- May 23, 2018
- 93
- 18
LOL. I can't tell you how many times I've heard " my little Suzy throws 60 MPH". Usually an overly rambunctious dad. All you can do is nod, smile, and mumble under your breath. Here are some sobering stats from Massachusetts: Each year, a combine is held at the Devens complex for juniors and seniors who want to play in college. For the past 20 years, there has been not more than 6 and not less than 3 girls that throw 60 MPH. That is from a field of about 220 - 240 players. The average clocked speed is 55.4 MPH. Keep in mind that this is only for girls that intend to play in college. I suspect that the average speed for all juniors and seniors in Massachusetts is probably closer to around 53 MPH. Thank God for the radar! It tends to keep overzealous dads grounded in reality. I own three guns - two are cheap doppler guns, and the third is a gun that the police use. I never gun a girl unsolicited unless a dad asks or I'm at a game scouting. I never show a coach or dad the number unless they ask - I learned the hard way! I had one 14U dad brag about his dd throwing 64 MPH. Dad asked, so I gunned her at 53-54. I showed the dad, and he insisted that my gun was off. I told him that 53-54 was pretty near the top-end speed for 14U in Massachusetts. Despite what I had shown him, he kept telling anyone who would listen that his dd threw 64 MPH.We've been using the pocket radar for a long while now. Being that speeds vary widely, it's important to use one (and only one) to monitor progress. That said, we own the world's stingiest radar, so top speed is always lower than any other radar, but it's also an incentive. When friends tell me their DD throws 60+mph I break out my radar and watch the excuses fly.
What's the lesson in all of this? Don't be a smarmy know it all with a radar gun. People are going to believe what they believe or what makes them feel better. It's called reducing cognitive dissonance. I'm usually focused on my tasks at hand, but this time, the dad was so irritating I couldn't resist. BTW, I never let the guys DD know what she was throwing - I made it a point to compliment her on her speed and control.