Need a Pep Talk

[NewbieDad]

Today was a rough day for DD (11yo in her 3rd year, mid 40's mph I guess) and I. At a softball clinic hosted by the Varsity Coach of our High School, DD was receiving lessons from the best pitching coach in our area. I don't dispute this... she has helped many of our area's best pitchers have excellent high school careers and get recruited by colleges. She also teaches H/E mechanics. We knew this, but DD needs help with lower body mechanics and we were hoping for a drill or two that could help that (we should have just stuck to Java's 2 step drill!). Anyway... DD managed to push the ball down the back of her circle when the Coach was watching and keep her mouth shut when told not to hold the ball "that way." Her father, on the other hand, failed miserably at the keeping the mouth shut part (in my defense, I was there helping with other instruction, she approached me). Somewhere in these forums is the exact conversation that insued after I asked her if she ever studies slow motion videos of pitching. "She'll never be able to throw accurately or hard enough"... "the high level pitchers we see only do that when they throw curves and screws"... blah, blah, blah. You guys told me it would happen, and you are right as usual.

The problem came when HC made the comment that if she continues this way, she'll never make the varsity team. Anything the guest coach said meant nothing, but we both have great respect for our HC and unlike alot of the country, playing for her school means alot to DD. That was pretty discouraging to both of us. I am certain his comment was less about how the ball is delivered and more about what he perceives the results to be. If DD continues on her path and throws faster, more accurate, and with better spin than anyone else on the team, I don't believe there will be an issue with him using her a pitcher. If she doesn't, there will be no issue with us understanding that someone else gets the circle time. I'm pretty sure he is trying to tell me that she needs better instruction than what I am giving her, which I totally agree with. We have been in contact with someone I believe will be a perfect fit, and won't require an airplane ride to visit.

In the meantime, we could use a little pep talk (maybe me more than her). What is it that is so much better about I/R mechanics that we need to insist, to the very coach we are trying to impress, "thanks for your input, but we'll do it our way." Is it possible to overcome a shunning from the High School Coach to get recruited for college by being effective in Travel Ball? All I have ever tried to do was help her be the BEST she can be...if her best isn't good enough to make a team; travel, high school, college, or whatever, we will accept that. I'm just looking for a little reassurance that this truly is the path to her best.

Thanks for listening!

 

[PEPPERS]

My DD was going to a pitching coach who had may pitchers in college, and some that held records at local colleges and high schools, IMO he taught much the same as Bill Hillhouse, who I have great respect for, as he was an ex fast-pitch pitcher. The coach of our local high school made a comment reference DD that pitching like she was doing she would never be on his team, even before the try outs began, as a freshman she was cut.

She was devastated, so I checked into other schools and she decided to attend another school where she was welcomed with open arms. She made the team there, was a starter and the one time they played the old high school she pitched against them hit a HR and beat them 1-0, during the game he took video of her and tried to say she was pitching illegal and it went no where, she has never had a problem or called for illegal pitches, but one time in college where the ump was saying the pitcher had to maintain contact with the rubber until the ball was released, which is incorrect.

She pitched her team to state all 4 years, was written in the paper a number of articles, won awards and received a scholarship to play in college.

The coach at the other high school I was told bragged he was her coach and yes for a few short weeks of try outs he was . He has had a number of players he has touted as college prospects and none have played more than one year in college, last year DD had the highest batting average and lowest ERA on her college team.

Good luck to your DD.

AS pep talk from pep!

 

[Cowdogz]

This .gif was a revelation to me (thanks Knightssb!). If I had seen it two years ago, DD might still be pitching. As it was, she was pitching H/E and had zero control, and got discouraged with it, and no instructor I took her to ever talked to her about the arm circle, including a 4-year D1 starter. Katie Burkhart even told her she had no preference which way to release the ball.

Stick to your guns. When she throws side-by-side in the gym with the others, the results will prove themselves.

 

[RetiredCoach]

First, view this as what it is, a temporary setback. All our DDs have had them. Persistence will overcome them.

Second, go through this site and view the videos of the best pitchers in the world. You will notice that none of them pitch HE.

