Defensive Errors Effecting Pitcher Mentally & Mechanics

[JNew0872]

My daughter just turned 12 and is playing competitive ball. The team makes a TON of fielding errors. The first few tournaments, my daughter held it together during these LONG innings on the mound. She usually physically tired first. Unfortunately, the team's fielding has not got any better and appears to be wearing on my daughter. After six tournaments, she is now mentally tiring quickly when errors begin. It is rare that her team go an inning without an error. Every inning usually has 2-3. There are many innings that majority, and even all, outs come from strikeouts even though they have faced 7+ batters in the inning. This past weekend my daughter was on the mound for over 25 minutes and had gone through the lineup + 3 batters. There was only 1 out which was a strikeout. There were 7 fielding errors that inning, 2 hits, and then my daughter walked two batters in a row (first walk loaded the bases, 2nd walk walked tying run in). My daughter began crying out of frustration. This was only the first inning! (the inning finally ended with 2 more strikeouts). If she is striking batters out, the innings are short (3-5 in an inning). If the ball is being put in play, the innings are long. Over the last couple of tournaments she began stepping left of the power line. I think this has started because she started guiding the ball and had a breakdown in mechanics due to fatigue during the long innings.

The coach told me that he knows my daughter is only good for 3 innings and then she tires. I was a little irritated given that 3 innings with this team is the equivalent of more than 6 innings with a normal team. She throws more pitches in 2-3 innings with this team than she did in 6 innings with her spring team. Most of the team's game only go 2 to 3 innings. The few that have gone 4-6 have been with her having a high number of strikeouts and a rare game where fielding was good.

Has anyone else dealt with this? I keep telling her she has to hold it together and stay strong even when they are making errors but I'm having difficulty continuing to say this to her when the fielding is not improving.

 

[starsnuffer]

She has to learn to be a rock in the circle. The defense is going to make more errors if they see that their pitcher is discouraged. She DOES play a role in this. If she would instead pull the defense together after an error, and tell the girl that made the error that the next one is coming right back at her and she's gonna rock it, then the defense is much more likely to play at their best then they would if the pitcher was giving them the stink eye or looking dejected.

Beyond that, learning how to pitch to your defenses strengths would benefit her. If they suck at ground ball but can catch pop ups okay, then keep the pitches up in the zone and on the inside to force more pop flys. If they can't catch fly balls but can field grounders, keep everything below the knees. If the right side is better then the left, pitch accordingly, ect.

-W

 

[GunnerShotgun]

This is why ERA (Earned Run Average) was invented. I would breakdown each game and point to the number of earned runs vs unearned runs.

My DD was on a rec team like that one time. One game she struck out 5 in one inning and they still gave up two runs.

You can only control what you can control.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Sounds like you and this guy need to work out a deal.

http://www.discussfastpitch.com/new...tball-pitcher-catcher-hudson-valley-area.html

 

[T Red]

Yes, my dd was on a team like you described. She had an inning a few months ago where 5 runs scored, not one ball was hit out of the infield. No walks.

My advise to her has always been the same. A pitcher has to be mentally tough. This will make you a better pitcher.
She has since moved to a more competitive team.

The team had talent but ultimately no drive. The coaches couldn't get them to be aggressive.

 

[itsagreatgame]

Yes...been there and seen that!! Look at this way...your dd is getting lots of time in the circle. I am not sure there is an easy answer other than she'll have to try and process it differently. What I told my daughter was "it doesn't matter" meaning she can't control that part of it. She remained encouraging to her teammates but it was tough. This was in her first year at 12U and the kids tried but the coach just had no clue how to make players better. She was the best friend of the Assoc's presidents wife. That friendship ended by season's end. lol. The best thing I was able to do was not let her feed into the frustration...UNLESS...she is on a team that just doesn't care....then I would look to move on. dd was on a 14U co-op team that just didn't care....players, parent and coach. I would rather see her not play at all then to be apart of that. We were able to salvage her season with another team but I paid the price financially as the long drives and motel costs just for practice killed me but I am glad we switched...its only money right? Haha! signed: your typical broke softball dad.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

From your post it sounds like the team is not ready for competitive ball. I'm not saying your DD isn't CB material, but that's too many errors per inning/game for the defense.

