Need some honest advice

[llc982]

I know all of you that have been there, done that can give some honest feedback on whether my DD should give up pitching. She is 11 (May 05), has been pitching about 1.5 yrs. She is small (very small.....average height but skinny as a bean pole), and just doesn't have much power. Her pitching coaches have always been positive regarding her potential.....say she has natural ability, she is a lefty, has a really nice spin and when she's having a good day can hit her spots well. Prior to this season, she played on a B team and was the #1 pitcher. This fall she has moved to an A team and is now the #4 pitcher. Coach has been good to her, lets her pitch a pool game most tournaments. But she usually plays OF which she enjoys and is quite good at. She's fairly content with the mound time she's getting, she still likes pitching and wants to continue but also realizes she'll never be able to throw as hard as the other girls. (She threw 40-42 with the 11" ball, now 38-40 with the bigger ball and has been for 2 months now.)

So, I guess I'm asking......for girls that lack the strength to keep up with their peers at this age, is there any hope in trying to keep pitching and waiting for a miracle or should we just accept that God didn't make her to be a college pitcher? I know not every pitcher is destined to be a powerhouse and I've told her that her dominance will come from placement and movement pitches, but since we've moved up to A ball, I'm starting to have real doubts. The move to A ball has been good for her in all other aspects, so moving back to B ball isn't something we're interested in doing.

Any thoughts from all you parents with grown daughters?

 

[Greenmonsters]

I'm not a pediatrician and haven't stayed at a Holiday Inn Express recently, but I'm 100% confident in predicting that your DD will grow and become bigger, taller, and stronger.

Some of the 11 year old studs/duds you see today at 11 will still be the studs/duds at 18, but that won't hold for most, whose futures will be determined by how much they grow, practice, and develop efficient mechanics. If DD is happy to keep practicing pitching, let her and see where it takes her. Regardless, learning and playing more than 1 position is always recommended.

Good luck!

 

[Ken B]

If she loves it and wants it, help find her the opportunities to pursue what she loves. Help her refine her skills with good instruction and become the best she can be in whatever she does.

 

[marriard]

Just for reference... while this is not a softball powerhouse (but they are not awful either and actually play in a reasonable D3 conference which includes Emory who are) Agnes Scott College's two main pitchers last year were 5'2" and 5'0". Just because you are not going to play for Florida doesn't mean you can't play somewhere...

And your DD hasn't even started growing yet. Who knows who she will be in just 24 months.

 

[grcsftbll]

She enjoys pitching and you said she's satisfied with her pitching time. So really, doesn't sound like there's a problem. If her strength is spin focus on a curve or rise maybe, something that moves. If the batter can't predict where it's going she can't hit it even if it's not fast, right? I think at 38-40 mph you must have a pretty awesome coach to give her circle time as a #4 in 12U A ball. Most of them seem so focused on speed. But speed's not all there is.

Even though we're only in 10U, I can already tell GreenMonsters is right, too. I mean, besides the obvious (she WILL grow) I've already seen a shift from first year 10U to second year 10U in who the dominant pitchers are on some of these teams around here. One girl we know who was cut from a team last year and who never got a single minute of pitching time is now the #1 pitcher on another team, for example. And I have been told the growth in 12U is even more substantial. As long as she's having fun and enjoying it I would stick with it.

 

[SB45]

Don't sell your daughter short I won't rehash what was already said, certainly agree...she loves it - keep going. I kind of doubt she has peaked at 11. I would add two other thoughts...11 is said to be the toughest year...you have girls who might still actually be 10 or certainly look it against girls who look like they are 15 at times. Going from 10U to 12U is a big jump...she will adjust. She will grow and catch up. You are on the front end of what many say is the most challenging year of her softball life...bear with it. The other thing...not looking to get into it...but how is her pitching technique? There are volumes of posts on here about girls being limited in their speed and ability because they have been taught poor technique. A decent athlete can be a star at 10U with poor technique...but will drop back from the pack a little bit each year. Maybe the speed and control she has now is not representative of her potential.

