- Dec 27, 2014
- 311
- 18
DD worked like a maniac all winter on her pitching. Pitched a little in 8u, where she got bitten by the pitching bug, and wanted to be prepared for, hopefully, making the 10u rec team. (she tried out as an eight year old but did not get the call for AAA) The end of 8u she was throwing horse shoe style somewhere in the mid 20's for speed. 
October thru March she threw about 10,000 pitches working on principles from this board and a Bill Hillhouse dvd. We ended up finding a PC halfway thru the winter who was very complimentary of DD speed and motion and also taught some Hillhouse inspired drills. By the start of the 10u season PC was telling us she would do very well at 10u. Having not seen many 10u games we had no idea where the pitching and hitting was.
She did very well at tryouts and made AAA at nine, which was one of her goals. Unfortunately, she came down with pnuemonia two weeks before the season and barely made it to opening day, a shell of herself. Three days later she made her first start and struck out 8 in 3 innings. She kept getting her strength back and two weeks later she struck out 9 in 3 innings. One run and two walks. At nine she does not have complete command of the zone yet so walks are her biggest hurdle.
As the year went on she kept getting stronger and every game turned into a fun, surreal moment for DW and I. The other teams coaches were so, so complinetary to her - even after she would face the minimum on strikeouts. One team, jestingly,wanted her to be tested for roids.
After one game Blue told us she was the best AAA pitcher she had ever seen. Each game her reputation would grow. Second and third time around we would hear from the other team coaches before the game. "You pitch'n your daughter tonight?" One game we put our emerging pitchers in the first three innings, then we walked her out to warm up for the 4th and you could hear the other teams girls saying, some excited, some dreading - it's her, it's her!! LOL. Or the coaches would yell every at bat for the girls to get back of the box, swing faster etc. One game, against the best team in our league, she struck out the first nine batters and we are up 5-0. She came out as scheduled for #2 pitcher to get the next two innings. We rarely see our 6 inning max. We get 4-run'd both innings and is 7-8 going to bottom of the 6th, just made the time limit. I warm up DD so the other team knows she will pitch the 6th, if we can get there. Unfortunately, we don't score any runs. But the other team's coach asks if we will come out for them to bat the sixth. They want another crack at DD! She strikes out the first two batters. Gives up her first walk of the game, to their SMALLEST hitter. Brings up their best hitter. She is a monster. Darn near as big as I am. Struck out on four pitches.
The NW may not be a hotbed, like the warmer areas for softball. But I can't tell you how much fun it was to watch DD pitch and grow as the season went on, against most players a year or two older than her. She throws in the mid to high 40's, with one 50 recorded at a lesson, still struggles keeping the ball down at times, but has been a fun journey so far.
October thru March she threw about 10,000 pitches working on principles from this board and a Bill Hillhouse dvd. We ended up finding a PC halfway thru the winter who was very complimentary of DD speed and motion and also taught some Hillhouse inspired drills. By the start of the 10u season PC was telling us she would do very well at 10u. Having not seen many 10u games we had no idea where the pitching and hitting was.
She did very well at tryouts and made AAA at nine, which was one of her goals. Unfortunately, she came down with pnuemonia two weeks before the season and barely made it to opening day, a shell of herself. Three days later she made her first start and struck out 8 in 3 innings. She kept getting her strength back and two weeks later she struck out 9 in 3 innings. One run and two walks. At nine she does not have complete command of the zone yet so walks are her biggest hurdle.
As the year went on she kept getting stronger and every game turned into a fun, surreal moment for DW and I. The other teams coaches were so, so complinetary to her - even after she would face the minimum on strikeouts.
One team, jestingly,wanted her to be tested for roids. After one game Blue told us she was the best AAA pitcher she had ever seen. Each game her reputation would grow. Second and third time around we would hear from the other team coaches before the game. "You pitch'n your daughter tonight?" One game we put our emerging pitchers in the first three innings, then we walked her out to warm up for the 4th and you could hear the other teams girls saying, some excited, some dreading - it's her, it's her!! LOL. Or the coaches would yell every at bat for the girls to get back of the box, swing faster etc. One game, against the best team in our league, she struck out the first nine batters and we are up 5-0. She came out as scheduled for #2 pitcher to get the next two innings. We rarely see our 6 inning max. We get 4-run'd both innings and is 7-8 going to bottom of the 6th, just made the time limit. I warm up DD so the other team knows she will pitch the 6th, if we can get there. Unfortunately, we don't score any runs. But the other team's coach asks if we will come out for them to bat the sixth. They want another crack at DD! She strikes out the first two batters. Gives up her first walk of the game, to their SMALLEST hitter
. Brings up their best hitter. She is a monster. Darn near as big as I am. Struck out on four pitches. The NW may not be a hotbed, like the warmer areas for softball. But I can't tell you how much fun it was to watch DD pitch and grow as the season went on, against most players a year or two older than her. She throws in the mid to high 40's, with one 50 recorded at a lesson, still struggles keeping the ball down at times, but has been a fun journey so far.
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