I am an unqualified pitching instructor

[Jojo]

One of my 10u pitchers was told by one of her teammates this week that she would never pitch high school nor college because her pitching instructor had no idea what she was doing because she had never pitched in college.

She is scolded by this player who is her catcher and 3rd string pitcher every time she pitches because she's "doing it wrong". Her mother took her DD and another teammate who witnessed the conversation to the head coach (it was his DD that said it) and explained to him what his DD was telling her daughter and he asked his DD if she said it, she denied it, he said, case closed.
My students mother knows the head coach put his DD up to it because it's not like a 10yr old to say something like that, it sounded like something she heard from her dad.

My pitcher recently won her local District championship pitching a no-hit shut out, allowing only one hit after a player hit her change-up.

People can be jerks.

So I guess I'm going to have to contact the 6 high schools where I have pitchers and tell them to kick my students off the team--I wasn't qualified to teach them.

And tell Texas to take back that 1st team All-State award one my pitchers was just recently awarded.

Oh, and Northwestern, Wichita and Kansas and tell them to stop scouting some of them as well.

Man I was trying to laugh off what my students mom was telling me last night, but it still made me a little angry as I was watching the college pitcher instructing next to me demonstrating to her student a long stiff arm push down pull up hello elbow.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I am dealing with the same thing. I have to just paste a smile on my face and support the girls, the team, AllStars or whatever. I am thinking of a surprise for my student, that is the most recent to be dissed.

 

[Jojo]

I am dealing with the same thing. I have to just paste a smile on my face and support the girls, the team, AllStars or whatever. I am thinking of a surprise for my student, that is the most recent to be dissed.

I know, I feel so sorry for mine when they get ridiculed like that. I lose so many of my students to this ridicule because kids and parents are so subjective to peer pressure. I've seen so many leave, then do poorly and I just hate seeing it.

I've actually been pretty severely harassed by an ex-parent after her DD did poorly with another instructor, she blamed me because her new instructor couldn't get her to stop her IR and couldn't get her to sling the ball more and make a high hello elbow.

 

[alabama_lowlife]

The bright side is that most of us still have 4 years of eligibility remaining.

 

[JJsqueeze]

mental midgets are the only true majority...

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Many people don't want to learn anything. They think that they see something and there is no changing them. It is all I can do this morning to keep from telling someone to go jump in the lake.

On the up side, a newer parent text me last night to tell me that she thinks one of her students beat her DD's team last night. The team wasn't familiar to me. The parent said 'But, it looks like what you teach. She takes the egg out of the basket." Haha - one of my warm ups. Low and behold, it was my student. She is 8 yo and is on a winning streak.

 

[Jojo]

Make copies of the video of some of the high level pitchers that are here on this site. Show some of these parents what you are talking about. It is one thing for them to hear theory and another for them to see what the best do. I did that with some of the hitting stuff I do. I even have a PowerPoint made where I display terms that they hear versus reality and then, cues I use and how they apply to the instruction.

This I do, handouts and videos, I use coach's eye and use their videos up against elite pitchers so they can see side by side comparisons as we work on mechanical issues.

I'm a hard worker I spend a lot of my free time, here and analyzing pitchers on the internet and mine. Making practice plans for improvements.

But you can never underestimate the power of peer pressure.

mental midgets are the only true majority...

I actually had someone tell one of my lefty's she had to see a lefty pitching coach. Even though I reverse mimic instruction. Lefty's are actually easier for me! She left to go see the lefty instructor.

 

[bucket pinata]

All I can tell you JOJO is if you stood on the street corner handing out $100 bills you would still run into people complaining that they are wrinkled. As for the Kids I always tell them the BS stops when you enter the circle. If that girls felt she had to make the point verbally it means she cant make it with her performance. If you were not doing a good job nobody would be trying to discredit you.

 

[SBmom8992]

I just switched PC's for my daughter from a friend who would spend half of the lesson BSing with the other students and families who were staying late / arriving early to a local instructor who focuses on my daughter and SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO HER and not to me when telling her what she needs to focus on before the next lesson. She is a true professional.

Amy in AZ - she has a contract that has stipulations regarding cancellations and a make up policy. Thought of you when I read it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you are better off with pitchers and parents who believe in you and educate themselves to understand that you're going down the right path for their development. Parents who are easily swayed by opinions will leave and you're better off in the long run.

 

[Jojo]

to a local instructor who focuses on my daughter and SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO HER and not to me when telling her what she needs to focus on before the next lesson. She is a true professional.

I like this, I do this as well. I make sure my student truly understands what needs addressing, repeating it back if I'm not sure she understands. I do involve the parents when I see fit, especially if they are good at working with their DD