can practice and prep any way she wants, but pitching in practice isn’t the same as pitching in a game. For one thing, now every pitch counts – […]

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Enjoyed this piece, remembering back to my DD's first days of pitching. They were truly dreadful. We started in the yard parallel to the front of our house with a bownet behind me as a backstop. I didn't really need it, because she couldn't hit it! A few times we even hunted down balls she managed to throw over the house to her left!

I'm not entirely sure why she stuck with it; she really struggle that first year especially. I told her as long as she worked at it, I'd chase balls down for her all day. She's taken me up on that. We found a great PC, who we've stuck with from the beginning. She stayed in rec ball for a year, and there was only one other girl that wanted to pitch, so both got time in the circle. I think in part, she just has a very competitive spirit, and doesn't like quitting. Her very first game was in a rec league with a 10 batter limit per inning. Her first 10 batters either walked or were hit by a pitch. She showed great composure, but as she crossed the 3rd base line I could see a little tear stream down her cheek. When I walked toward her from the dugout, she looked at me and said, "I want to go back out there." Then I had a tear streaming down my cheek! What a tough little kid she was.

As she made her way into the travel world, she didn't pitch at all during the first fall. HC watched her develop. By spring, she was pitching pools and warmups, and occasionally got an inning during a bracket game. I liked the way he managed her. Not too much pressure all at once, but a chance to get some experience.

It's four years later, and I don't have to chase too much any more. She's become a decent pitcher with potential to be very good. She still works very hard, and I've never seen her apply concentration and purpose so much to her practice time as she has lately. Love seeing that

Too early to tell where she'll end up in the college world. She'll need to develop some consistency to have options at top D1, but that's a secondary concern. She gives her best, and takes her practice time seriously. The character she's developing will always be a part of her. I really like that.

We didn't choose our path intentionally. We just kind of fell into it one that I have come to appreciate. Rec to travel, pool to bracket. Lots of determination from the girl, lots of patience from parents, and a coach who is willing to give a novice some time to learn in the game. Find a really good pitching coach really early. It's hard to relearn. Practice smart. Have fun.

Friendlies are a great way to get a new pitcher some circle time!

Jacman, glad you liked the blog post. That's a great story you tell, and a perfect illustration of the point. Sounds like everything really fell into place for you - starting with a daughter who was determined. Great that you were able to find a PC who could do a great job with your daughter, and a HC that understood it was important to give her opportunities to get in the circle and grow as a pitcher.

Love the story about her first experience. There was a newspaper article a few years back about Lisa Fernandez. In it she told of her first time in the circle, when she "walked 21 batters and hit 21 batters." She cried afterwards, but her mom said "Next time, walk 20 and hit 20." You can't get great all at once. It takes perseverance and determination. It worked out pretty well for Lisa, and hopefully will for your DD too.

We've all been there. As a HC I always tried to make sure I gave the kids who really wanted it the opportunity to pitch. Some decided it wasn't for them. Others stepped up. I had one girl who was a student of mine who eventually came to play for me. Tina had been through a few pitching coaches (some with big names) but had always struggled. I started working with her at 16U, so she was more than a little behind. She never did find her consistency, but she definitely had moments of brilliance. The big difference was when she played for me I gave her opportunities that others didn't. I can't help but think if she'd had more circle time earlier she could've been so much better. But I guess her old coaches thought winning was more important than player development.

So be glad for how it worked out for you. Hope she achieves her goals, whatever they turn out to be. And I'm sure the lessons she learned from it will serve her well no matter what she does!