Good luck!

 

[CoogansBluff]

My DD doesn't pitch, and I know little about pitching. But is this undeniably her fastball? I assume that it is, but just curious to learn.

 

[corlay]

If DD continues on her path and throws faster, more accurate, and with better spin than anyone else on the team, I don't believe there will be an issue with him using her a pitcher.

^^^THIS

She's only 11.
Still another year before she is even eligible to play school sports.

(IMO - No coach should EVER make a statement like that to a young player.
Especially a kid younger than 14...)

NOTE: There is a post in here somewhere of Rick Pauly sharing early video of Sarah at about 11 yrs. old.
If that isn't encouragement for a young player to work hard and get better, I don't know what is...
That clip really shocked me and my DD when we first saw it and certainly gave us lots of inspiration.
I really wish there were a "sticky" here of very early clips of top-level pitchers.

Keep working at it the right way.
Use the upcoming off-season to really work on the mechanics.
Back-chaining, incremental progression with a strict eye for specific detail is the key.
Be Patient and work hard at it. Even if you must break down the pitching motion completely,
and don't throw a full pitch Nov.-Feb. it is well worth it.
Once really well-controlled, powerful, and proper positions are engrained, it is a thing of beauty...

You will get there..

 

[RetiredCoach]

My DD doesn't pitch, and I know little about pitching. But is this undeniably her fastball? I assume that it is, but just curious to learn.

I really can't tell. A pitcher's motion is, basically, the same for all the pitches.

 

[Jojo]

You have to do what you feel is best for your DD. I went through a similar experience with my DD, and mine was blackballed at 12yrs old because she left to go play travel ball and didn't stay in the league and represent the town.
Didn't matter than as an incoming freshman she was the best on the team, there was an ISSUE with him using her, so he didn't. Some coaches pride or desire to please the parents that have a lot of pull with the AD, will precede over your DD's abilities. Just depends on the coach.

Just stick to your guns, your DD may end up 2nd or 3rd pitcher in high school, but will end up with the best record (mine was on the JV team and got pulled to go a varsity tournament "just in case" and ended up being voted tournament MVP by all the other coaches) then your DD more than likely will also end up with the best college experience.

 

[JAD]

I know that HS softball varies from area to area, but I would LOVE to know your HS coaches resume' as a pitching instructor! Around here we are lucky to have a HS coach who has ever played softball much less one who was a pitcher. And if she was a pitcher, she probably threw HE and played for a small D3 in the 90's. I have NEVER seen a HS coach take a girl who has never pitched and turned her into a decent pitcher. HS coaches just feed off the TB players they inherit, so keep working hard and your DD's performance will dictate how much circle time she gets in HS.

 

[MightyMO]

My DD was going to a pitching coach who had may pitchers in college, and some that held records at local colleges and high schools, IMO he taught much the same as Bill Hillhouse, who I have great respect for, as he was an ex fast-pitch pitcher. The coach of our local high school made a comment reference DD that pitching like she was doing she would never be on his team, even before the try outs began, as a freshman she was cut.

She was devastated, so I checked into other schools and she decided to attend another school where she was welcomed with open arms. She made the team there, was a starter and the one time they played the old high school she pitched against them hit a HR and beat them 1-0, during the game he took video of her and tried to say she was pitching illegal and it went no where, she has never had a problem or called for illegal pitches, but one time in college where the ump was saying the pitcher had to maintain contact with the rubber until the ball was released, which is incorrect.

She pitched her team to state all 4 years, was written in the paper a number of articles, won awards and received a scholarship to play in college.

The coach at the other high school I was told bragged he was her coach and yes for a few short weeks of try outs he was . He has had a number of players he has touted as college prospects and none have played more than one year in college, last year DD had the highest batting average and lowest ERA on her college team.

Good luck to your DD.

AS pep talk from pep!

I would have put together a small scrap book of her accomplishments and written a nice letter to the first coach explaining that none of this would have been possible without him forcing her to go to another school and prove him wrong. I probably would have hand delivered it to his school too.