JAD, Curious as to what age did your DD start to be the #1? As I remember she wasn't so fast at a younger age. So, how did her younger years go with her pitching time?
10U TB and #3/4 Pitcher?
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- Jun 12, 2015
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She's 97th percentile for height. She's the youngest on her team but the 3rd tallest. Hitting, we'll see. So far so good but we're still adjusting to live pitching. Anyway, she has no desire to be a primary first baseman. When she's not pitching she really prefers short stop. Personally I love watching her at short almost as much as when she's pitching. Then again, I love watching her play any position.
That is a great question! My DD was the #1 pitcher on her 10U team not because she was a great pitcher, but because we were a C-level TB team and she was all we had! If she was on a 10U A-level team she would have been the #3 or #4 pitcher and I bet her career would have turned out much differently. We used the fact that she was the #1 pitcher as motivation for her to work hard because her team was counting on her. Softball is a marathon, not a sprint, and I am HUGE believer that circle time is the most important ingredient for improvement. A pitcher gets better by pitching AGAINST the best hitters, not by playing on the best team and pitching against weaker competition. A players goal should be to play as high a level of TB as she can at 16U, and college coaches do not care if your DD went to PGF or ASA nationals at 10U, 12U, or 14U....
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- Nov 23, 2014
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This is a great point. I preach this all the time. It really doesn't matter about the number of wins at 10-14u, what matters is development. That's how I gauge if she is having a good season. Is she developing?
- Feb 7, 2013
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Yes, but don't you think that if she pitched at PGF, ASA nationals the experience playing against top competition molds her into a better pitcher?
Everyone says that what you did at 8U, 10u, and 12U doesn't matter but I disagree. I think it all matters and helps develop you into a quality player (as well as a love of the game). There is a chapter in Malcolm Gladwell's book "Outliers" that resonated with me. His premise was that Canadien hockey players who went on to play in the NHL were disproportiately the kids who were born early in the calendar year. Because these kids were more physically and mentally mature than their peers born late in the year, the older kids were more likely to make the all-star teams. And because these kids made the all-star teams, they got additional playing time and played against better competition, and most importantly got better than their peers. Because they were better and older than their peers, they made the all-star team the next year, and this cycle continued year after year after year.
If you want your kids to play competitive softball, make sure that they are put in situations to grow as an athlete. They should get plenty of playing time and fight tooth and nail to make all-star teams when they are younger. Winning is also important because it means they will get farther in the tournament (more reps), face tougher competition, and learn how to win when the pressure is on.
Pitching against better competition will always help with improvement, but you do not necessarily have to go to PGF or ASA Nationals to do it, and when you put together your DD's player profile very few coaches will look at it and say "wow, she went to PGF when she was 12, we really need to take a look at this kid..."
The hypothesis in "Outliers" is that the players chosen for All Stars get additional practice, training and playing time.....and the players who are old for their age group have a better chance of being chosen because they are more mature and have more developed muscles. In softball, depending on what area of the country you live in, your DD could play softball year round. That is why the majority of collegiate softball players come from warm weather climates. Muscle mass is also not as big an advantage in softball as it is in contact sports like football and hockey.
PS - We were also very lucky that we were on a TB team that had the goal of getting better by playing against better competition. We did not win many trophies when we were younger, but we pushed our girls to improve. I will never forget when we played in one 10U tournament, and we got put in the losers bracket early and had to win 4 games to get to the championship. We won all 4 games by the thinnest of margins and made it to the championship against one of the best 10U teams in GA from one of the marquee organizations. We lost the championship game 0-7 and at the trophy ceremony our girls were partying like rockstars, while the other team was kind of "meh" because it was probably their 6th or 7th tournament victory.....kind of reminded me of the "Bad News Bears" when the Yankees won the championship, but the Bears were pouring champagne and beer on each other!
- Feb 7, 2013
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My point exactly....but don't discount playing against good competition in "big" tournaments is an important factor in a softball player's development. Case in point, when DD was 10U, she pitched in the championship game at ASA western nationals and we only lost 2-1. Does any HS or college coach care what she did in 10U, heck no, but what they do care about is the type of pitcher she is currently and that experience at 10U and many others since, build up over time and has shaped her mentally and physically as a pitcher and a softball player.
- Nov 18, 2013
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With coaches attending 14U ASA and PGF Nationals recruiting kids it can make a difference if your kid is playing there. Its definitely not the only way to get noticed though. IMO that's still attending college camps.
I have to disagree with those who say circle time is paramount at 10U or any age. Pitching in games will hone their skills, but most of the development comes from practice. I wouldn't suggest seeking out a #3 or #4 spot, but don't panic if the kid is only pitching 1-2 gams a week. That's more than enough innings to improve if they're working with a good PC.
I have to disagree with those who say circle time is paramount at 10U or any age. Pitching in games will hone their skills, but most of the development comes from practice. I wouldn't suggest seeking out a #3 or #4 spot, but don't panic if the kid is only pitching 1-2 gams a week. That's more than enough innings to improve if they're working with a good PC.
