Minimum Innings in order for a pitcher to progress

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Oct 29, 2019
89
18
My daughter is pitching about 5-6 innings per tournament.

We play 2 tournaments a month.

That means she is pitching about one game every other week with her travel team.

She is a strong #2 pitcher on the team, but the team has a bunch of pitchers. In pool games innings are spread pretty even. In bracket play the #1 gets the nod until she starts fading.

We see a pitching coach once a week and put in lots of extra work so she is "pitching" a bunch. She just doesn't get that much game time in the circle.

Our pitching coach mentioned more time pitching in games is the best thing for her.

Is this situation hindering development?
 
May 31, 2018
17
3
Wheresmycar is dead on right IMO. My kid was getting 1 pool game a weekend and then maybe a bracket game at the 10 and 12u level since we had so many "pitchers" at that age. Some parents get pissed off about it but I viewed it as saving my kids arm and staying healthy until it starts to matter. I told her that too so she understood. The kid has to understand it is ok if she doesnt pitch all the time as long as she keeps working at it with you at home and an instructor. Now my kid is an ace on 14u with another pitcher and she pitches all semi and champ games as starter. She is better for it.

Yes, she may miss game scenarios and be behind on pressure situations but that can be picked up and at that age it really isnt big time unless she is on a national stage PGF/ASA level tourney. Keep doing what your doing and she will be fine. Doesnt matter until she is at 43 ft anyway.

Good luck and just keep on spinning:)
 
Apr 11, 2016
133
28
For 10U or 12U, 5-6 innings every other week is pretty good. DD in 10U got 1 inning every 2 weeks. Yup, 1 inning where she'd pitched 7-15 pitches. That wasn't enough. She ended up picking up a few more innings by guest-playing for other teams.

Now she's in 2nd-yr 12U team with a wonderful coach, who also has 2 kids (pitchers) on the team. She's fair and everyone got equal chance in pitching, But in tournaments, best kids on the field. DD got to pitch a full game (4-5 innings) every other week since there were 2 games a weekend for the fall. DD would pick up an extra inning if the other pitchers were in trouble. I think it's sufficient, not too much to mentally drain the pitchers (and the pitcher-parents) and enough to get some game time. Pitchers also got to pitch during practice and during catcher-clinics. DD is finally having fun again with softball and no longer talks about quitting.

If you want a few more innings for your daughter, you can also invite other pitchers outside of practice so they can practice pitching/batting to each other. That'll give her more pitching time that's also fun and without pressure.
 
Oct 29, 2019
89
18
What age player are we talking about? 10u? 16u?

If she is 12u or younger, then you probably don't have anything to worry about... if you want more game time, try to pick up with other teams on off weeks.

12U

She does pick up occasionally.

She plays league ball too, but I'm not sure that helps. She can just blow fastballs by kids and doesn't have to change speed or hit spots. It might actually be bad for her.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
From my perspective, it's on the lower end of fine.

In an ideal world, I'd like a bit more. Because yes, pitching in game situations is definitely one piece of the puzzle.

We have pitchers who get 2-3 innings per tournament, so 5-6 is actually pretty decent.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
12U

She does pick up occasionally.

She plays league ball too, but I'm not sure that helps. She can just blow fastballs by kids and doesn't have to change speed or hit spots. It might actually be bad for her.

Games are good, no matter where they are. What she can do and what she actually does are two different things. Nothing says she can't work on hitting spots or even changing speed during league ball.
 
Oct 29, 2019
89
18
From my perspective, it's on the lower end of fine.

In an ideal world, I'd like a bit more. Because yes, pitching in game situations is definitely one piece of the puzzle.

We have pitchers who get 2-3 innings per tournament, so 5-6 is actually pretty decent.

My thoughts too.

Ideally I could double the number of innings, but as long as she is progressing and having fun.

I just keep thinking about all the time and money I'm putting into pitching and it's not really turning into game time pitching.
 
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
My thoughts too.

Ideally I could double the number of innings, but as long as she is progressing and having fun.

I just keep thinking about all the time and money I'm putting into pitching and it's not really turning into game time pitching.

I feel you. I've had that frustration.

We pushed through it by becoming the #1 pitcher. Now every case is different and it wasn't too hard for us. The #1 on your team may be very hard to beat out. And while I don't like too much intra-team competition, if your DD can make the coach recognize that she's the best pitcher, the innings will come.

Last winter off-season is when we made that push. While other girls were hunkering down inside, we worked in the rain and cold and got a few extra months of work in. Perhaps that's a possibility for you.
 
Oct 29, 2019
89
18
I feel you. I've had that frustration.

We pushed through it by becoming the #1 pitcher. Now every case is different and it wasn't too hard for us. The #1 on your team may be very hard to beat out. And while I don't like too much intra-team competition, if your DD can make the coach recognize that she's the best pitcher, the innings will come.

Last winter off-season is when we made that push. While other girls were hunkering down inside, we worked in the rain and cold and got a few extra months of work in. Perhaps that's a possibility for you.

Good Advice.

We have been pushing for awhile and IMHO the gap between my kid and the #1 is closing. The gap has maybe even closed. However, #1 has been a good reliable #1 for a year. I think my kid will have to get significantly better than #1 to get more innings. Which is how it should be.

I know what you mean about intra-team competition. I don't really want any of the other kids to get fewer innings. They are friends and need their innings too. Rock and a hard place.

I did the math. Between pitching lessons and renting cages/fields I'm paying about $175-$200 per game pitched. Good thing it's my #1 hobby.
 

Latest posts

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,468
Members
21,443
Latest member
sstop28
Top