Your DD is 12, so I'm assuming she has played and pitched for a few years. How did you come to get on this team? I assume the defense stinks for the other pitchers? When your DD is not pitching, how is her own defensive skills?

I'm a pitcher's parent too, I know how it can become very frustrating. ( heck I'm falling apart if we have 1-2 errors a GAME ) No magic solution to a big error fest like you describe. I'd do some soul searching about looking at different team options for next year. Youre at that pivotal age where she needs to "see" how good she really is with a decent team, or you can bet a year ( maybe two ) from now her softball desire will be gone.

 

[David Carter]

Welcome to the club, we took a 10U rec team (mostly All Stars) to play up in the 12U city league, we knew we would get beat but I was not thinking it would be quite as bad as it was. I was AC and first thing I asked the HC as he was forming team was how was our pitching and catching he said he had three or four good pitchers and a couple good catchers well needless to say our ideas of good were not exactly the same. I will grant that the pitching plate is farther away and they go from 11in to 12in ball (which was one of the main reasons for playing fall ball) but it was bad, we basically had two serviceable pitchers (no real catcher) and each had varying degrees of success during the season.

We did have a couple competitive games against other 10Us moving up (even won one) but otherwise it was pretty painful more than once I think the pitcher struck out the side only to have no outs on drop third strikes/pass balls. We routinely give up 5 or 6 outs every inning, all you can do is constantly work with your pitchers on getting them to keep working as hard as they can and do their job, they can't focus on everyone elses. We also usually spread the wealth and don't let one pitcher pitch two innings back to back when things are out of control.
.
There really is no easy answer to this one the girls just have to learn to persevere

 

[JJ Hammer]

Been there many times, DD threw a 1 hitter last year. Only hit was in the last inning she lost 4 to 3 we were both upset but what do you do?

 

[halskinner]

My daughter just turned 12 and is playing competitive ball. The team makes a TON of fielding errors. The first few tournaments, my daughter held it together during these LONG innings on the mound. She usually physically tired first. Unfortunately, the team's fielding has not got any better and appears to be wearing on my daughter. After six tournaments, she is now mentally tiring quickly when errors begin. It is rare that her team go an inning without an error. Every inning usually has 2-3. There are many innings that majority, and even all, outs come from strikeouts even though they have faced 7+ batters in the inning. This past weekend my daughter was on the mound for over 25 minutes and had gone through the lineup + 3 batters. There was only 1 out which was a strikeout. There were 7 fielding errors that inning, 2 hits, and then my daughter walked two batters in a row (first walk loaded the bases, 2nd walk walked tying run in). My daughter began crying out of frustration. This was only the first inning! (the inning finally ended with 2 more strikeouts). If she is striking batters out, the innings are short (3-5 in an inning). If the ball is being put in play, the innings are long. Over the last couple of tournaments she began stepping left of the power line. I think this has started because she started guiding the ball and had a breakdown in mechanics due to fatigue during the long innings.

The coach told me that he knows my daughter is only good for 3 innings and then she tires. I was a little irritated given that 3 innings with this team is the equivalent of more than 6 innings with a normal team. She throws more pitches in 2-3 innings with this team than she did in 6 innings with her spring team. Most of the team's game only go 2 to 3 innings. The few that have gone 4-6 have been with her having a high number of strikeouts and a rare game where fielding was good.

Has anyone else dealt with this? I keep telling her she has to hold it together and stay strong even when they are making errors but I'm having difficulty continuing to say this to her when the fielding is not improving.

Every play starts with the pitcher throwing a pitch. Strike all the batters out that way nobody on defense has a chance to screw up.