How much do pitchers pitch at practice?

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Jan 23, 2014
248
0
My dd10 is in her first spring of travel ball. She played at the C level this fall tried out for a different B team and made the team,based on her pitching. We were led to believe she would be number 2, number 1 is a great pitcher. The girl I would say is number 2 also looks really good most of the time. DD just started pitching in August, so these girls have 1-2 years on her, I thought the comp would be good for her as she was far and away the best pitcher on her very young startup team in the fall, and she was better than quite a few of the Pitchers on other c teams.
My dilemma is this: she has pitched at exactly one practice. One. I was watching from afar while watching the other kids and could tell it wasn't her best outing, but it was also her first time against live batters since Oct. The first tournament is this weekend. I am pretty confident she won't pitch, which is ok. There are 4 pitchers on the team.Pitcher 1&2 go to coach'a daughter for lessons. The other pitcher is the ac dd. My point is even if they don't pitch in practice, they have an idea of where they are at otherwise. How is my dd going to get a chance if they don't ever see her pitch? Pitchers have pitched at 3 practices, 1&2 have pitched at all 3, dd and other pitcher at 1. Do you workout most of your pitchers most of the time? I am really at a loss here. I do not know what to do. If she stinks at practice, don't play her, but let her practice!
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
Most of a pitchers work comes from practicing at home and especially in the off-season. The one instance where we were in the same situation on a team (I wasn't coaching TB that year), I told my DD if she wanted to pitch for that team, she had to work her butt off. Then she asked why since they weren't going to see her in practice. I told her don't worry, they'll see you. So she practiced her tail off and to simulate a batter I made a 1/4" plywood cutout of a batter and set it up. When I felt she was ready, I waited for a break in the games at a tournament when everyone was together and eating and grabbed DD. I sat on the bucket behind a portable home plate I carry in the car and set up about 100' from the pop-up tents. She threw while I called the pitches. Next thing you know, the coaches were standing under the tents and watching. The following game they gave her a few innings and as she proved herself, she got more. Maybe it will work and maybe it won't but it can't hurt to try. Just make sure your DD's in top form before you give it a shot.
 
Last edited:
Feb 7, 2013
3,188
48
Agree with YOCOACH, she needs to work her tail off especially since the cards are stacked against her. One season, DD was the youngest player on her all-star team and I knew she wouldn't get circle time unless she worked harder than everyone else and showed the coaches she was dedicated. We would show up 30 minutes before each team practice and practice pitching so by the time the coaches showed they could see her pitch. Over time she got some playing time and by the end of the season was one of the top two pitchers on the team.

With that said, we always try to give all the pitchers the same amount of pitching time during practice but game time is another story. If we have 4 pitchers, two get the majority of the circle time and the other two cleanup duty and/or are used as utility players. The one thing I know for certain is pitchers need to pitch in live games to get better. She needs pitching time.

One of my favorite quotes when things don't go your way is "you have two choices, you can get bitter or you can get better".
 
Last edited:
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
Pitchers on travel teams should be working on their craft every day in some capacity. Don't rely on the tb coaches to improve her. Take ownership.
Remember travel ball is about competing at a higher level and less about building on potential. If I take a new kid, she had better have something to offer the team right away.
 
Jan 7, 2014
972
0
Western New York
I don't use team practice time for my pitchers unless we are doing live pitching from them which is rare. Once a week, my pitchers are at my house pitching to me so I can track their progress. IMO, practice is on their time not on the team's time. I expect my pitchers to be throwing at least 2-3 times a week on their time. I also get weekly updates from their PC with what they should be working on. FYI, I'm 10U "A."

Now there are a couple of things that jump out of me from your post...

this fall tried out for a different B team and made the team,based on her pitching.

If she stinks at practice, don't play her, but let her practice!

OK, so they know she pitches...and pitcher's 1 & 2 see the coach's daughter for lessons...so why aren't you seeing the coach's daughter for lessons too? Do you have a PC you are working with regularly? I also stand by my comment above that practice is on her time, not the team's time.

How is my dd going to get a chance if they don't ever see her pitch?

Just a simple thought...ask the coach if he can watch her before or after practice or how about in between games this weekend at the tournament, similar to what Yocoach did.

CP
 
May 7, 2008
8,501
48
Tucson
Do you have video of her pitching? Maybe we could give you some ideas of what to work on. With the 10s that I coach, there can be a vast difference in speed. I would like to see her FB and her change up. Is she practicing almost every day, with you?
 
Mar 31, 2014
144
16
Pitchers and catchers should work together whether at practice or separate at least a couple times a week.
 
Jan 23, 2014
248
0
I don't expect the coaches to help her improve. In fact, I don't want them to, as they are not her pitching coach. She does work her tail off at home. My point was how do the coaches know if she never pitches at practice. Thanks.
 
Jan 23, 2014
248
0
Yes we have a pitching coach, we don't see the coaches daughter bc she teaches hello elbow. The girls who see her are good now, but I am not going there. She does see a PC thanks.
 
Jan 23, 2014
248
0
So a pitcher should never practice at actual softball practice? Just on her own time? I'm just trying to understand how travel softball works. I am clearly clueless, or made to feel that way by the responses. She knows what she needs to work on and we work on it all the time. When you bring someone on your team to pitch, don't you watch them pitch at practice since you don't see them otherwise? Or do you just forget it and put them in a game of you happen to need them?
I know she needs circle time to get better, and we both know she needs to earn it. I don't expect her to pitch in a game just because. I did expect she would have a chance to earn it at practice but apparently I am wrong.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
42,857
Messages
680,195
Members
21,504
Latest member
winters3478
Top