how has your pitching journey been?

my dd started pitching in 8u and we had no clue that she would be a pitcher and fuddled through the first couple seasons then in 10u off season something clicked with her and she just got it, her form,technique etc. and from there we exploited the crap out of it and worked and practiced like mad now at 2nd yr 12u she has been picked up by multiple teams played all over the country and is at the ASA nationals in Sacramento CA. ATM getting some great experience. but let me tell ya its been tons of hard work on both her and I to get her to the level that she is at right now with tons more to learn.

DD and I have had some epic battles over pitching. Most were won by DW. I have broken my fair share of buckets. I have been hit everywhere imaginable by errant pitches. I have aged 10 years faster than I should have. I was there to catch DDs first pitch and if I'm still breathing I'll be there to catch her last pitch. I wouldn't trade this journey for the world.

My DD is a Junior in college and has transferred to South Carolina where she will live her dream of pitching in the SEC. I will spend next weekend with her shooting video and helping her tweak her mechanics. My point is that it truly is a journey and even at the highest levels you still must spend time on the basics. The hard work does not end until the last pitch is thrown. Looking back my only advice is to enjoy the ride, it will be over before you know it.

Our journey started when DD was about 9 and volunteered to learn how to pitch as her travel team was transitioning from 8u to 10u. Knowing that I knew nothing about pitching I researched and found a pitching coach about 35 minutes from home and off we went. DD has thrown many pitches in countless hours of practice with me as her catcher. We have laughed, cried and gotten angry with each other along the way resulting in "discussions" between me and my better half. She is currently 15 yo, I've seen her grow physically and mentally during this time (currently 5'11" and 135lbs) still making adjustments and tweaks as she continues to grow. Early on in the journey, it became apparent that practice was being used as bargaining chip. As she has gotten older and has experienced what she needs to do to better her game I no longer feel compelled to make her practice at all costs. Just the other evening I set a limit on a request of hers, DD's response was "Well, I don't feel like pitching this evening" My response was okay and I proceeded to go out do yard work (helps build emotional equity with spouse) and not make a big deal of it (the old me would have responded angrily and maybe even bargained). Finished chores with daylight left...DD asked when her next session was with PC and then responded with we better pitch this evening SO we did! I consider that turning a corner in this huge learning curve. DD is pitching 16U and as Ark posted above, I too, was there to catch her 1st pitch and God willing will be there to catch her last. All I can say is enjoy this wild, wonderful ride!

DD started pitching at 8. Had poor control and was working with a coach who leads a very strong travel program in our area. She's amazing but could not get DD to control the ball. DD is tall and at the time was clumsy. Changed PC's to a HE instructor and he helped her gain control and for the year she went to him she improved. We then wanted an IR coach and for the last 6 months have been going to a Tinchner method PC and DD's speed has sky rocketed.. Her back and shoulder pain have all but disappeared.
We are still working on glove swimming a bit and she still tends to bend at the waist when she wants to pinpoint a pitch.

riseball said:

My DD is a Junior in college and has transferred to South Carolina where she will live her dream of pitching in the SEC. I will spend next weekend with her shooting video and helping her tweak her mechanics. My point is that it truly is a journey and even at the highest levels you still must spend time on the basics. The hard work does not end until the last pitch is thrown. Looking back my only advice is to enjoy the ride, it will be over before you know it.

Click to expand...

And thanks, riseball, for sharing parts of this journey with us! It has been very helpful to both of my DDs.

Our pitching journey began when my oldest DD was in 4th grade and starting rec ball. We had one girl who sort of could pitch and the HC asked if anyone else was interested. To my surprise, my DD raised her hand. We began to work together and by the end of the year she was one of the two best (if not the best) pitcher on the team. Already "daddy ball" started for her because one of the ACs tried to get his DD to pitch most all of the innings.

The next year this AC took over the team and shutdown my DDs pitching career in favor of his DD and his neighbor's DD. This was miserable for both of us. Fortunately, the next year this AC went to TB and another HC took over who's DD didn't pitch. My DD got her chance and was the best pitcher in the league striking out the vast majority of hitters that she faced. Clearly, it was time to move on to TB. As a side note, my youngest DD, who was one of the youngest girls in the league, became the #3 pitcher for this team.

On to travel ball for both of my DDs. My oldest never made an A team until this year because that same coach kept her off the team. However, not having any other good choices, he selected her for his 16U A team and she was the clear ace. It had been aggravating and frustrating over those years, but my DD stayed with it, felt vindicated, and triumphed.

My youngest DD made the 10U A team her first try at TB and, immediately, was the ace pitcher on one of the best teams in the state. This team had the opportunity to win state that year but my DD was hit in the face with a line drive without wearing a face mask. She ended up quitting pitching for a while and lost the confidence of the A team coach. We didn't know if she ever would go back to pitching but at a tournament, in a crucial situation, she was begged by her coach and teammate to pitch. She put on her face mask and went out and destroyed the other team and has been pitching since.

In the years after, my youngest DD languished on C and B teams in spite of "winning" the pitching tryouts for her age division. Until this year, the A team coach wouldn't take another chance on her. Then she was called up to pitch in a tournament for the A team and she pitched a perfect game. So, perhaps, this year might be different?

DD#1 was a catcher and I did not have much to do with that. She tried out for a team that did not have a catcher tryout and the HC "made" her the catcher - lots of struggles that season but it worked out. I assumed DD#2 would follow in those same footsteps, so we worked catching her first year of 10U and she informed me after the first tournament that she didn't want to catch but she wanted to pitch. I tried my dangdest to talk her out of it, I explained to her that she was way behind the other pitchers her age, and how much work it would be (I think it was more my fear of her pitching). She is as hard headed as I am so she would not give in and I put her in pitching lessons with the understanding that if I saw her not putting the work in it would be over quickly. I went through much of what has been discussed and I banged my head against the wall often. She worked her butt off and often it was me saying "not today" in order to keep her from over working. Needless to say, she saw no mound time the better part of her first year in 10U, she picked up some pool or close out innings in her second year of 10U. The jump from 10U to 12U was not that bad for her and she managed to win the #1 job after two tournaments with a B- team. We changed teams her second 12U season and she started and finished the season as the #3 pitcher (A team) but she was used more as a closer than anything else all season in bracket play. She got plenty of mound time in pool games. She has been offered a slot on a solid B 14U team that we like but she has one more tryout this weekend before a decision is made. She wants to continue to pitch, so I imagine a big part of the deciding factor will be where it looks like she will line up against the other pitchers.

Our journey so far has seen a cyclops (coach we just left), some lotus eaters (parents who think way too highly of their kids) and some sirens (coaches who promise a lot but just want to lure you to the rocks). But the ship is still sailing and we are 5 years from port with the seas calm and the wind at our backs.

Our journey started when she was 6 and went to a pitching clinic our local LL put on.... She threw all of 25mph (and I think that with grandad radar gun) but she at least threw it vaguely in the direction of being a strike. Totally a HE coach (but he teaches movement pitches with more IR motion which means it wasn't a total disaster)


Right now she just moved to 14U a few weeks ago and while no fireballer, she broke through 50mph earlier this year, moves the ball and changes speed well and hits her locations. Hopefully this year is the year she grows - she is still very young physically. We are with a coach that has an outstanding rep and teaches IR (though you would never hear them call it that).