To Pitch or Not to Pitch

[FiveFrameSwing]

With all due respect, where did you copy and paste this from? You have been posting here daily since 2009 (almost exclusively in the hitting forum) and only recently have shared your "wisdom" about pitching the past 1-2 years? Why were you holding out your pitching expertise until just recently?

I call BS.....

Call BS all you want.

My interests have migrated more towards hitting in the last decade.

Until BM arrived this site was in the dark ages. I personally had to find the information, that is now readily available, the hard way.

Much of what you read here has been available to those that dug and filtered. For example, the "brush assisted whip" is so old that I have the information on Gillis' VHS videos. There is very little here that is actually new ... it's just information that is now more readily available.

 

[drc9805]

It's really pretty simple and would probably weed out a lot of girls pitching if the parent would allow. If your DD picks up her glove and says let's go pitch then she wants to pitch so go for it but if you're the one constantly forcing her to go practice with you then save yourself and her a lot of frustration... at worse it can ruin your relationship.

 

[Rocketech1]

It's really pretty simple and would probably weed out a lot of girls pitching if the parent would allow. If your DD picks up her glove and says let's go pitch then she wants to pitch so go for it but if you're the one constantly forcing her to go practice with you then save yourself and her a lot of frustration... at worse it can ruin your relationship.

I wish it were that simple...when DD was 6 1/2 YO she would beg me to catch for her every night I came home from work. When she was 7YO, I got her pitching lessons and for the first two years she was always wanting to pitch, couldn't get enough of it. She is 13YO now and I have to frequently remind her that she needs to practice pitching. She has weekly pitching lessons, practices pitching with her travel ball team, and with me one day a week. She says she loves pitching in games but only reluctantly practices pitching on her own. She doesn't complain about the practicing (and actually enjoys once we start) but I know if I don't remind her to practice, she won't do it.

This is a common theme for most parents I talk to.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

It's really pretty simple and would probably weed out a lot of girls pitching if the parent would allow. If your DD picks up her glove and says let's go pitch then she wants to pitch so go for it but if you're the one constantly forcing her to go practice with you then save yourself and her a lot of frustration... at worse it can ruin your relationship.

I encourage pitchers to re-evaluate their path once a year and to decide whether or not to make another 1yr commitment to the activity. One reason for 1yr commitments is that a pitcher quitting mid-season can be harmful to an entire team. Often non-pitching players/families make a commitment to a team due in part to the team’s ability to secure pitching talent. During each 1yr period there will be times when the player will push and times when the parent will push. To an extent, it becomes a daughter/parent team.

In terms of maintaining a healthy parent/daughter relationship … I encourage parents, even those that have a large understanding of FP-windmill mechanics, to have the daughter see a private pitching instructor once/week. The parent should research the instructor ahead of time to ensure that what is taught is in agreement with what they believe should be taught. Then during the week the pitcher/parent workout and the parent serves as the temporary coach while away from the instructor … then when they meet with the instructor once/week, any disagreements in understanding between the pitcher/parent are reviewed with the instructor … and the instructor breaks the deadlock in any disagreement between the pitcher & parent. In this way the relationship between the parent/daughter can be largely preserved … which as time goes on, becomes more valuable than many with young kids may currently appreciate.

 

[RetiredCoach]

I wish it were that simple...when DD was 6 1/2 YO she would beg me to catch for her every night I came home from work. When she was 7YO, I got her pitching lessons and for the first two years she was always wanting to pitch, couldn't get enough of it. She is 13YO now and I have to frequently remind her that she needs to practice pitching. She has weekly pitching lessons, practices pitching with her travel ball team, and with me one day a week. She says she loves pitching in games but only reluctantly practices pitching on her own. She doesn't complain about the practicing (and actually enjoys once we start) but I know if I don't remind her to practice, she won't do it.

This is a common theme for most parents I talk to.

Yes, this is a common theme with both of my DDs (16 & 14) who pitch. I have stopped "encouraging" as much but am every ready to help them out if they ask. I've come to realize that how successful they become, or don't become, is up to them. They seem to practice less than half of what the other pitchers at their level do but do very well. I believe that they are just below the elite/college prospect level. And if they want to get to that next level it will require work. At this age, it's on their shoulders and not mine.

 

[Classof2020]

In terms of effort and training, pitching is the equivalent of taking on a second sport. It is an activity that requires a significant amount of dedication.

Over a decade ago I would stress this point at the start of pitching clinics. I wanted to make it clear that the activity these young girls were getting into required an effort beyond what they were likely accustomed to.

