Am I right or wrong here?

[JAD]

At the end of the day, the primary goal of the team is not to develop 8 pitchers; it's up to the individual pitcher to develop themselves. This is NOT a travel ball team by anyone's definition. If my DD worked her tail off to get to the point where she was very good pitcher and could strikeout many players and the HC says "I'm not going to pitch her because we need weak pitchers to throw slow, meatballs over the plate so our defense can get a lot of work fielding" would be the last time DD played for this coach. Let me say it again, this not a travel ball team. Your DD needs to play on a competitive team otherwise she is wasting her time.

A pitcher who is striking out every batter she faces needs to find better competition or move up an age group. Lower level and younger age group TB teams are about player development, they should not be about winning. It took me a few years to finally figure this out, but suddenly the light bulb goes off and coaches no longer care about winning games, they care about developing players so when they get into tournaments they do want to win - qualifiers, nationals - the team is as prepared as possible. You do not get your TEAM ready to play by riding an ACE pitcher to easy victories against inferior competition.

 

[JAD]

I agree with Marriard. This makes no sense. But if your DD is the best pitcher around, you should take the 3 best hitters and go form your own team. A coach who takes 8 pitchers doesn't know what he's doing. That's a 10u rec all-star team, where everyone is a pitcher and shortstop.

If I was a HC and had 8 players who wanted to pitch, the ones who were working the hardest at home would get the most circle time. There is a lot of disparity in player maturity at the younger age groups, but you cannot teach the heart and determination it takes to become a successful pitcher at the older age groups.

 

[Snotbubbles]

A pitcher who is striking out every batter she faces needs to find better competition or move up an age group. Lower level and younger age group TB teams are about player development, they should not be about winning. It took me a few years to finally figure this out, but suddenly the light bulb goes off and coaches no longer care about winning games, they care about developing players so when they get into tournaments they do want to win - qualifiers, nationals - the team is as prepared as possible. You do not get your TEAM ready to play by riding an ACE pitcher to easy victories against inferior competition.

This is how the coach of our team operates. I understand his position. I was simply concerned that he wasn't getting my DD ANY WORK against live hitters. In nearly every opportunity we've had to get innings in against live hitting he's given her no work. My position was that she needs some work, even if it's minimal so when we enter tournaments in the Spring it isn't the first time she's facing live hitters. I don't know how to simulate facing live hitters without actually facing live hitters. The compromise was to let the pitchers face batters in hitting practice. I'm ok with that. Not sure if HC was directing the need to throw strikes more than every other pitch to me or was just a general comment. DD is actually pretty accurate. But she's always been instructed that the strike zone is for hitters, not pitchers.

 

[JAD]

This is how the coach of our team operates. I understand his position. I was simply concerned that he wasn't getting my DD ANY WORK against live hitters.

The coach is concerned about the development of the team, while you are concerned about the development of your DD, and both of you are correct. It is your responsibility to get your DD into a situation that will benefit her, but it is not the coaches responsibility to develop your DD to the detriment of other players development.

When my DD was 12U we had a great pitcher try out for our team, the best in the area. Needless to say I was ecstatic about the prospect of having an ACE pitcher to help us win games, but the HC did not take her. Her dad was floored that a coach would turn down what would have been the best player on the team. But the HC knew that adding her to the team would not benefit the other 11 girls already on the team...and because the HC turned her down, my DD had to "step up" and be the #1 pitcher. I always wondered how things would have worked out if he had taken that pitcher. Would my DD be the pitcher she is today if she was the #2 pitcher on that 12U team? I always used "the team is counting on you" to help motivate my DD to work hard outside of practice. If she was the #2 would she have been motivated to work as hard as she did?

 

[marriard]

Little league baseball is a different in that they have stringent rules about pitch counts and innings. A baseball team had better have at least 5 pitchers or they may not make it through a weekend tournament.

Well yeah, also anyone who can throw the ball can pitch as at its heart, pitching is just overhand throwing. Softball pitching is such a learned motion you just can't do that of course.

 

[grcsftbll]

What JAD said is what we came to understand last year. Probably because he said the same thing to me actually.

 

[Snotbubbles]

The coach is concerned about the development of the team, while you are concerned about the development of your DD, and both of you are correct. It is your responsibility to get your DD into a situation that will benefit her, but it is not the coaches responsibility to develop your DD to the detriment of other players development.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this point. It's the coaches responsibility to develop ALL the players on his roster, not the majority, ALL.

 

[JAD]

We'll have to agree to disagree on this point. It's the coaches responsibility to develop ALL the players on his roster, not the majority, ALL.

I agree that your DD should get some circle time, but I am 98.2% sure there is no way your DD will get enough circle time to make you happy, so the best thing you can do is find another team (more competitive, older age group) or start your own...

 

[CoogansBluff]

When my DD was 12U we had a great pitcher try out for our team, the best in the area. Needless to say I was ecstatic about the prospect of having an ACE pitcher to help us win games, but the HC did not take her. Her dad was floored that a coach would turn down what would have been the best player on the team. But the HC knew that adding her to the team would not benefit the other 11 girls already on the team.

This is a rare coach who gets it.

Winning games and improving rosters have their place, but not enough coaches weigh the costs. They should not just ask 'will this help us win more games,' but rather 'How many kids will this help? How many kids will this hurt?' That is if you believe it when you say you're in it for the kids.

 

[JAD]

This is a rare coach who gets it.

I did not realize at the time how blessed my DD was to have him as a coach...hindsight is 20/20