WOW 6? c'mon
How old was your daughter when she started pitching? advise needed
- Thread starter elizabeth
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My DD started pitching at 7. She stunk at it. But she practiced. After about 6 months she got better.
This is a video I made about 2 years ago of DD growing and learning through the years (age 7 - 13). Enjoy and have fun. They grow too fast. PS... she pitched in games even when she stunk! She learned that she would not be in many games unless she practiced and got better.
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/2708907?byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe>
This is a video I made about 2 years ago of DD growing and learning through the years (age 7 - 13). Enjoy and have fun. They grow too fast. PS... she pitched in games even when she stunk! She learned that she would not be in many games unless she practiced and got better.
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/2708907?byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0"></iframe>
IMO, it's not a question of at what age is it appropriate to start ptiching, but more of a question of the girl's maturity and attitude. From your facts, you state that she has never played softball before but wants to be a pitcher (just like her sister). She won't put in the practice time. She clearly like the IDEA of being a pitcher but doesn't understand the level of commitment it takes to BE a pitcher. My suggestion for your DD is to focus on softball fundamentals first (catching, throwing, fielding and hitting) before introducing her to pitching because she is clearly not ready to make the commitment to the position.
With that said, I don't think anyone should put an age limit on what is the best time for a girl to get started pitching. When my DD was 6, she would regularly pitch tennis balls to me in the backyard just for fun. This went on for about 6 months. When she turned 7, she told me she wanted to pitch in games and so I immediately took her to a pitching coach so she could be taught proper mechanics from Day 1. She loves pitching, enjoys practicing, and has become one of the best pitchers in our league. This has not happened by accident, she put in a lot of hard work, and saw more playing time as she got better.
Your DD will let you know by her ACTIONS, if and when, she is ready to be a pitcher.
COACHMOM: i like the video, anyone notice the PU in the last clip had on shorts and no
shin guards?
shin guards?
- May 25, 2010
- 1,070
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Awesome video!! Such cool memories...don't show it to her yet, though. hehe j/k
Mine has really bright spots but throws some real duds, too, however failure and making adjustments are part of the game.
The story: she wanted to be pitcher because she's a bit of a glory hound. She's not saying 'look at me! look at me!', she just wants to know people are watching. She figured out on her own that pitcher was a primary rock star position.
When she was 7 and moving up to 8u, she said she wanted to pitch. I asked one time if she wanted to take lessons last winter and she said 'no'. I know nothing about pitching, so we weren't going to be working on that together. After struggling to mid-season, however, she asked if she could get lessons, so I signed her up. By the end of the season, the light bulb had gone on and she occasionally had some pretty filthy stuff...when near the strike zone, that is. lol But yes, all bias aside, the last two games of the season she pitched were pretty awesome to watch.
She started this summer wanting to practice 5+ days a week, had a really successful camp and then at some point in early to mid-July, she stopped lessons, and no longer wanted to practice. She pretty much took a month off (threw a few times, reluctantly, at my prodding) and then started getting back into it when it was time to prep for fall ball.
She's 8 now and is on a team with 4 other pitchers, so she doesn't have heavy workload, which Daddy thinks is perfect. She practices 1, sometimes 2 days a week and then works out on game day if she's going to pitch.
If she goes up to 10u in the spring, she should only be a #3 or #4 option (according to Daddy math), so as I've got things calculated, she'll pitch very few innings between now and the time she's actually moving to competitive 10u ball, assuming she decides to stick with the sport.
Yes I remember that lady. We all thought she was crazy!!
- May 21, 2010
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DD started playing at 6 wanted to pitch but didn't want to put in the practice time so she played all the other positions through rec & allstars and moved on to A ball as a catcher but only lasted about six months and moved to right field. Three months into being 12 years old she started to pitch on her own and at 14 years old she was pitching for an 18 Gold team. Let her chose her position on her own and good things will happen!
- May 21, 2010
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Oh BTW thats just the short version of it because it wasn't all roses it was alot of hardwork, sweat and tears but the bottom line is that this was her decision to be a pitcher not mine.
CoachJ5513
BlueJ5513
My DD started pitching at 7 because our rec league was modified pitch 1/2 season and I was coaching. It was a couple years before she "wanted it", but she has had good success.
DD (11, 12 in Feb) got thrown into it in rec last spring...strong, one of maybe two on the team that could get the ball near the catcher on the fly to start the season. Boy did the bug hit! Been in lessons a few months now and she's starting as a #1/#2 on a startup 12u. She'll take her lumps, but she gets better the more she practices. So far, she's developed at least four pitches...over the catcher head, waaaaay outside, the 34ft drop (not nearly as effective as she's moved to 40 now), and a change. Most important thing though is that it's something she likes to do, understands that she has to practice to get better, and is willing to do the practice. And she's having fun!
I of course search out as many smokers in the crowd as I can so I can enjoy some secondhand (wife will kill me if I go back to the Marlboro!). Although I'm much better now that I'm not coaching
Mike B.
I of course search out as many smokers in the crowd as I can so I can enjoy some secondhand (wife will kill me if I go back to the Marlboro!). Although I'm much better now that I'm not coaching
Mike B.
