What Would you Do?

[RetiredCoach]

My oldest DD, 16, was a pitcher/2B for her JV team last year and is now pitching in 16U A travel ball for the summer. She has been asked to join a team made up of potential Varsity starters for this fall and next summer. With her skills, she has the potential to make the varsity team as a pitcher and/or a second baseman. Now here's the "rub". This team, depending on if they join or not, may have the other two JV pitchers on it. If they do so, and let's throw in the coaches DD who did not, really, pitch for the school team last year, that would mean that there would be up to four pitchers competing for innings!

As it stands, either though my DD was as effective as the other two pitchers on JV, it appears that the Varsity is favoring the other two pitchers as potential starters. One reason could be size. My DD is 5' 4" and 113 pounds. The other two girls are quite larger. All three throw in the mid-fifties with a CU and drop ball. One may have a curve and the other "fakes" a rise ball. In short, all three are comparable in skills, though not size.

Here's the problem. My DD is struggling with her love for pitching and her desire to play on varsity. She seems to be on the verge of giving up on the competition for pitching for varsity and instead playing for varsity as a position player. I am not sure of how to consul her here. I, personally, want her to keep pitching. It seems that the Varsity coach has not totally decided upon one pitcher and he even suggested that he might use all three of them, maybe one more than the others. So, I view it as an open issue. However, is she seeing reality more clearly than I am right now? Please advise.

 

[MNDad]

With all the time, energy and money invested it’s difficult to have your DD walk away from pitching. Have a heart to heart talk and figure out if she’s lost the desire to pitch or if she just thinks her chances of playing varsity are better at 2B. If she still wants to pitch, encourage her. If not, make sure she knows you support her no matter what. From your post I think you know the answer and just need to come to terms with it. Just be supportive and let the choice be hers.

Fwiw I know quite a few kids heading off to play college ball who gave up pitching and invested that time and energy into hitting and fielding. All had the potential to be HS pitchers, but they recognized they had more potential as position players.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

My oldest DD, 16, was a pitcher/2B for her JV team last year and is now pitching in 16U A travel ball for the summer. She has been asked to join a team made up of potential Varsity starters for this fall and next summer. With her skills, she has the potential to make the varsity team as a pitcher and/or a second baseman. Now here's the "rub". This team, depending on if they join or not, may have the other two JV pitchers on it. If they do so, and let's throw in the coaches DD who did not, really, pitch for the school team last year, that would mean that there would be up to four pitchers competing for innings!

As it stands, either though my DD was as effective as the other two pitchers on JV, it appears that the Varsity is favoring the other two pitchers as potential starters. One reason could be size. My DD is 5' 4" and 113 pounds. The other two girls are quite larger. All three throw in the mid-fifties with a CU and drop ball. One may have a curve and the other "fakes" a rise ball. In short, all three are comparable in skills, though not size.

Here's the problem. My DD is struggling with her love for pitching and her desire to play on varsity. She seems to be on the verge of giving up on the competition for pitching for varsity and instead playing for varsity as a position player. I am not sure of how to consul her here. I, personally, want her to keep pitching. It seems that the Varsity coach has not totally decided upon one pitcher and he even suggested that he might use all three of them, maybe one more than the others. So, I view it as an open issue. However, is she seeing reality more clearly than I am right now? Please advise.

Got to be her call...but if she loves pitching, she should stick with it...JMHO...doesn't have to change her desire to play varsity...injuries happen and that HS coach is going to need someone to step into the circle...

 

[Crashsdaddy]

...Now here's the "rub". This team, depending on if they join or not, may have the other two JV pitchers on it. If they do so, and let's throw in the coaches DD who did not, really, pitch for the school team last year, that would mean that there would be up to four pitchers competing for innings!

For me, this would be a red flag. I'm not saying there's anything foul going on but this is perfect set up for a parent to game the system. All four JV pitchers on one team coached by a parent who's DD was the no. 4 pitcher? Personally, I'd steer clear of that situation. This is especially true if you think the TB coach and HS coach are in each others ear. Better to take the potential HS politics out of the mix. JMO.

