How do you fix a loss in confidence in a 10yr old pitcher? My DD has been put in some tough spots this year and has lost her confidence. Her coach puts more pressure on her than he does the other pitcher and she is always worried that he's going to pull her out of the game if she walks a hitter or if the defense makes errors (it's happened). She throws about 5-10mph faster in warmup and in practice with MUCH better control. In a game, she tries to aim the pitch instead of just pitching like she's capable. Her problems are all in her 10 yr old mind and I have no idea how to get her over this. She looks like she doesn't have confidence during the game. Suggestions? Changing teams isn't really an option right now.
Confidence
- Thread starter RandomDad
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redhotcoach
Out on good behavior
- May 8, 2009
- 4,698
- 38
Mental toughness is something that has to be trained and practiced. Learn a few of Brian's techniques and teach her. Something as simple as deep breathing can help her.
Brian Cain Peak Performance
Changing teams is not going to fix your DD's confidence issues. You need to get her to pitch to live batters in practice. It will give her a chance to learn to trust her mechanics and to realize she does not have to 'guide' her pitches to throw strikes. When my DD starts to try to guide her pitches, I tell her to throw the next one as hard as she can and I don't care where it goes. You should see the look on the batters faces when I yell that during a game! LOL
- May 17, 2012
- 2,806
- 113
Funny you should mention that. When my DD was second year 10U she would throw strike after strike like a pitching machine. I talked to her numerous times about pitchers counts and how strikes get you ahead in the count and "balls" will get you outs. She still kept giving up 0-2 and 1-2 hits so we came up with a new pitch which was "throw it as hard as you can". I didn't care where it went, most of the time it was a ball, but when it was a strike it was really fast. We still have that "pitch" in her arsenal.
As for the confidence issue I agree with redhotcoach. The best advice is for you to stay positive even when your coach isn't. I rarely pulled anyone at 10U specifically for that reason.
This is what happens when wins and losses at the younger ages are prized much more highly than player development.
Your daughter is focused 100% on the outcome right now -- including the possible outcome of being taken out of the game. Try to get her to focus more on the process, what she's doing right now, and let the outcomes take care of themselves. She can't control errors, umpires with small or moving strike zones, crazy coaches who equate a walk with a change in the U.S. policy on Egypt and other such factors. All she can do is stay within herself.
One thing you'll want to do is point out how many pitchers at all levels struggle sometimes. Last night's Giants-Tigers game is a great example. You had a pitcher making millions of dollars and who is generally thought of as being one of the best in the game getting knocked around like he just came up from AA ball and got his first start in the majors. If someone like that isn't "on" all the time, what makes your 10 year old daughter think she should or will be? Give her a little perspective.
Also make sure she understands that getting taken out of a game isn't a horrible insult or a fatal flaw. Sounds like she's a good pitcher and she has a long career ahead of her. If she comes out, she comes out. Happens to everybody.
What I find is the more you worry about that stuff, the more your mechanics break down which makes it even harder to perform well. It then becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. I tell my players and students if you're going to go down, don't pussyfoot around. Go down doing the best you can. It's amazing how often that helps them get back on track.
Tough to give a 10 year old a long-term view, but remind her that she has a lot of softball ahead of her. What happens in 10U ball has little impact on where she'll be by 14U unless she lets it. Keep to the plan, and let her know it's ok to struggle today in order to succeed tomorrow. Too many people forget that in our age of instant gratification.
Your daughter is focused 100% on the outcome right now -- including the possible outcome of being taken out of the game. Try to get her to focus more on the process, what she's doing right now, and let the outcomes take care of themselves. She can't control errors, umpires with small or moving strike zones, crazy coaches who equate a walk with a change in the U.S. policy on Egypt and other such factors. All she can do is stay within herself.
One thing you'll want to do is point out how many pitchers at all levels struggle sometimes. Last night's Giants-Tigers game is a great example. You had a pitcher making millions of dollars and who is generally thought of as being one of the best in the game getting knocked around like he just came up from AA ball and got his first start in the majors. If someone like that isn't "on" all the time, what makes your 10 year old daughter think she should or will be? Give her a little perspective.
Also make sure she understands that getting taken out of a game isn't a horrible insult or a fatal flaw. Sounds like she's a good pitcher and she has a long career ahead of her. If she comes out, she comes out. Happens to everybody.
What I find is the more you worry about that stuff, the more your mechanics break down which makes it even harder to perform well. It then becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. I tell my players and students if you're going to go down, don't pussyfoot around. Go down doing the best you can. It's amazing how often that helps them get back on track.
Tough to give a 10 year old a long-term view, but remind her that she has a lot of softball ahead of her. What happens in 10U ball has little impact on where she'll be by 14U unless she lets it. Keep to the plan, and let her know it's ok to struggle today in order to succeed tomorrow. Too many people forget that in our age of instant gratification.
- Dec 7, 2011
- 2,366
- 38
This one hits close to home with my 16yr old - ya it's not just for the young ones....
I don't have the silver bullet answer for you on getting the magical "swagger" back but I do submit that there is too much fever around hitting spots at young ages. I think that the overall effectiveness of the pitcher needs to be the driver on whether she gets pulled or not - or gets less mound time.
