Dont lean too much on PC

Thats what dont get . As you get a little older and more experienced why would you think that you have developed some bad habit every week or two weeks or even month. If you are doing things right just keep going at it on your own. Feel like a high percentage of lessons are glorified workouts that the parents are willing to pay for..

As the need for speed increases so can the knack to pick up a bad habit with out even knowing it, and bucket dads can not see the bad habits while focusing on catching the ball ...

Gronknation said:

Feel like a high percentage of lessons are glorified workouts that the parents are willing to pay for..

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Don't be too quick to rush to judgement on this point.

What they pay for in many cases includes, but is not limited to:

1.) An extremely positive experience, free from the toxic environment that the parent/child relationship can breed.
2.) A catcher who can actually make the pitcher look good.
3.) A facility that is built for practice.
4.) The feeling of comradery with the coach and/or fellow peers. A feeling of belonging to "the club".
5.) Positive reinforcement from someone OTHER THEN MOM OR DAD.
6.) In many cases, feedback from someone who's actually been on the mound at a higher level then mens/womens "rec ball".
7.) A feeling of accomplishment OUTSIDE THE HOME. Learning to become INDEPENDENT.

Need I continue? How much is the basket of goodies above worth to some parents for their child???

Or would you rather they pay to send the kid to the movies to "Godzilla"? Or buy them the newest EYE PHONE so they can text/tweet/instagram/facebook/pinterst etc. etc. etc..........

Don't sell these parents short.........They may be smarter then you think.

Just sayin..........

IMO, in addition to proper instruction (if you've done your homework well), praise and criticism from someone other than mom or dad tends to be much better received and constructive to the player's development.

Greenmonsters said:

IMO, in addition to proper instruction (if you've done your homework well), praise and criticism from someone other than mom or dad tends to be much better received and constructive to the player's development.

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Every parent knows this to be true regarding criticism, but the part about outside praise can be underrated. It's invaluable to have a respected non-parent mentor who likes your kid and believes in her.

Phathead said:

What he said and bet he can hang/finish sheet rock also.

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Actually, yes I can. Pretty darned good at it for an amateur too. How did you know?

Gronknation said:

Thats what dont get . As you get a little older and more experienced why would you think that you have developed some bad habit every week or two weeks or even month. If you are doing things right just keep going at it on your own. Feel like a high percentage of lessons are glorified workouts that the parents are willing to pay for..

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Professional athletes work with personal coaches, many on a daily basis. If anyone was going to have it all down on their own I'd think it would be them. But they still like that outside perspective.

I've had parents say to me "I don't care if my kid pitches past rec ball. What you've done for her self confidence and self esteem is immeasurable and invaluable. Thank you for caring".

Well said BM.

My experience is as follows. Again remember what you get out of my opinion relates directly to what you are paying for my opinion.

>DD listens to me, but listens faster/better from a coach.
>Instruction, praise, and criticism mean more from a coach, so she implements the information faster.
>Player's whose parents who look this sport strictly from a $$ perspective don't have the same success as others.
>I have yet to see a parent coached pitcher make it long term. I have seen quite a few not make it out of rec or early tournament
ball and it wasn't from a lack of pitching ability.

Gronknation said:

Dont waist too much time or too much money on PCs. Learn the motion, grips , spins and then depend on your own hard work and not $50 weekly workouts. Depends on the girl but can be done without throwing big $$ down the toilet. Have seen it done.

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New member here. Stopped lurking and started posting. Anyway, I think for some of the members on this board, it's been a while since they've been in my shoes, so I will offer a refresher.

I'm new to softball and my DD wanted to learn to pitch. DD is now 9 years old, but has been playing for 5 years (yes we signed her up early). Two years ago, her skills stuck out well beyond the ability of most (rec) players, so we went to a travel team. DD is now starting her second year in travel. I don't want to debate the merits of travel for an 8 year old, but suffice it to say, it what was appropriate for my daughter. For the record, I also coached my boys for 8+ years and we never made it out of rec ball.

It can be confusing for the novice parent, especially so when it comes to pitching. Especially when it comes to pitching!!! Ask three people about pitching and one is bound to get four different answers. What to do?

So, we started paying older pitchers within our travel organization to teach my daughter to pitch. This has been invaluable and the cost minimal, which allowed us to determine if DD is capable and committed. The older travel pitcher passed valuable information down from her own experiences, lessons from her bucket dad, and their PC used for years. Our introductory offer into the world of fast pitch softball was highly discounted but invaluable. My DD improved by leaps and bounds. At the 8U level, she was throwing strikes more than 50% of the time and had sufficient velocity to compete (and beat) 10 year travel players. However, we noticed DD form could use some better form and (and I use that term loosely) instruction to fix what I identified with her pitching.

First concern was that any technique taught would allow DD to progress without the risk of injury. Also, after seeing, viewing, watching, and discussing different pitching techniques (from the beginning) the wife and I agreed that HE was not appropriate for my daughter. What I didn't know at the time until I read boardmembers post that gave me the nomenclature, is that my daughter throws IR. However, DD still needs help to progress PAST what our pitching mentor and bucket dad can give. So, we've enlisted the help of a PC ($). (at 9 years old)

By nature, I am skeptical. But right away everything the PC stressed I pretty much agreed with, although I had a ton of questions. Basically, the PC seemed to be stating the obvious, but to me it wasn't obvious until he pointed it out. (Then it seemed obvious!) Using that information and more information gleaned from the internet, I now feel I am completely dangerous!

The PC for DD right away picked up on technique that he wanted to correct (aka bad habits). My offseason goal was to correct my daughters bend at the end of her delivery, even though she was highly successful throughout and specifically at the end of the year. I knew her success wouldn't last if not addressed. Surprisingly, as the PC went through his techniques, my DD started throwing harder and her bend was fixed as consequence of addressing other issues. (He never told her to stop bending over...instead he taught her to throw his way, which in turn caused her to not bend over. It was all very natural and fluid)

I've also had more than one pitcher/parent comment to me that "I was lucky" or "I was smart" to enlist this PC at the early age because their older daughters were taking lessons to fix bad habits, recover from an injury, etc... and it's better to teach them correctly from the get-go.

My point? I think it's not a waste of money to hire a PC. Additionally, I would say it is imperative for a younger pitcher. It's easier to teach them the correct technique up front. Now, I know pitching may not be for everyone, in which case it's money down the drain when they call it quit after 6 months. And this is the exact reason why we started with an older pitching mentor. It allowed us a discount entry fee. But once committed, I would research and spend the money on a PC. Again, research the coach, methods, beliefs, and techniques and know what your daughter's needs are, as she will not be able to articulate. And as a parent, it is up to you to become informed about pitching as well. But, even being as cheap (thrifty?) as I am, it is money well spent.

Just my .02