Example of 12U coach pitch calling--please, don't be this guy.

[MikeP]

I don't mind them for hitting. When they start using them for pitching and defense is when I throw my hands up.

Unless they use them like our old team did and you only have about 4 things you call out over and over. Might as well have just yelled out "Don't look now but she's going to 2nd and the hitter will definitely be bunting"

 

[uncdrew]

I am a basketball guy. When I teach basketball, I teach kids to dribble with their dominant hand and their weak hand. The plays I set up can go left or right. When we play weaker teams, I don't coach my kids to blow by the kids using their dominant hand time and time again and only dribble with their weak hand when the defenders are better and they can't blow by the defender with their dominant hand. So why would I coach softball pitching different?

If I have pitchers at the younger levels that can hit spots on occasion, I will call pitches where the pitcher tries to hit spots and if I have a pitcher who can change speeds, I will call change ups during the game. My goal as a pitch caller is to make the pitcher better prepared fundamentally for the advancing levels of softball that she will pitch in during future events. Change ups and breaking pitches get hit by weaker hitters, but a pitcher will more likely be a better change up pitcher in high school or college if she has thrown several hundreds or thousands of change ups in a game situation, rather than only throw a change up to good hitters.

My coaching philosophy has always been to try to teach kids the fundamentals. If a kid is fundamentally sound at 12U, they will be a higher likelihood that the kid will advance in the sport at the next level. My goal isn't to teach the kids to win every game, but be able to make the girls softball team and be fundamentally sound enough to play at the high school level. So when I coached at the 12U level, I was the bucket coach calling pitch locations and change ups at the 12U level for the advanced pitchers. For the other pitchers, there was no need to try to call pitch locations and change ups, as the pitchers didn't put in the time to develop their pitching skills prior to the game. I agree with others that receiving a pitch signal and attempting to deliver that pitch at the speed and location desired is just another pitching fundamental and one to work on earlier than latter in a pitcher's development.

Returning to basketball, I coached more kids at the 12 and under levels that not only made their high school teams but also started on their high school teams because of teaching fundamentals and dominant and weak hand dribbling than any of my peers who kicked the crap out of my teams that were coaching their kids to blow by everyone with their dominant hands.

But one change-up on a 0-2 count to a batter that can't catch up to the fastball is just bad coaching. That one extra change-up isn't going to make her a better change-up pitcher. Plenty of time to work on change-ups in other situations.

 

[The Man In Blue]

When do you actually think they start calling pitches? Most college coaches call pitches

Yes, coaches calling pitches based off of carefully scouted intel on each hitter that the coach is using to “script” the at bat. And really that is more about getting the scouting info to the pitcher an catcher than telling them what to do. Otherwise:

No, not a coach on a bucket doing modern interpretive dance at random.

 

[uncdrew]

Unless they use them like our old team did and you only have about 4 things you call out over and over. Might as well have just yelled out "Don't look now but she's going to 2nd and the hitter will definitely be bunting"

We experimented with arm bands. Just to give the girls exposure to something they may see later in their careers, and of course to see if it helped our team.

Didn't help too much. It didn't slow things down all that much, but didn't add much either (at the 10U age). We're back to traditional signs on the offensive side.

 

[_MIA_]

But one change-up on a 0-2 count to a batter that can't catch up to the fastball is just bad coaching. That one extra change-up isn't going to make her a better change-up pitcher. Plenty of time to work on change-ups in other situations.

To me this is in the same vein as coaches sending runners and making the 1st or 3rd out at third, stealing bases/bunting runners over when down by a lot of runs late, not playing the IF in when they are supposed to etc. I, as a parent, should not have to tell my child after a game why doing those things wasn't appropriate. Part of good coaching and developing players is properly managing situational stuff during games so that the players learn the game properly..

 

[uncdrew]

Couple questions:

1. Does this batter look like a 12U A-level batter to you?

2. I'm not into stealing signs at all. But this coach is calling signs off to the side, for the entire opposing bench and fans to see. I do it between my legs. Is it weird that he's not trying to hide them at all?

 

[uncdrew]

To me this is in the same vein as coaches sending runners and making the 1st or 3rd out at third, stealing bases/bunting runners over when down by a lot of runs late, not playing the IF in when they are supposed to etc. I, as a parent, should not have to tell my child after a game why doing those things wasn't appropriate. Part of good coaching and developing players is properly managing situational stuff during games so that the players learn the game properly..

Dude, you never make the 1st or 3rd out at third base. That's like strategy 102.

 

[_MIA_]

Couple questions:

Does this batter look like a 12U A-level batter to you?

This is a (mainly) first year 12U team. IMO, she will be fine if she keeps working at it (and grows a little..lol)

That said, OK probably has 3 maybe 4 legitimate (national level) 12UA teams. I have seen this teams and the 7,8 and 9 battters
don't exactly blow you away with their swings. The biggest difference between these teams and the other teams in the state is that they have 2 or 3 legitimate dominating pitchers (for the age group).

 

[OsDad]

...(and grows a little..lol)

...

I told her she's grounded if she doesn't soon.

 

[uncdrew]

This is a first year 12U team. IMO, she will be fine if she keeps working at it (and grows a little..lol)

Agreed she'll be fine.

I'm just trying to get a feel for A-ball vs. B-ball and I suppose the line is pretty blurry.