What is your DD's ''journey"?

Any softball parent who has been at this very long has heard the cliche - ''It's the journey.''

Yet most of what we read here is not about that. It's typically about performance, the quest for the elusive high-level swing or IR mechanics, how to get better. We even had a brag forum for days when it all comes together. Which is all fine.

But if you really believe it's the journey, what is it for your DD? What are challenges for her in softball that don't involve ball, bat or glove?

What has she overcome? Better still, what does she still struggle with? What is she really learning?

If you strip away the batting average, the ERA, the college potential, all the things that strangers don't care about, what are some things that make your DD human or even vulnerable, things that make her softball journey important and interesting?

DD pitches, she will take off on anyone who says anything about her defense. Sometimes it has been good, some times pretty bad.

I find it interesting how supportive she is and in turn how supportive her teammates are to her.

(Lol, it is her defense. True though)

With my dd, she has a high functioning form of autism. So for her, she gets extreme anxiety, has verbal and nonverbal difficulties. She heard many people tell her that she wasn't good enough, too short and/or started too late to be a pitcher. Her response has always been the same, "I want to pitch because it helps me feel better."

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

DD2 loves arts and crafts. She makes posters, bows, paintings and anything else she can think of. She still has to overcome her fear of moths. It's almost as bad as her fear of bees.

My favorite thing about DD playing softball has been the huge increase in her self-confidence. She's always been my sweet, sensitive child. When she decided she wanted to pitch I worried the emotional side would be hard on her. She used to have sudden headaches or stomach aches when she made mistakes. Not faking it, but genuine physical reactions to what she saw as her own failures. But over the few years she's been playing I have seen her grow into this amazing, confident person. I know this confidence will carry forward for the rest of her life and I'm so grateful for that.

Crystal Brown said:

With my dd, she has a high functioning form of autism. So for her, she gets extreme anxiety, has verbal and nonverbal difficulties. She heard many people tell her that she wasn't good enough, too short and/or started too late to be a pitcher. Her response has always been the same, "I want to pitch because it helps me feel better."

Click to expand...

Great responses so far. Thanks.

This one touches my heart because my DD knows what it's like to have extreme anxiety, which is hard for many to understand its difficulty in overcoming unless you've experienced it. It's that sort of thing that has helped me not see her as a softball player (ie, her stats, accomplishments), but just a kid who is trying to figure out life and find herself on a softball field. So I have great respect and admiration for any kid who has the courage to take on her private/personal issues on a very public stage - such a pitching circle no less. Thanks for sharing that!

Crystal Brown said:

With my dd, she has a high functioning form of autism. So for her, she gets extreme anxiety, has verbal and nonverbal difficulties. She heard many people tell her that she wasn't good enough, too short and/or started too late to be a pitcher. Her response has always been the same, "I want to pitch because it helps me feel better."

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Interested in hearing more about your daughter, Crystal. How old is she? How many years has she played? How is she doing as a pitcher?

Hate to keep going back to the differences between DDs but it has been different here....

DD#1 was natural, taller, athletic, etc. and she excelled what most would consider easily... However, she did learn that everyone has value and she learned to appreciate the pieces that everyone brings to the table to make a group effort successful... that was really her journey in a nutshell... She is at the pinnacle of her career playing NAIA ball right now...

DD#2 was not natural at the sport, she was shorter when she started, and her right foot turned in when she was younger... She had to "think" about running because taking off too fast normally resulted in a face plant... However, she learned that working hard can get you where you want to be and with encouragement form DD#1 she knew she had something to offer... I wish I could take credit for her work ethic but all I did was facilitate the opportunities to work and she continues to work to this day and while her journey probably still has another 7 years I believe the journey culminates with the development of a work ethic that will serve her well in life after softball...

Throwing in a wrench to this one. My daughter just turned 6 yesterday. She's played tee ball in Little League (so mainly all boys) since she was 4. At 4, while playing 3B, she fielded a ground ball, tagged her bag and threw to first. Her coach was shocked. Just before I (as an asst on the field) told her to do it. But still, she did it. Last year as a 5 y/o she was one of the best players on her team. Her competition was a boy one year older. This year was her first experience in evaluations and she scored the best in her age group in hitting. Unfortunately, the league decided to keep just 10 players on a team in the 7 & 8 y/o kid pitch division, so she's back in tee ball for her third time (fourth if you include winter ball between the Spring 4 and 5 y/o seasons).

She's athletic, competitive and driven. She wants to be the best. She's in gymnastics one hour a week and in fall we took baseball off so she could start AYSO soccer.

But crap, she lacks confidence. Even her kindergarten teacher noted it this week in her second trimester report. This despite her reading level being off the charts and leading her class in site words progression. Last night during practice she swung and missed on her first two swings, then yells at me that she can't do it. This, despite last week crushing the ball, driving it in the air, which caused multiple parents to talk to me about how good she looked. Her fielding needs work, and I'm probably a little tough on her. Because I know she can be good. Really it's just a matter of reps at this point, but it's tough to get her to do any at home because she'd much rather ride her bike around the neighborhood (which she learned to do in 5 minutes - she's that kind of kid that picks things up very easily).

She has a twin brother, which is why she's in little league. It's just easier for us at this point to keep them on the same team, have same games and practices, etc. He's pretty average and doesn't have the same drive or interest in athletics that she does, so who knows how long he'll last. I'd considered keeping her in little league until she was about 8. But now I'm reconsidering.

We're in southern California and live in a city of about 150k. Youth sports is huge. The softball organization in the city appears to be solid, as far as I've heard and can tell. So I think I'm going to get her over there for her age 7 season, when kid pitch starts.

Thoughts? Does this seem about right, so she can get used to the ball, mainly? Her league has 8u, then 10u. Seems like a big step for her to jump in to softball for the first time in 10u.

Any way, that's our journey so far. We're at the very beginning.

If it is more convenient for you I would keep her in baseball until HS, then she needs to make a decision.

There is no downside of playing BB oppose to SB.