Learning the Game?

[DDlovessoftball]

Just a little history. DD is playing on 8U fastpitch. There are 12 players. DD is the youngest on the team because of late birthday. She absolutely loves the game. Never complains about practice (3 x a week), begs to play catch on off nights (we play catch at least 30 mins a day), and takes batting lessons. She has only missed one game due to illness. She only gets to play approximately 2 innings and of course, she goes in outfield. Her skill is there, awesome batter and good glove. Could I complain that the HC DD plays when not as good? Maybe, but my thoughts are if he takes the time to coach, his DD should play so that is beside the point. So, to get more playing time, we want to help her improve. Her problem is game knowledge. How do we teach that? When in outfield, she can get the ball quick, but she doesn't know where to throw it (and it confuses her when people are yelling different bases). She will hold the ball the few seconds it takes for the runner to get another base :-( The desire, skill and love of the game is there, just game knowledge is lacking.

How do I help teach game knowledge (we do watch softball/baseball on tv and discuss)?
Next year should we go to a team that is not as good with the hopes she will have more playing time so she can get some experience? or should we stay where at least she is learning in practice? She says she doesn't care, she just wants to play. But she also says that even if she can't play, she will sit on the bench and watch as that is better than not playing at all.
She also wants to play Fall Rec Ball to see how she has "gotten better". Will that burn her out?

I will admit that I've tried to talk her out of doing traveling team next year (to give her opportunity to do other things - gymnastics, tennis, etc) but she will have none of it. Its all softball, so I can honestly say that I am not trying to push her into playing a game that she may want to do. As a parent that has footed the bill and time into this, it is hard to sit back and watch as she is on the bench, but we will support regardless until she says she is ready to move on. We also know that it our responsibility to get her the help she needs, but just not sure how to do it??

Sorry for the long post, but I'm at wits end on what to do. DD's goal is to play softball. My goal is to make sure we as parents offer her the opportunities to learn so she can play. Advice on how we should proceed?

 

[LAdad]

Game knowledge comes from experience, and no matter how much she's into it, at 8U she probably hasn't had too much of that. As for the immediate problem of taking too long to make a throw, suggest that she decides before each pitch where she'll throw if she gets the ball (isn't she always supposed to throw to the cutoff, either 2nd or short?) Playing fall rec ball sounds like a good idea. In my opinion, she'd be better off on a team where she gets more playing time. At 8U, who cares whether you're on the best team in the state? (But then, personally I'm not convinced that there should even be such a thing as 8U travel ball.)

 

[DDlovessoftball]

Thank you for your response! She has played as much as the other girls but is still lagging behind in game knowledge. Perhaps she is a late softball bloomer? She is supposed to throw it in to cutoff or 2nd but during game time, she is told to throw it wherever. She hasnt learned that a play may call for throwing it to first, etc. So when they yell that, she stops. Im not excited she is on a traveling team, but she wanted to in order to play or practice all year. For a kid that really hasnt shown interest in anything else, I said lets do it then

 

[Lozza]

I will admit that I've tried to talk her out of doing traveling team next year

You're the parent. You don't talk a 6/7 year old out of something. You tell them and they do it.

I wanted to play softball year round at 11. I live and breathed the game. My parents had me play one more year of netball just to keep well rounded. Not a happy girl at the time, but I did enjoy my last season of netball.

Put her in other sports. Tell her that while she might not understand now, you ARE helping her meet her dreams in the game. You can put this at her level, but the girls who live, breathe and s!it softball at the very young ages, are more often than not the burned out 15 year olds. By having her play rec or even travel (though I agree that 8U travel is just inherently wrong. They should be learning the game at that age, not being forced by overeager coaches to WIN!WIN!WIN!) and still continuing in other things you're making her a well rounded little girl who will grow up into a well rounded young women.