Often a pitcher puts in more time training on just their pitching, than any other non-pitching player on the team. In addition to pitching, they still need to find the time to work on their throwing, fielding, hitting and running.

Training is virtually year round. There is off-season training, pre-season training and in-season training.

Unlike many players that simply have a desire to be in the top nine, a pitcher often needs to be in the top 2 to receive sufficient circle time.

I can’t think of too many other activities where a player can sacrifice so much, to realize so little.

Many pitchers feel this pressure throughout the year. They have to continuously bust their hump, because if they come up short on their training, and land a #3 or #4 pitching spot, then the payback for their effort falls off a cliff.

This pressure isn't just felt by the player, but by her parents as well. Often a set of parents isn't 100% on the same page ... and for whatever reason one parent will tend to be a diehard that is fully engaged, while the other parent tends to desire 'balance' in the child's life. Family "discussions" take place ... that aren't really "discussions".

Many pitchers hold themselves back in terms of overall player development. Often a pitcher selects a lesser team in order to capture a spot as a pitcher. Doing this often means that the rest of their game (fielding/hitting) develops at a slower rate than would otherwise be the case.

Pitching is about putting in long monotonous practices. Again and again and again. It takes a certain type of person. And make no mistake about it ... it isn't like you need to be putting in a ton of practice because you need to develop 10 pitches ... it's because you need to "master" 3-4 pitches ... and therein lies the need to get used to monotonous repetition.

Often (but not always) it takes a parent willing to dedicate a portion of their life to the activity.

I could go on and on … but I think you get the idea.

All things being equal, people tend to do best when they have a passion for what they do. If you have the passion for the activity, then it makes sense. If the passion is elsewhere, then that’s fine also.

This is really appreciated. So much good information for the OP as well as a reminder and confirmation for those of us other pitcher parents.
To the OP if your DD is interested in really being a pitcher I think you'll know in your gut soon. There is something different I think about the pitchers that are supposed to stick with it. Does she fall apart in the circle when she hits someone or gives up a walk? or does she just get more determined and dig deeper. There are the little things like when they are excited that they drew the harder team to pitch against, or they get to come in a tough situation and close it down - or is that too much stress for her. When you say "you looked great you struck that girl out!" and she says "no my drop ball wasn't dropping and I just got lucky". Or when your catching for her and you say ok you're getting frustrated let's call it a night and she says "NO, that was a bad one I want to get this" and you end up working for another 20 minutes. Like I've heard said in the past - do they always want the ball? It's a million little things that tell you this girl has something that is worth developing and putting in all these extra hours.

But all that being said I do have the same doubts for my girl and I wonder now that she is 13 and she is still hovering around 50 if she is going to keep improving and be able to move up with the pack. Is the speed ever going to come. Is she willing to keep tweaking and working and digging to find that extra couple mph and that better movement and learn how to read batters and all that is still to come??

 

[RetiredCoach]

But all that being said I do have the same doubts for my girl and I wonder now that she is 13 and she is still hovering around 50 if she is going to keep improving and be able to move up with the pack. Is the speed ever going to come. Is she willing to keep tweaking and working and digging to find that extra couple mph and that better movement and learn how to read batters and all that is still to come??

I have the same concerns about my DDs. However, I know that what happens in the future is up to them.

 

[Top_Notch]

I agree that pitching takes more practice than any other spot. I will say, though, at a young age, for every pitch there is a catch on the return throw. At the close of my daughters 9U season, she is one of the best fielders and catchers (plays first base when not pitching) because she has learned to catch the ball and has done it thousands more times than anyone else on the team. I wish someone would have told her parents what a committment pitching is, in time and money!

 

[sluggers]

So my question is, are we wasting our time working on pitching? We could be utilizing that time on her hitting and her fielding. She is hitting well, hits left handed and is fast and on the smaller side. She plays second base and outfield pretty well. What does she want to do you ask? Well she pretty much goes with the flow and trusts her dad.

To answer your question: Yeah, pretty much you are wasting your time on pitching.

So, kids who want to be "good" at pitching are not there because their Dads push them. They are there because they really enjoy pitching. Pitching is a "game within a game"--some kids like that game, some don't.

As much as people wax eloquent about the joys of pitching, it is a tremendous amount of work. It is a black hole for time.

My DD#1 did the work and became very good. DD#3 quit pitching, mainly because she didn't want to give up tennis and basketball.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Finch speaking about "tough love" .....