Getting the swag back

[John T]

I hope my daughter never gets "Swag Back", sounds like a rare disease that no softball player wants to come down with.

 

[gophert]

My DD has struggled at the plate this fall. It's our first time moving up to 12U from 10U. I don't know about ya'll but here in the south, girls must go through a growth spert at age 12. We have faced some 12U teams with girls that average 5'9. Naturally that is pretty intimidating for my DD. I finally got her to admit that she was a bit scared of getting hit. (this has never been an issue before) She would find herself barely getting in the box. Pitchers would strike her out with outside pitches and she got more and more frustrated. No matter how much I and the coach told her to get closer to the plate she just wouldn't do it. Finally I told her one day that in order for her to have better success, she needed to want to hit MORE than she was scared to get hit. Usually my words go in one ear and out the other, but that one stuck. She got back in the box with confidence and was able to start making contact again. Fear is a big issue, weather its fear of failure or fear of getting hit, either way it has to be overcome.