14 yr. old new to the game

[mcastles]

Hi

This is my first post, but have read this site extensively and value the feedback posted. My situation is that my DD (14 yrs) has recently developed a keen interest in softball and played for the first time last spring in our rec league. She quickly wanted to move the next level, which would have been a summer travel team, but it was too late to join. As a result, she ran track in fall. She wants to play on her middle school team in spring and has been working on her playing skills extensively over the past months and will continue until tryouts. Her skills are reasonable, but lacks playing experience, especially compared to other 14 yr olds.

My question to you is what should she focus on over the next 3 months? She hits off the tee or machine pretty much everyday. Works on her throwing and fielding when weather allows in CT. She has taken several clinics/camps to help her focus and fine tune, but she still is new to the game and lacks experience. I would classify her as above average fitness level, average athletic ability and extreme in her interest/attitude (her coaches love her). She loves the game, but time is not on her side, plus middle school girls are not a very understanding group. I realize what really matters is the coach, but peer pressure is large at this age.

Any comments and suggestions are welcome

thanks

Mark

 

[Sparky Guy]

Mark,

You are correct. There is nothing like game experience. From what it sounds like is your DD understands just how far behind she is with regards to the other girls her age. That is good thing. It sounds like she is motivated to improve as much and as fast as she can.

Look on Eteamz and the local message boards in your area and the surrounding areas. See if anyone is looking for guest players for indoor tournaments. Find some local teams and contact the head coach. They may be willing to let her practice with the team. You have nothing lose. The worst they can say is "No." You may find a team with an opening. You never know.

It sounds like your DD may turn out to be a real gem if someone is willing to give her a chance.

Good Luck with your search.

 

[mcastles]

thanks for the advice. Will do

 

[rachelsdad]

You try watching games the commentators will point out she should have done this or tried that. Sometime when there is nothing on tv I'll watch replays of games I didn't catch when they were aired on here; College Softball Videos - ESPN

 

[T.J.]

I would try to face some live pitching. A good New England winter activity is Tri's, which is a game you play in the batting cages. Each team has 3 players (pitcher, catcher, hitter). You each bat against another teams pitcher in the batting cage (she pitches to her catcher), and you score points based on where you hit it...or you get out by a strikeout or certain weak hits. (Someone calls balls/strikes from behind the pitcher). Its a nice event b/c the pitchers and catchers get work in, and all three of you bat against live pitching. Its also kind of casual so its a good social event too which might help your daughter make some connections with her peers. If you're wondering, the 3rd player just sits out when the pitcher and catcher are playing. We've done it the past two years and my daughter has had fun with it and seriously, no one really keeps track of teh points. There's always lots of encouragement amongst the kids, laughs and talking (even while playing). But in the end they all get some work in.

 

[sluggers]

Mark, if you really want to help her, *YOU* learn how to throw balls using "half frames". (Half-frames are very easy to do.) Get a protective net and a 100 softballs, and stand 20 feet from her and toss her softballs for her to hit.

 

[CoachAl]

I will shout a huge 2nd to sluggers comment! If you want her to hit, do this drill as often as possible. 20 ft, head on soft toss - mix it up by tossing to different areas of the strike zone.

 

[mcastles]

Thanks. These are all really great suggestions.

One question. How does the soft toss benefit over working off the pitching machine? I have a lite flight machine set up in the basement (really great Christmas present). She is hitting fast pitch at about 30 ft and I man the machine and move the pitches around. Even the lite balls sound like bombs going off in the basement when it hits the duct work... LOL. Also really great machine for practicing catching technique (she likes playing catcher)

 

[sluggers]

How does the soft toss benefit over working off the pitching machine?

(1) She has to learn to see the ball come out of the hand.
(2) She has to learn the timing between when the ball is held straight up by the pitcher (we call it 12 o'clock) and when it is released by the pitcher.
(3) A pitcher moves the ball around the strike zone. A pitcher doesn't throw 4 pitches in a row to the same spot. With a pitching machine, she will see several pitches in the same location and then you move to a new location. That isn't what happens in a game.
(4) She has to learn how to make decisions about when to swing and when not to swing on every pitch. With a pitching machine, the batter swings at all the pitches.


The progression in difficulty is:

(1) Hitting off a tee.
(2) Hitting a pitching machine.
(3) Hitting off a live pitcher who isn't trying to strike the batter out.
(4) Hitting off a live pitcher who is trying to strike the batter out.
(5) Hitting in a game.

 

[Perfect Circle]

sluggers ... for me w/9 year old,with 4yrs experience...tee ball up, i have found the Sklz Zip & Hit Pro to be the toy we had the most. (and me the most) fun with. My older buddie seen us, and wanted to use it with his 16u DD, he ended up in the ER that evening....too much fun. Another was we were at my sisters, and she was late, so we hooked to her fence to get in some swings, she never played any ball....once she started with it, I couldn't stop them....no dinner that night. We hook it in the shelter house,after everyone leaves when rain outs are called...use it in the racketball court at the YMCA....

I"ll submint it as 3a, because I am really trying to do as the directions for throwing junk, and I can really make it move...you should see her watch for my hand movement :{)

Zip-N-Hit - Baseball Swing Trainer