10U Pitching Confidence Builders

**02Crush** · 04-10-2012, 01:07 AM

Stay Patient, Accept the innings that fall off as part of learning. Be slightly slower to change them up and try to give them a chance to work out of it. Not forever...But a little bit of a chance. They understand if they are not doing well. I usually tell them the hitters have figured out their stuff and we need to show a different look to the opponent. I never say you did a bad job b/c I will need them later in the day. I need the them to feel it was just a fact of life in this moment and that in a later moment they can and will do a good job. I do use some firm words sometimes but very rarely and usually between games when I can work with them to try and correct something. I also (and my opponents hate this) use every single one of my 3 mound meeting per game. Every time I do it I am glad b/c it helps settle down the pitcher at this age, allowing them to regain focus. It also allows me to have a private conversation that does not embarrass them in the process. I usually ask stupid things like...Do I have a booger hanging out of my nose...Does my breath smell bad...Or how was school this week....Did you see that girls shoe laces? Anything to get them to laugh or smile. When I see the smile I know they are back in the game, give them some short yet positive words and walk away...
Just let loose and keep them loose. Let them know you have confidence in them as a person and a player and you will see more consistency.

**PGSAKen** · 04-10-2012, 09:41 AM

Thanks guys. I needed some positive reinforcement myself. Screwball keep in mind that your philosophy applies to adults as well so too much aggressiveness will shutdown an adult and they will not learn either

It appears I am on the right track then. My daughter did not have this challenge so I should just consider myself lucky that she acts mature for her age.

PGSA is the league that I am a board member of. I spend all my nights at the ball field like many here.

**PGSAKen** · 04-10-2012, 09:42 AM

Hal-my daughter loves your book. It took her confidence to a new level this offseason.

**BoardMember** · 04-10-2012, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by PGSAKen

PGSA is the league that I am a board member of. I spend all my nights at the ball field like many here.

In Nor-Cal?

**halskinner** · 04-10-2012, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by PGSAKen

Hal-my daughter loves your book. It took her confidence to a new level this offseason.

Glad she likes it and glad it helped.

Now, I should also add that sometimes a young pitcher can get so much confidence inside that a team coach can mistake it for having an 'Attitude problem'. Depending on their instructor, they can go into their next game just huffin and puffin and really chomping at the bit wanting to strike batters out.

I remember a 8-year-old student of mine. Her team coach showed up one week and asked, very politely, what the heck I was teaching her because she was getting a serious attitude problem. I asked what he was talking about. He replied that he asked her, right before the game started how many batters she intended to strike out. She apparently YELLED "ALL OF EM!" It wasnt what she said, it was the fact that she had yelled at him that caused his concern. Then I asked him "When you asked her that, did anyone on the other team hear you say it?" He said he was sure they did. I then said "Then I would have yelled that at you too and I would have made sure the other team heard me". That league only allows the 8unders to pich 3 innings a game, or maybe per day. She faced 9 batters and had 9 strike outs.

The coach showed up for the next 2 or 3 sessions to see what I was teaching them.

It is highly likely that after your daughter puts her new information to work and sees how the batters react, she will know more about how to defeat batters than the majority of the team coaches out there, Be aware if that and make sure SHE is aware of that but NEVER says anything like that to a coach. It's OK to know that but NOT OK to say that.

I had a visit from a team coach once where my student had told him that, it was obviously not received well. When he told me what was said I could only add, "Coach she was wrong to tell you that but, with all due respect, she was correct in what she said because I dont just teach pitchers how to pitchm I teach them how to think like champions".

A pitcher's level of confidence isnt anything, IT'S EVERYTHING!

**fastpitch91** · 04-10-2012, 11:18 AM

I use two techniques to help the younger pitchers help themselves. The first is magic words - these are usually focus words like open hip or fast arm that relates to their most common technical weakness. I work with them in practice to use their magic word to get things back on track and tell them to use it in games.

The second is a "karma cleaner". I tell them that when they pitch a bad batter they need to get rid of the "badness". This cleaner is always a physical action that takes 10-15 seconds - wiping off the rubber 10 times- not 2 not 5 10! or walking two circles behind the rubbber or walking to the back of the circle and erasing part of the line. These all makes them focus on whatever ridiculous thing they are doing and forget the bad batter. Sounds goofy but it works!

It also gives them the message that they will walk a batter, a batter will hit a HR, they will hit a batter, and part of learning to pitch is learning to wipe that away. So many "pitchers" are perfectionists they need to be taught how to manage imperfection themselves.

and there is nothing that collapses their confidence more than the coach or anyone yelling "come on xxxxsy just throw strikes!".

**nanotech14** · 04-10-2012, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Screwball

Be positive. Be patient. The teaching in coaching training today is to NOT differentiate girls from boys. That is stereotyping. What is good teaching for kids is good teaching for kids. The difference is that what was used in the past era, that is yelling screaming, punishing, not allowing water breaks, belittling, pushing extremely beyond physical limits, etc. (ie, associated with male "tough" stereotype) is just not the method today for any kid. Get the ASA instructional video for coaching.

I object to all this 'women girls are more complex.' That is BS and assumes that old male stereotype is the ideal and girls are somehow a pain in the A--. That puts the onus on the girls as if something is wrong with them (nothing is) and the onus should be on the coach to simply be a human being and understand the coaches need the training (and not because the audience is female).

It is no longer that old way, and boys bawl like babies at the LL world series when they lose.

Learning any skill takes time and same with pitching underhand. I am not sure why you just can't let the kids learn and make mistakes. It is 10u.

I have to agree with everything you said,I would rather coach girls just learning softball,then coach boys that have been playing a few years.I find that boys know everything and are all ready pro's.Girls work harder for me,listen,and are down right better ball players then boys!!!!!!!!,IMO.As far as girls being more sensitive then boys at the age of 10 or less,most boys will cry faster then any girls I have ever coached,they really cry more when the girls kick thier tails.I have coached boys before too,never again.

**PGSAKen** · 04-10-2012, 03:01 PM

You are so right Hal. One coach thinks my daughter has an attitude problem. She hits the field focused and always playing to win. Her personality is so different on vs off the field. The rest of the coaches just say "give the ball to DD-shell do the best we can".

They dont understand how but I do Hal. She finds a way to get in the competitions head and then its all over.

Thanks everyone. I grew up in baseball in the south. Man times are different in the midwest vs the south.

**guero_gordo** · 04-10-2012, 03:16 PM

I would humbly suggest that helping your catcher to help her pitcher can do a lot to steady her in the circle.

**PGSAKen** · 04-10-2012, 03:54 PM

Originally Posted by guero_gordo

I would humbly suggest that helping your catcher to help her pitcher can do a lot to steady her in the circle.

Great idea. I have found my third base stepping up as well to talk to and help the pitcher stay calm and focused.

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