How to raise a circle princess

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May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
You know the type. Mom coaches, so DD can pitch 80% of the innings, even though she is no better than any other pitcher. The girl is a 2nd grader and already has her folks around her little finger. She refuses to play anywhere but P and SS. When put in the outfield, she pouts and screams and mom gives in and lets her pitch. The other little girls see what is happening and think "maybe I should through a fit, too."

I am just shaking my head.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Those are the easy decisions. Do you bat her 1st every game so she will be up more than anyone else or bat her 3rd because that is where the “best” batter hits. A lot of thought needs to go into favoring your kid on the best way to do it.
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
As a father of a girl with princess like tendnacies and having observed other princesses, I can tell you that an early zero tolerance policy is key to controlling the infestation. The first time DD went Diva on me, I called a timeout and went and told her that if she ever did that again she would never play softball again, she was 7. Opposing coach thought I was a lunatic.

Flash forward a couple of years and now her frustration still comes along but she takes it out on the ball.

Contrast that with two other princesses I know who still cry at the age of 10 and 11 after mistakes because they were never told it was flat out unacceptable and selfish to do so.

It is a game-no reason to cry over a game unless you get hurt of course.
 
Oct 22, 2009
1,781
0
Amy, I feel for you, over the years I've had so many of these kids.

I get a lot of parents that also don't feel their daughters should have to practice but should still get the majority of pitching time.

Sadly it usually works out badly for the pitcher when she gets older and the parent doesn't coach anymore.

Now this pitcher has lost all this time she could have had building discipline, skills and work ethics, and instead has used the time to build excuses.
 
Oct 22, 2009
1,781
0
It is a game-no reason to cry over a game unless you get hurt of course.

Crying is my biggest peeve.

Last week I had a student break down and cry in class because she was pitching so poorly.
This particular student rarely practices. I basically told her it wasn't right that she felt like she should pitch wonderfully with no effort given to it at all.
How fair is that to the other pitchers that dedicate so much time and energy to getting better and you feel you should be better than them just because you want it so.

I was a little hard on her that day, she frustrated me with her "I should get everything my way" attitude.--She's a fit thrower and that's how she gets her way at home.

So it did surprise me when she showed up for class the next week and said she practiced 3 days! She also pitched much better in class that day.
 
Mar 28, 2013
769
18
Well,If it was my DD or someone else's I would wait till we had to play a team that absolutely crushes the ball, then tell her you want all the circle time, there you go. then leave her in no matter how hard she was getting hit. she would soon learn some humility I would guess.
 
Last edited:
Mar 23, 2010
2,019
38
Cafilornia
I met that girl at 15. Mom once brought her to the game sick and insisted that she pitch, then told the world that coach made her bring a sick kid out on a hot day. Not sure what hold Mom had over coach, pretty sure I don't want to know.

She did have a pretty good flop after the ball went through at SS that was euphemistically called "laying out" by the coach.
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
I know a girl that is 10 and has been attempting to pitch travel ball, with what is probably a broken toe on her left foot. The problem has been going on 3 months. This one isn't the girl's fault though, the folks won't take her to the doctor.
 
Dec 23, 2009
791
0
San Diego
Well,If it was my DD or someone else's I would wait till we had to play a team that absolutely crushes the ball, then tell her you want all the circle time, there you go. then leave her in no matter how had she was getting hit. she would soon learn some humility I would guess.

Did that one time with a girl whose Dad was in my ear from the word "go". She pitched for me against a great team from Las Vegas in a tournament. Needless to say - after the butt whuppin - he grabbed her and quit the team saying the defense wasn't good enough for her ability. I guess the pitches she was throwing down the middle was just an anomaly...:rolleyes:
 

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