8 year old looking for "simple" drills and tips

[Rocketech1]

Ok, I am far from a pitching expert, but have coached every age level and sport you can name for the past 28yrs. Currently have a dd that is pretty good at 12U travel. This girl is 8. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON A PITCHING COACH. Yeah some of these guys on here are good pitching coaches with great training. However, she is 8 and from what I viewed in the video she has the aggressiveness to be a good pitcher. A little HE going on, but what she really needs is a dad to sit on a bucket until she figures out if she really loves to pitch. Rec. ball is where to start and build her confidence. I have witnessed a lot of wonderful pitchers who mentally just can't handle it! Save some $ for later when she will really benefit from that kind of instruction. Until then Hillhouse and other online sources such as IR in the classroom will be a wonderful guide for you and her.

Not sure about your local rec league but the one my DD played in had kid pitch including walks at 8u. The girls that didn't take regular pitching lessons either got zero time in the circle or walked almost every batter. Why set these kids up for failure, do you think this gives them confidence being unprepared to pitch in a game. You should give them the tools to help them succeed. When my DD turned 7, she wanted to pitch in games. I immediately got her weekly pitching lessons because I didn't know anything about the windmill pitch at the time. In order for the manager to give her any pitching time in the game she had to work hard especially that first 6 months. She went from being #4 pitcher on her team to #1 started during the season and didn't look back. Had it not been for the weekly lessons and regular pitching practices with her bucket dad she would not have been ready for all star tournament ball a year later. I have seen her peers who have dabbled in pitching, never got any formal pitching instruction, and they have given up trying to play the position.

Getting quality pitching instruction serves several purposes. First, it allows someone else to coach your daughter who doesn't have the parent daughter dynamic which I believe is a good change for the player since most of us parents also coach their kids teams early on in their softball "career". Secondly, the learning curve is quicker because PCs are used to teaching to similar aged kids and know what's effective and what's not. Third, the parent is educating themselves at each lesson, is taking notes, and asking questions because the parent is their unofficial pitching coach the rest of the week. I have several of Hillhouses DVDs (which are very good) but frankly you cannot learn how to pitch by watching a video. The hands on, one on one instruction is invaluable for the new pitcher. Lastly, getting an 8 year old a few lessons from day one will help the parent and daughter decide if she wants to commit to learning how to pitch. If not, you get your answer very quickly. My last point is as an offensive player, you want these kid pitchers to become somewhat proficient and consistent at their craft as soon as possible so that your kids can learn to hit a quality pitched ball. If the pitcher is just walking a bunch of batters, how are they going to develop as hitters if they never see a pitch that is hittable.

So you say do not get private pitching lessons to an 8YO, I say it's absolutely critical if you have a motivated kid that wants to pitch in games.

 

[BoardMember]

There is no difference between teaching a child to throw a frisbee and teaching a child to throw a softball underhand..........There is a right way and a wrong way to learn how to do it. And both can be tons of fun..........

Think about this. Heading to the park on a sunny Sunday afternoon with the kid and a frisbee.........

The last thing you'd do is try to get the child beginner to be perfect mechanically with a frisbee. You wouldn't make that kid throw left breaks and right breaks and risers and floaters with the frisbee. The first thing you'd do is teach the proper way to throw the disk so she can have fun and success just tossing it back and forth successfully......

Throwing a softball underhand is JUST LIKE learning to toss a frisbee.........Go out.......Show her the proper way.........And just toss it around until it's natural..........

THEN TEACH HER HOW TO PITCH...........

 

[coach james]

"My little one (5) is SOOOO jealous of her older sister and the "daddy time" she gets with pitching that SHE always asks me if she can pitch after her big sister."

This sounds exactly like my house! except mine are 8 & 14. My 8yr old has the right mechanics right out of the gate, where it was an uphill struggle with her sister. If you just play with them, having fun, you'll be surprised how much they've picked up just being around her big sis during games and practices!

 

[Dudley]

Once again she is 8! Unless you are loaded with cash, most of that money will be going down the drain. Unless she is a super focused 8, then spend a yr or so yourself throwing the ball around with her. I also teach school and the attention span of most 8's are about 8 minutes....

 

[bpeck]

thank you all for your input.. alot of great stuff on here and that is why I come here. I totally agree with the attention span of the 8 year old. I coach an 8U team as well so I am reminded of that weekly.. And I see both sides. I talked to the OTCfastpitch and we are going to meet with her, she said we can just meet first and then go from there. I do not want to burn her out either as some have brought up. She wants to practice about 3-4 nights a week, and I do not force her too right now which is good, so it must mean she is enjoying it right now. I will see how the journey goes and maybe post an update here or there.

 

[coach james]

Keep in mind that the idea is for the PC to lay down the ground work and then you (mom&dad) reinforce that ground work at home. Baby steps. Don't expect your dd to grow as a pitcher with only working with the PC. YOU must learn it with her and each visit to the PC. You can let them tweak and add to what you've been working towards. And as she gets more proficient, the PC will add to it. Until one day seemingly out of no where, your dd has nearly broken your hand, sending you straight to the store for a catchers mitt!

 

[chinamigarden]

Every kid is different my dd has never had a private lesson from a pc. At her most dedicated she practiced pitching 3 times a week typically twice. She takes months off at a time to focus on other things. She has been the # 1 pitcher on her team the last 5 years. At 14 she was guest playing on an 18u team and keeping up with girls in college.

I would never suggest to anyone that my dds method is the way to go so I get a bit torqued when others say that you can't do it different then their dd did/does it. Not everyone wants to put the same time into the game. But that's ok people shouldn't act like its a sacrilege to suggest anything other then boot camp type commitment

 

[Dudley]

God created men and woman equally, some are just more equal than others. I know this is hashed out somewhere else in a thread. If the young lady isn't blessed with some god given talent it doesn't matter who the PC is! Coaches in general get to much credit for success, as well as failures. There isn't a cookie cutter way of producing a top pitcher without considering all the intangibles... Otherwise we would have at least a zillion awesome pitchers according to our experts! LOL

 

[halskinner]

God created men and woman equally, some are just more equal than others. I know this is hashed out somewhere else in a thread. If the young lady isn't blessed with some god given talent it doesn't matter who the PC is! Coaches in general get to much credit for success, as well as failures. There isn't a cookie cutter way of producing a top pitcher without considering all the intangibles... Otherwise we would have at least a zillion awesome pitchers according to our experts! LOL

Gonna disagree with ya here.

I have heard instructors use every lame butt excuse for their own inability to progress a pitcher.

"Not tall enough" "Not strong enough" "not in her DNA" "Not in her genes" and every other excuse for the instructor throwing in the towel after blaming the student.

I know this to be true because I was the one in my area the instructors referred those students to when they gave up on them. They all have a God given talent but the instructor is the person that must know how to bring it out in them. If they cannot, they are a failure as a teacher.

 

[Dudley]

Hal, I am with you. I'm not saying anything about size or the prototypical pitcher! My daughter is small for her age both height and weight and yet can bring it pretty darn good with what others have described as excellent mechanics. My point is after all the coaching some kids are going to reach their potential, wherever that may fall. There are a ton of kids out there with enormous potential who squander it by not working hard. While others with the non-typical body and lesser potential work their tails off to over achieve. In regards to this thread, we are talking about an 8 yr old from my vantage point who looks pretty impressive. I truly think that at this point see what she comes by naturally vs. sending her off or signing her up for a total commitment to a regular PC. Dad should learn some drills take her in for a checkup with a PC and get to work on the bucket. When and if she is ready, sign her up for regular pitching lessons.