My DD here is a K-queen. But along with that strike-out ability is the extra BB from time to time. In a coaching environment which hyper-analyzes each and every pitches landed location she does basically the same thing. She gets wrapped around the axle and does worse. You can imagine how our TB season went. Started with tourney wins where DD was blowing teams away. But with allot of spot-hitting criticism from coaches. By the time nationals came around she was pitching poorly and getting pulled in the first inning of the few games she got.....My theory was proven where in the same trip to CO this last summer, when my DD was pitching for the All-star games college coaches she blew everybody away again. But then back to the CO tourney and the TB coaches and she started sucking again.
Unfortunately, in hind-sight for my DD, it would have been better to change coaching philosophy (which means changing teams).
Is this an acknowledgement that my DD here has a limitation that will get in the way of her dreams - only time will tell.
I don't have the silver bullet answer for you on getting the magical "swagger" back but I do submit that there is too much fever around hitting spots at young ages. I think that the overall effectiveness of the pitcher needs to be the driver on whether she gets pulled or not - or gets less mound time.
My DD here is a K-queen. But along with that strike-out ability is the extra BB from time to time. In a coaching environment which hyper-analyzes each and every pitches landed location she does basically the same thing. She gets wrapped around the axle and does worse. You can imagine how our TB season went. Started with tourney wins where DD was blowing teams away. But with allot of spot-hitting criticism from coaches. By the time nationals came around she was pitching poorly and getting pulled in the first inning of the few games she got.....My theory was proven where in the same trip to CO this last summer, when my DD was pitching for the All-star games college coaches she blew everybody away again. But then back to the CO tourney and the TB coaches and she started sucking again.
Unfortunately, in hind-sight for my DD, it would have been better to change coaching philosophy (which means changing teams).
Is this an acknowledgement that my DD here has a limitation that will get in the way of her dreams - only time will tell.
Coach-n-Dad
Crazy Daddy
- Oct 31, 2008
- 1,007
- 0
Last summer DD struggled with confidence and velocity. It turns out she was trying too hard to hit her spots. HC pulled her aside before a game and told her to just let her rip for the game and don't worry about the spots. It was like a switch was flipped; she regained her confidence shortly after and was throwing very hard, and still hitting her spots.
- Feb 3, 2011
- 1,880
- 48
It's fall and it's 10u.
10u pitchers should be given regular work. There should be some expected minimum that a 10u pitcher can expect each game or weekend. Sometimes they'll pitch well without success and sometimes they'll pitch poorly with stat sheet success, but regardless, they should be getting regular mound time each week. Each player and team has to be managed uniquely, but at 10u, the focus ought to be on overall player development 95% of the time. Unless a young pitcher is just melting down and unable to continue, who cares if there are walks, errors, or hits.
Based on your description of the situation, I would bet money that part of what influences her nerves during games is precisely what you have said about the coaching. That doesn't solve your issue, but my suggestion is to keep providing the positive reinforcement she needs until she has the opportunity to play for a better coach.
I repeat, it's fall and it's 10u. Let's teach the game and allow these young players to develop at their own pace. My same philosophy applies in 12u.
- Jan 24, 2011
- 1,156
- 0
I agree. But , what I have found in our area , even at the younger ages , the parents are impatient and are only looking short term. If your team isnt winning , your players will be leaving and heading to teams that do.
- Apr 25, 2010
- 772
- 0
I have told this story before, but I think it suits this thread perfectly.
When my DD was 10, she had just started pitching when she got on a travel team. She was one of 2 10 year olds on an 8 & 9 year old team. She needed circle time, they needed a pitcher who could put it over the plate. They got mercy ruled every game they played. The fielders wouldn't go anywhere near a batted ball. My DD pitched her heart out. Had several 6+ out innings due to D3K's. By the end of that season, it got to where my DD was fielding everything in the infield because the infield grew roots. After one particularly brutal loss, the parents and coaches came over from the other team and expressed how impressed they were with how my DD kept her composure, given what was going on around her. We are still in touch with several of those parents and that was 3 seasons ago. She will tell you herself that playing on that team, getting hammered that way taught her to control her emotions and taught her how to tune out everything but what she was doing. She has never cried in the circle, and she has an amazing degree of confidence and "swagger" in that circle that she is starting to carry over into her every day life. She learned so much about character and leadership and neither she nor I would change that experience for anything.
Feel free to share that with your DD if you think it will help. There are so many lessons to be learned. If she sticks with it, it will only help her to be a better pitcher in the long run.
When my DD was 10, she had just started pitching when she got on a travel team. She was one of 2 10 year olds on an 8 & 9 year old team. She needed circle time, they needed a pitcher who could put it over the plate. They got mercy ruled every game they played. The fielders wouldn't go anywhere near a batted ball. My DD pitched her heart out. Had several 6+ out innings due to D3K's. By the end of that season, it got to where my DD was fielding everything in the infield because the infield grew roots. After one particularly brutal loss, the parents and coaches came over from the other team and expressed how impressed they were with how my DD kept her composure, given what was going on around her. We are still in touch with several of those parents and that was 3 seasons ago. She will tell you herself that playing on that team, getting hammered that way taught her to control her emotions and taught her how to tune out everything but what she was doing. She has never cried in the circle, and she has an amazing degree of confidence and "swagger" in that circle that she is starting to carry over into her every day life. She learned so much about character and leadership and neither she nor I would change that experience for anything.
Feel free to share that with your DD if you think it will help. There are so many lessons to be learned. If she sticks with it, it will only help her to be a better pitcher in the long run.