The best way to encourage her is not to discourage her. So if she wants to go out and throw, you go out and throw. Even if it's every day. If it's every day than put limits on it (again burn-out) like 'we'll play softball for 30 minutes and then we go do other stuff' but follow her lead. I think 6/7 is too young to pay for coaches on a regular basis but if she truly wants to be the best, take her for an introductory lesson to a hitting coach. Or even ask one of the local high school girls if they'd teach her how they hit for 20 dollars.

Take her to all the local high school softball games. Support the game on a local level. Watch on TV when they're on.

Ultimately have FUN. Enjoy every minute. Softball is a wonderful sport that gives so much. But making it a business and taking all the fun out of it can be heart-wrenching.

Perhaps she is a late softball bloomer?

LOL. She's practically a baby. (don't tell her someone said that, she might not like it ;-) A late softball bloomer (in America anyways) is 13/14. NOT a 6/7 year old.

 

[quincy]

suggest that she decides before each pitch where she'll throw if she gets the ball

If a player has 3 possible places to throw the ball, 5 or 6 different options will be yelled out to her when she is fielding. She needs to make a plan in her head before the play and stick to it, tune out all the noise. Come up throwing.

If she throws it to the wrong place, have her find out why she should have thrown it somewhere else. Ask her why she threw it where she did. You will be surprised how often she is right and the Adults are wrong.

After, or if you are allowed, during the game ask her what her plan was. When there were runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, if you caught a fly ball what were you going to do with the ball?

 

[Amy in AZ.]

At age 8, the coach should just have her throw the ball to 2nd base or to her cut off.

 

[PA SB Dad]

At 8U I am just happy that the outfielder gets the ball into the infield quickly! As they play more and get older, they will begin to learn where the ball needs to go.

I'm a big proponent of teaching the girls how to run the bases well - when they understand that part of the game well, they begin to anticipate what the baserunners will be doing and where they need to get the ball to prevent baserunners from advancing.

Also at 8U, she ought to be doing more than playing 2 innings in the outfield every game. Find her a team where she will get to play more positions and having more fun! She has years to go before any of this travel stuff has any real meaning.

 

[SoftSocDad]

Posts like these are exactly the reason so many of us laugh at the concept of 8u TB. How many innings are there in a typical game for her team? Will she still be 8u next spring or does she turn 9 this year? Either way, it sounds like she ought to play some rec ball, so long as you've got a halfway decent rec program in your area.

Just like kids learn at different speeds in the classroom and develop at different rates physically, so, too, do some young athletes learn their sports faster than others of similar age. Depending on the roster size, she should get plenty of playing time - both infield and outfield - on her rec team this fall. When my DD played t-ball, she'd make sure she set her feet, was going to the proper base, and had all eyes on her and then she'd make the throw. It was the cutest thing. Game speed now has her making plays without having to think, because the thinking is done before the ball is hit, something most kids only learn by actually playing the game.

 

[CoachKevin]

At the younger ages I told the outfielders you have 3 rules; #1 Do not let the ball get behind you. #2 Know where your going to throw it before the ball is hit. #3 Do not hold onto the ball, throw it to someone.

As far as stratagy, I would pick 1 or 2 topics a week and cover them at home (no runners on and a ball hit to RF, throw to 1st.) If you don't know softball stuff, I would suggest doing a lot of research to learn yourself.

 

[Michael N]

I remember 8U and if your DD isn't in the outfield picking flowers or drawing in the dirt then she is doing fine . If the coach isn't playing her in order to "Be More Competitive" I would run away from this team as fast as I could . All the girls should be getting equal playing time (That's just my opinion) as they are all just learning the game . The only way she is going to learn is to play the game , not watching it from the bench .

My advice to any parent is to be their child's manager . You need to help her find the best program for her and not just sign her up for a team and hope for the best . Get her to try out for several teams and have frank discussions with the coaches as to what their goals and objectives are not only for the team but for your child in particular . You are paying for your child to play on a team not for your child to sit and watch the other kids play or help cover the tournament entry fees for the other kids .