How is school ball going this year: My experience...

[Grogger31]

Just a follow up to my earlier post today. DD made her middle school team. Very proud of her.

Now to battle for a starting spot ...

 

[doublenickel]

Our opinion of middle school softball this year has been mixed. My daughter pitches and the coach that calls pitches either doesn't know how to call pitches or he doesn't really care. One example is he gets in patterns like fastball, change up and curve ball. He has been given scouting on how to pitch several girls and he ignores the advice, for the most part my daughter has played either with or against most of the girls she plays and knows how not to pitch them. I have been worried he is going to get my daughter hurt by calling pitches over the middle of the plate to girls that can hit a fastball. I have had parents I know from other teams ask me why she keeps throwing the same pitch, they know her abilities and are confused themselves at the way she is being utilized.

 

[SB23]

2014 Season off to a great start...DD made the JV team as an 8th grader.....

She is batting .769 through 5 games ( 9 for 9 in her last 9 ABS - 10 for 13 overall), she is starting 1B & back up pitcher

 

[CoachKevin]

Our opinion of middle school softball this year has been mixed. My daughter pitches and the coach that calls pitches either doesn't know how to call pitches or he doesn't really care. One example is he gets in patterns like fastball, change up and curve ball. He has been given scouting on how to pitch several girls and he ignores the advice, for the most part my daughter has played either with or against most of the girls she plays and knows how not to pitch them. I have been worried he is going to get my daughter hurt by calling pitches over the middle of the plate to girls that can hit a fastball. I have had parents I know from other teams ask me why she keeps throwing the same pitch, they know her abilities and are confused themselves at the way she is being utilized.

Sounds like someone needs to just sit in a chair and just enjoy the game!!!

 

[CoogansBluff]

Fun middle school game today.

Quality of play = low.

Excitement = high.

Two arch-rivals going at it. There's history between coaches. They don't like each other.

DD's team trails 2-0, then 6-2 after 4 innings in a 6-inning game.

DD facing mediocre travel pitcher, strikes out her first two times up. I guess it was nerves, a hole in her swing, not sure what. Four swings, four misses, two called strikes. I'm disbelieving and discouraged.

Third time up, two outs, two runners out - deep fly to RF. Middle-school right fielders are typically rec players. Three-base error. Later scores for 7-6 lead.

Top of the 6th - Bases loaded, two outs, opposing team singles up middle. DD throws runner out at home from outfield, keeping score close, trailing 8-7.

Bottom of 6th - DD triples in tying run. Bases are then loaded intentionally. Girl grounds to first, DD is safe by mile -- but called out at home! Catcher mysteriously throws to second base, allowing winning run to score.

I'm happy for her, yet can't forget how she was swinging and missing vs. this pitcher. She's ecstatic for having made two or three critical plays in a dramatic 9-8 win.

Can there be any doubt that parents are the crazy ones!!

 

[JJsqueeze]

Really. MS pitchers with curveballs that actually break, etc. Curveball as first pitch learned? Gimme a break. Why a coach needs to call MS pitches is beyond me. And why you would need scouting on the girls is beyond me. If I were the MS coach, I would not call the pitches, but I would also not take any parents' scouting notes. It is not the major leagues. Wow. We need to get some perspective. Let the girls scout each other out.

This is a serious question that will sound provocative but is really meant seriously. Is there anything about softball you do like?

 

[doublenickel]

Sounds like someone needs to just sit in a chair and just enjoy the game!!!

Well the scouting advice came from my daughter, and the advice was for one of her travel teammates who my daughter should know how to pitch. I do sit in my chair and say nothing which is what parents should do, with that said I do have concerns for coaches who have no clue and call fast balls down the middle against batters that are hoping to just see a fastball. And yes for the others, middle school pitchers can throw more than a fastball effectively.

 

[doublenickel]

Really. MS pitchers with curveballs that actually break, etc. Curveball as first pitch learned? Gimme a break. Why a coach needs to call MS pitches is beyond me. And why you would need scouting on the girls is beyond me. If I were the MS coach, I would not call the pitches, but I would also not take any parents' scouting notes. It is not the major leagues. Wow. We need to get some perspective. Let the girls scout each other out.

and you would get your pitcher hurt.

 

[GunnerShotgun]

Really. MS pitchers with curveballs that actually break, etc. Curveball as first pitch learned? Gimme a break. Why a coach needs to call MS pitches is beyond me. And why you would need scouting on the girls is beyond me. If I were the MS coach, I would not call the pitches, but I would also not take any parents' scouting notes. It is not the major leagues. Wow. We need to get some perspective. Let the girls scout each other out.

My DD is playing her first year of middle school however she is a first year 14u. She does have a curve ball and it is actually breaks.

She is one of the youngest on her travel team but in Middle School she is the oldest.

 

[newsoftballdad]

Finally saw a game this spring! Wasn't sure what the big glowing ball in the sky was. Win 12-1 DD was 1 for 2 with a stolen base and a run scored. Just felt good to be outside! Next game scheduled for Friday - rain coming!