 

[mikeez]

I feel like I could have wrote your post based on my DD who is 12...she's a lefty, small stature, low speed, 1.5 years pitching, #4 pitcher, etc. We have been going to a pitching coach who is at the high school and junior college level. She is good, not HE thankfully and got us where we are today. However, we seem to have reached a plateau. Based on my research from this awesome discussion board I determined she was pushing the ball more than whipping it. That's how she would hit her locations. Next, she was throwing around her hip, no brush contact/interference, with the butt out and a slight forward lean at the end. Lastly, she's stepping off the plate, not exploding . All that said I decided to improve her mechanics based on the what I learned here at DFP. I will be honest though I reached out to someone from here to help me. I was nervous about making the changes on my own. Someone on here has a saying that practice makes permanent. I am very very very fortunate to have Javasource as our new PC. Words cannot describe the improvement my daughter gained from the first session with him. He told my daughter that she has the potential just like the bigger girls, however she has to work harder to ensure her mechanics are 100% So, I would double check what your PC is teaching compared to what is on DFP. If you think you may need to switch then ask the fine folks on here if they know any good PCs in your area.
Do you incorporate core, hip and ankle strength exercises in to your weekly routine? This will help her develop some added strength as she is growing. There are plenty of exercises on here that can help you develop a plan if you don't have one.
Lastly, check out articles on here or Google related to smaller girls vs. bigger girls. There are some really good articles that will ease your worry about her future. The two most recent I found are Delanie Gourley at 5'4" and Kylie Bass at 5'0". Plus, they are both leftys.

 

[FastPitchCat]

I say if your DD wants to pitch, support her. my DD is only 5'3" and has been pitching for 5 years (2 rec ball, 3 TB).
is my DD there yet? hardly. will she play college ball? I don't know, but we're working hard.
just be prepared that there will be good days and there will be bad days, but if your dd wants to pitch, by all means support her.

 

[CoogansBluff]

.....for girls that lack the strength to keep up with their peers at this age, is there any hope in trying to keep pitching and waiting for a miracle or should we just accept that God didn't make her to be a college pitcher?

At age 11, her enjoyment of pitching is much more significant than her potential at pitching.

If she's content, leave her be. If she wants to pitch more, consider a team where she will pitch more.

College softball is not the point of 12U softball. I wouldn't sacrifice something I loved (ie, pitching) until I was more mature and could really grasp what it means to play college softball and to make sacrifices to get there. I don't think 11-year-olds are thinking that way. Question for your DD is simple: Do you want to play on a lesser team where you pitch all the time, or a better team where you don't? It's up to her. If DD is not concerned about long-term potential and college softball, then I wouldn't as a parent. She might have more fun being a mediocre TB pitcher the next 6 years than she would playing college softball anyway.

 

[Crystal Brown]

I know all of you that have been there, done that can give some honest feedback on whether my DD should give up pitching. She is 11 (May 05), has been pitching about 1.5 yrs. She is small (very small.....average height but skinny as a bean pole), and just doesn't have much power. Her pitching coaches have always been positive regarding her potential.....say she has natural ability, she is a lefty, has a really nice spin and when she's having a good day can hit her spots well. Prior to this season, she played on a B team and was the #1 pitcher. This fall she has moved to an A team and is now the #4 pitcher. Coach has been good to her, lets her pitch a pool game most tournaments. But she usually plays OF which she enjoys and is quite good at. She's fairly content with the mound time she's getting, she still likes pitching and wants to continue but also realizes she'll never be able to throw as hard as the other girls. (She threw 40-42 with the 11" ball, now 38-40 with the bigger ball and has been for 2 months now.)

So, I guess I'm asking......for girls that lack the strength to keep up with their peers at this age, is there any hope in trying to keep pitching and waiting for a miracle or should we just accept that God didn't make her to be a college pitcher? I know not every pitcher is destined to be a powerhouse and I've told her that her dominance will come from placement and movement pitches, but since we've moved up to A ball, I'm starting to have real doubts. The move to A ball has been good for her in all other aspects, so moving back to B ball isn't something we're interested in doing.

Any thoughts from all you parents with grown daughters?

The important part that you mentioned was SHE likes to pitch…I am honestly surprised by the amount of high school girls who have pitched but will not tell their high school coaches they are pitchers because it is something that they do not want to do.