 

[djcarter1966]

^^^^probably this. It is just set up to be a bad situation. Does she enjoy the travel team she is playing on now? Is she the #1 or #2 on that team? Is that team competitive?

If she is in a good situation now I would not pull her just so she could play with some of her HS teammates. Unless there are other factors at plays, besides the HS dynamics.

 

[JAD]

Here's the problem. My DD is struggling with her love for pitching and her desire to play on varsity. She seems to be on the verge of giving up on the competition for pitching for varsity and instead playing for varsity as a position player. I am not sure of how to consul her here. I, personally, want her to keep pitching. It seems that the Varsity coach has not totally decided upon one pitcher and he even suggested that he might use all three of them, maybe one more than the others. So, I view it as an open issue. However, is she seeing reality more clearly than I am right now? Please advise.

My DD plays HS ball 3 months of the year - Aug, Sept, Oct. She takes two months off a year Thanksgiving - mid-January. That leaves 7 months a year for TB. I would not let the position she plays in HS dictate what she wants to do in TB or where she wants to play in college if that is her goal.

 

[marriard]

My DD plays HS ball 3 months of the year - Aug, Sept, Oct. She takes two months off a year Thanksgiving - mid-January. That leaves 7 months a year for TB. I would not let the position she plays in HS dictate what she wants to do in TB or where she wants to play in college if that is her goal.

Totally agree. Two girls who didn't pitch (not even once) at one of the strongest HS programs locally were all conference pitchers as college freshman in 2015 (one in D1, one in D3). Between them they threw close to 350 innings.

Meanwhile the #1 at that HS was forced to redshirt for an ACC school because there was no innings for her this past year.

Sometimes there is just someone in front of you.

 

[sluggers]

However, is she seeing reality more clearly than I am right now?

Probably.

Your DD is thinking rationally. What is any "good" softball players goal? To play. Not to sit on the bench, but to play. She wants to get as many innings as possible.

Which position gives her the most innings? It isn't pitching. Even if she proves she is the best, she won't pitch more than 50% of the innings.

But, if plays 2B--she gets to play every inning or every game.

Seems like a simple choice to me.

I, personally, want her to keep pitching.

At her age, when it comes to sports, what you want does not matter.

 

[RetiredCoach]

For me, this would be a red flag. I'm not saying there's anything foul going on but this is perfect set up for a parent to game the system. All four JV pitchers on one team coached by a parent who's DD was the no. 4 pitcher? Personally, I'd steer clear of that situation. This is especially true if you think the TB coach and HS coach are in each others ear. Better to take the potential HS politics out of the mix. JMO.

Yes, this is my anxiety, exactly! The HC of the summer team has his wife keeping the stats and, I suspect, is heavily favoring his DD. Surprisingly, to me, my DD has pitched all the championship games so that is some acknowledgment that my DD is better--I guess. And, yes, I know that this coach is in the high school HCs ear all the time.

It does not seem totally desirable but my DD really wants to play on this team and I don't know that I can convince her otherwise.

 

[RetiredCoach]

Probably.

Your DD is thinking rationally. What is any "good" softball players goal? To play. Not to sit on the bench, but to play. She wants to get as many innings as possible.

Which position gives her the most innings? It isn't pitching. Even if she proves she is the best, she won't pitch more than 50% of the innings.

But, if plays 2B--she gets to play every inning or every game.

Seems like a simple choice to me.



At her age, when it comes to sports, what you want does not matter.

Hi Ray! You make some really great points. Like MNDad said, it is really hard to walk away from all the time, money, hopes and dreams, that have been invested in pitching. And like others have said, it has got to be her decision. I guess that I don't want to see her give up without a fight. You have shared with us how much time that your DD invested in pitching. My DD, at the very best, has put in one third as much time. I just wonder if she put in half as much time she might be clearly better than the other pitchers but, again, that's her call.

Thanks!