Pitch Calling - Important?

Geez, lighten up Francis. It really feels like some folks are getting a little overly defensive and are assuming the conversation is specifically about them - it's not. My girls have been on teams utilizing just about every type of pitch calling methodology out there and have had varying degrees of success with each of them. Do I get an extra kick out of it when my DD's are running the battery and kick azz doing it? You bet. Do I enjoy a win where the Coach is calling a great game all on his own and everything clicks? Absolutely. For the record - I believe Pitch calling is important, should be a collaborative, team effort and involves constant evaluation and re-evaluation. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, it's all about how the game is called that matters. Team first of course, but it should be done in a manner that allows for individual growth and confidence. Failure goes a long way towards winning. Most of us have kids that will only play this game for a few relatively short and way too quick years, let them soak up as much as they can and above all else....have fun doing it! Enjoy the weekend!

Dandan111 said:

The girls that say they don’t want to call pitches are telling you guys what you
want to hear.

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That's a bad assumption.

Kjs23 I’m the same as you. It seems to be an American thing where softball catchers don’t call the game. (Though I think it’s starting to creep in here at the higher levels)

It’s sad. Catchers have the best position and know what’s happening.

Lozza said:

Kjs23 I’m the same as you. It seems to be an American thing where softball catchers don’t call the game. (Though I think it’s starting to creep in here at the higher levels)

It’s sad. Catchers have the best position and know what’s happening.

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It's not only the pitching. From the age of 12 I was calling all of the defensive alignments and rotations from the F4 position. I don't know if I would have enjoyed the game nearly as much if I didn't have that responsibility and confidence from my coaches and teammates. That said, a lot of things have changed since the good 'ol days and the level of skill displayed by the kids at the top end now is miles ahead of where we were at the same age. I won't judge whether things are better or worse but they are definitely different.

kjs23 said:

It's not only the pitching. From the age of 12 I was calling all of the defensive alignments and rotations from the F4 position. I don't know if I would have enjoyed the game nearly as much if I didn't have that responsibility and confidence from my coaches and teammates. That said, a lot of things have changed since the good 'ol days and the level of skill displayed by the kids at the top end now is miles ahead of where we were at the same age. I won't judge whether things are better or worse but they are definitely different.

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From my experience I notice many coaches that coach softball/fastpitch differently than they do baseball. I think some underestimate the desire of young softball players to learn the game. To me that is a shame...