Conference in the circle

PlayPerfect said:

My advice to the coaches who like to meet their pitcher in the cirlcle between innings and hand her the ball....Ive found my time is better spent hustling in and coaching up my defense before they run out. Whether its a quick word to one kid, or three different kids, you can convey a lot information in that minute. Let the pitcher pitch, she knows your proud of her.

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BB875 said:

I appreciate your advice, but I completely disagree. My "between inning chat" is to give words of encouragement to the pitcher. The time is well spent. She alone feels the pressure on every pitch. I build a relationship of trust with my pitchers and have the routine of letting them know we are in this together. I never give instruction or critique her performance during that brief time. I ask questions like "How are you feeling?", or "What's working today?". Then I tell her to keep up the good work, have fun, nice job today, etc... I see all this discussion about a pitcher's mechanics, pitch arsenal, velocity, etc. When a kid is in the circle in a game situation, the mental side is just as important. A good coach works towards deflecting as much of the game pressure as possible. Keep your pitcher positive and feeling good about herself. Likewise, when I actually do call a conference, its never is a criticism. I try to evaluate her mental state and her confidence level by asking questions. Many times its just to break up the pressure from why I needed to call a conference in the first place.

I am not saying this is the way for everyone, I am saying it works for me.

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