amandascarborough
where's the chocolate?
Same here. It's not called nearly enough. I've worked with many pitchers who have great changeups, but you'd never know it because the pitch ends up in their back pocket all game. Or the coach will call one, it will be called a ball, and then it gets abandoned. Never mind all the balls getting called on other pitches. For some reason, coaches seem more ball-averse on the change than any other pitch.
It's such a shame! By trying different pitches within a game setting (whenever the PITCHER feels she is ready to try them in a game) it will give her more confidence and experience! I feel like the developmental side of youth softball gets forgotten about. Part of a pitcher developing is trying new things on the stage of a game. Part of being a great pitcher is that experience. You build and build on skills. As much as I love to win (and trust me, I LOVE to win), I think it's important for players to to learn to work through things. There were so many times that maybe a pitch didn't work in the 1st or 2nd inning, but then I kept throwing it and found it because we kept throwing it.
Another helpful suggestion is that if a pitch isn't working during an inning, go down to the "bullpen" at your game and throw to your catcher and try to find that pitch. My coach at Texas A&M told me this my freshman year, and never before had anyone told me to do that. I know it seems obvious, but honestly, NO ONE had ever told me to do it. "Hey Amanda, your change up is a little high, why don't you go down to the bullpen while we are hitting and go work on it." Instantly in a game it gave me more confidence with it if I was able to get it working while our team was hitting. THEN you learn to feel success and understand you can work through things, not just give up on them.