Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right

[Sparky Guy]

Her pitching is always fine. She is competitive, her form is consistent, and she throws as hard as she can at all times. She takes time to pitch on her own. She practices her spins with the ball on the stick.

That's a rare thing that a kid has that much time and energy to work on her pitching while playing bball. At least she's maintaining her mechanics.

 

[Momo'sDad]

The mental toughness and conditioning is not what I'm talking about. What kind of shape are her pitching mechanics in after playing basketball all winter? Does she dedicate the proper amount of time to her pitching during the basketball season? My guess is she doesn't have the time with school, homework, basketball practice and games to work her pitching like she needs to during the winter.

I have other reasons for not liking basketball for softball players, but that would end up hijacking the thread.

What do you have against basketball?

 

[CoachFP]

If a kid is a real athlete, taking off a couple of months for basketball won't matter. Would be just like riding a bike. The trouble is that there are too many girls who are not good athletes who are out there pitching and are making pitching coaches a lot of money.

 

[bobbyb]

My dd started to play bball at the request of the coach....and went to the summer HS basket ball program. I personally...don't care for basketball because I have seen many more knee injuries in bball than any other sport. I do believe all the conditioning/agility drills etc are great for the girls though. So...I left it up to my dd if she wanted to play. She decided not to play because of time restraints with what she is hoping to accomplish this off season in her pitching and time for her studies. She was glad HS softball was over so she could have more time on her hands.

 

[redhack]

If a kid is a real athlete, taking off a couple of months for basketball won't matter. Would be just like riding a bike. The trouble is that there are too many girls who are not good athletes who are out there pitching and are making pitching coaches a lot of money.

Statments like this are why my DD pitches. When the althletic girls hang up their cleats for vollyball, basketball and soccer, my DD practices, and practices. And in the spring when they return, my short, squat, unathletic DD, dominates the athletic pitchers.

She has a poster in her room, it says: Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

Keep telling them it is like a bike. And I will keep paying a PC.

 

[chinamigarden]

My DD plays everything she can. Now that she is in HS its volleyball in the fall, basketball in the winter and softball spring and summer. She currently pitches once a week and in a month it will be twice a week. By March it will be pretty much 5 days a week. At that point she will have developed another pitch and improved on the ones she has.

Last year a girl in our HS would play in a basketball game on friday, on Saturday drive 5 hours to participate in an indoor track meet (pole vault) be home in time for BB practice and then would pitch in her barn on Saturday night. At 12 years old and all the way through HS this kid was the one of best pitchers in the area. She is going to a Big Ten school on a scholarship (for the pole vault) you never know what is going to happen to a kid between 12 and 18, but if you discourage them from trying different things, she might miss out on something good.

Its not one or the other. Its up to the kid and the parents as to just how dedicated they are going to be to the various sports.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I'll have to agree with the "bike". Mine had to take off travel ball this summer due to a tear in rotators cuff. ( first time off since 8YO ) But since we are back in training this fall, she throws harder and more precise then she ever has. But she has always been the mule in our area, I don't think she would settle for anything less.

i was really scared after the injury she would never be the same, now I think the time off was the best thing that ever happened for her/us.

 

[redhack]

Well I will have to disagree with you. It is almost like no one learned any thing from moneyball. People always using the eyeball test. I wonder how many playground basketball games picked Bustos as their first player? Wonder how many volleyball games she started?

Screwball perhaps you misread. ...... When talent FAILS to work hard.

My DD plays soccer and BB. But she knows she cannot beat her peers, based on height, speed and talent. But that all changes in softball. You ask her why she plays BB, she has two answers, to socialize and get in shape for softball.

Last years travel team, the four most talented girls are done with SB. One to travel volleyball, two to year round soccer and the last to batton twirling. Most talented, but not the best players.

The two most talented players on this years team are both pitchers, and they play soccer, VB, BB. The go to camps for each one, they are so involved they only practice in season sport. Fall is for VB, not softball. BB started in sept. for them. Soccer is both spring and fall. But pitching is not a seasonal skill.

Time and again I see teams loaded with talent, and none of them are very good ball players.

 

[Sparky Guy]

What do you have against basketball?

The short answer is an acronym. ACL I've seen too many talented girls lose softball opportunities due to basketball related knee injuries.

 

[CoachFP]

I am not saying that a pitcher should only pitch in season. But playing another sport is good and is good for preventing burn out. You can also over train. Year round busting your butt sounds good, but time off is essential for a number of reasons. The joints and muscles wear down over time and need to regenerate. Even during the season, throwing every day is something that I would never recommend. Softall pitchers are not robots.