DD Might be a Pitcher - 10YOA

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Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
DD has been working hard and she might be a pitcher this year. She can throw her fastball where she wants and now has a changeup. I do not think her Manager will know what to do with her except put her out there.

In her brief softball career I have learned a bunch. 2 of the biggest lessons are leave her alone during the games and she knows a lot more about what is going on the field then I do. I am not sure if I am teaching her or she is teaching me.

Does it make sense to let her call her own game pitching? Someone has too and it is not going to be me.
 
Last edited:
Jan 18, 2010
4,284
0
In your face
Am I reading this correct? You have almost 900 posts on here and a 10 YO DD "knows more than you"? :)

If she wants to pitch and you don't have a pitching background I'd for sure take her to a QUALIFIED PC. Get his or her advice as to if she has what it takes and work on any bad mechanics she may or may not have.

A 10 YO should not be calling her own game. At that age they have no idea WHAT they need to call. It's much more involved than working the batter. It's base runners, score, inning, time limit, outs, who's up next in batting order, etc, etc, etc.

Pitching is not about just about raring back and throwing. You have to factor in every movement on the field, every possible outcome of a hit pitch, where the play will be, who will be covering, etc. For some it takes years and 100's and 100's of games to compute all that in the few seconds you have between pitches.

Leave the pitch calling to the coach, and in a couple of years a good catcher will be calling them. ( for the most part )
 
Apr 1, 2010
1,675
0
Does it make sense to let her call her own game pitching? Someone has too and it is not going to be me.

Speaking as a catcher's mom, I hope the coach will be sending in signs. It's hard for the catcher when she doesn't know what pitch is coming and where.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
DD has been the #1 thrower on her Team for a couple years, this coming year she might be a pitcher.

She only has 2 pitches so the C will be OK.
 

redhotcoach

Out on good behavior
May 8, 2009
4,706
38
If she can hit her spots at 10u, she will be pitching. My #1 at 10u could strike out 12 batters in a row. Then next game walk 4 in a row. She had a good peel drop in the first two innings and a good change up. After about two innings her change up was ineffective because her drop/peel was just as slow. Dd would visit the mound, because she thought she was throwing change ups when she was calling fastballs.
Was watching a young girl pitching good for her size at a facility a couple weeks ago. (ms. Dinosaur was there). I was impressed, until her dad started telling her "rise ball, screw ball, curve ball, peel drop, roll over drop". WHATEVER! Told DW standing next to me (she played D1 ball). to tell me the different pitches WITHOUT listening to the dip, I mean dad. DW said "there all doing the same thing except the change up, the spin rate is far too slow to move the ball."
That is 10u pitching in a nut shell. If a girl can throw high/low and inside/outside when she wants, she is dominate. The ones talking 3,4, or more pitches are only fooling themselves.
 

Coach-n-Dad

Crazy Daddy
Oct 31, 2008
1,010
0
Good luck to your DD quincy. For Gods sake, let her have fun at this age, there is plenty of time in the near future for her to stress about pitching, having 6 pitches, throwing 60+mph and not getting to bat :)
 
Oct 22, 2009
1,781
0
If she can hit her spots at 10u, she will be pitching. My #1 at 10u could strike out 12 batters in a row. Then next game walk 4 in a row. She had a good peel drop in the first two innings and a good change up. After about two innings her change up was ineffective because her drop/peel was just as slow. Dd would visit the mound, because she thought she was throwing change ups when she was calling fastballs.
Was watching a young girl pitching good for her size at a facility a couple weeks ago. (ms. Dinosaur was there). I was impressed, until her dad started telling her "rise ball, screw ball, curve ball, peel drop, roll over drop". WHATEVER! Told DW standing next to me (she played D1 ball). to tell me the different pitches WITHOUT listening to the dip, I mean dad. DW said "there all doing the same thing except the change up, the spin rate is far too slow to move the ball."
That is 10u pitching in a nut shell. If a girl can throw high/low and inside/outside when she wants, she is dominate. The ones talking 3,4, or more pitches are only fooling themselves.

It is crazy how some dads prefer their DD's to have every pitch at 10yrs old, then to just be doing good throwing a fastball and change-up. Getting confident in what they are doing at the time is so much more important. All those 10yr old that throw "every" pitch never seem confident, just stressed.

I had a 9yr old I was teaching, we were working on her mechanics because she had some issues that needed to be addressed, but her dad was more interested in her learning pitches that fixing mechanics.
He took her to another instructor, and now when I see the kid warm up, she's throwing every pitch--FB, Cu, Dr, Sb and curve. All with poor mechanics and all just thrown all over the place.
Neither the dad is happy nor the child. But at least he can say his 9yr old has 5 pitches, which will earn her the #1 position just by announcing that around here.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I guess I came off wrong, IDK having a 2nd pitch is exciting. Being on the receiving end of a good CU she knows how devastating it can be. Practicing pitching is more enjoyable to.

I am interested what her reaction will be when a batter crushes it to the fence. :)
 
Jun 10, 2010
554
28
midwest
I am not sure if I am teaching her or she is teaching me.

This is the way I have always felt! :) Somewhere in the next few years...she will know that she is teaching you! ;) You have alot of fun years ahead of you. And to be learning it correctly at 10 is just awesome.
 
Jul 25, 2011
680
16
Southern Illinois
I'm fine with my dd not knowing a bunch of different pitches. Especially, since she is only 9. We are only working on the fastball(for about 7 mos. now). I would rather her be able to hit her spots with a few pitches and have proper mechanics on them than her be able to throw a 10 different pitches that all end up the same.
Besides, I may be wrong but don't most elite pitchers only throw a handful of different pitches? so, out of curiosity, if your dd is only gonna throw a few pitches what would they be? A change up is given, and don't older pitchers get away from throwing a fastball?
I think I get what the op meant about their dd being a pitcher. I think many girls grow throwing the ball and don't really learn how to pitch. I talk with my dd a lot about thinking about what she is doing while she is pitching. It is important to me that she learn how to correct her mechanics herself, while she is on the mound. I tell her all the time that her coach and myself won't be out there with her, that it is up to her to diagnose and correct problems. I also talk with her about picking where to throw the ball and setting up batters.
I help by not yelling to correct her during games or practice. I let her try to figure it out. Sometimes I will stop and ask her what she did wrong and how to correct it. I want her to know what to do and why she should do it, not just because that's what dad tells her.
 

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