Cannonball
Ex "Expert"
- Feb 25, 2009
- 4,882
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After 18U, What is next?
- Thread starter Cannonball
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- Jun 22, 2008
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Lot of maybes. Maybe they are:
Taking classes and concentrating on getting ahead of the curve;
Working to help support themselves or help their family
Working a summer internship in their field of study
Playing SP to get the live reps they would never get in the FP games.
Playing some mid-week pick-up games with other college players & 18U TB players.
This is what happens in my area. Players from SEC, ACC, Big East, MEAC, CAA other mid-majors. Even then the players come and go during the game due to family and work commitments.
Quite a few areas just cannot support an adult FP league. Over the years, there has been an effort to keep a women's league going in my area and all four times it has been attempted, the league folded for lack of interest each time before the half-way mark.
Some people just cannot comprehend that softball just isn't as big a priority everywhere as it may be in their world.
- Nov 29, 2009
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And sometimes you need a break from it to recoup. From the time they get to school in the fall till the time they leave at the end of spring it's a grind. My DD would need/take the time to let her arm rest and recover after pitching all year at school. She was asked to play on a couple of women's teams but turned them down.
- Nov 29, 2009
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If a girl is a freshman she may not get a lot of playing time during the season and will still want to play. A positional player can still want to play. If a pitcher is working the bulk of the innings during the school season it's a good idea to take a rest and recover.
Your DD did the right thing by playing in the 23U group. She should be playing against the women she'll be playing against during the college season. As you know, there's a huge difference between the college and 18U games.
- Nov 29, 2009
- 2,973
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Cannonball,
My DD has been done with college for four years now. Her freshman year the junior pitcher on the team welcomed her because she was hauling the pitching load for the team. My DD came in and took a good portion of the load off of her. They both had good seasons in the circle. My DD's soph year was much better as was the other girl's. However the team couldn't hit their weight so she would end up losing 1-0, 2-1 all season long. She averaged 9.6 K's, 1.5 BB's, 1.65 ERA, .195 OPBA for the season and only won 5 games. Once the senior graduated it was all her. The *ahhump* "#2" couldn't make it through the 2nd game of double header. She didn't miss too many bats and the DD was coming in with the team down 6-7 runs and pitching the last 4-5 innings of the 2nd game. --Coach didn't know when to pull the trigger.-- The #3 pitched, but she wasn't a pitcher. She was more like a human pitching machine. Same thing with the senior year. No help and the hitting was sporadic at best.
She was one of four freshman pitchers who came in at the same time. The #2 stuck it out for four years. The #3 quit after her soph year and another one transferred after she saw she could not beat out my DD.
My DD has been done with college for four years now. Her freshman year the junior pitcher on the team welcomed her because she was hauling the pitching load for the team. My DD came in and took a good portion of the load off of her. They both had good seasons in the circle. My DD's soph year was much better as was the other girl's. However the team couldn't hit their weight so she would end up losing 1-0, 2-1 all season long. She averaged 9.6 K's, 1.5 BB's, 1.65 ERA, .195 OPBA for the season and only won 5 games. Once the senior graduated it was all her. The *ahhump* "#2" couldn't make it through the 2nd game of double header. She didn't miss too many bats and the DD was coming in with the team down 6-7 runs and pitching the last 4-5 innings of the 2nd game. --Coach didn't know when to pull the trigger.-- The #3 pitched, but she wasn't a pitcher. She was more like a human pitching machine. Same thing with the senior year. No help and the hitting was sporadic at best.
She was one of four freshman pitchers who came in at the same time. The #2 stuck it out for four years. The #3 quit after her soph year and another one transferred after she saw she could not beat out my DD.
My DD played 18U after her first year in college. It was fun, but it was too much for her. Her arm was shot after the summer, and then fall ball started as soon as she got back to school. She was pretty much exhausted.
After her sophomore year, she played a little 23U during the summer. It wasn't much fun...there were no practices, so everyone just showed up to play. My DD was used to playing a very sophisticated version of the game, and the 23U team was just not much fun.
College softball starts in September. So, everyone has plenty of time to get back into form by January.
And, everyone needs some time off. There is more to life than softball.
After her sophomore year, she played a little 23U during the summer. It wasn't much fun...there were no practices, so everyone just showed up to play. My DD was used to playing a very sophisticated version of the game, and the 23U team was just not much fun.
College softball starts in September. So, everyone has plenty of time to get back into form by January.
And, everyone needs some time off. There is more to life than softball.
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- Jun 22, 2008
- 3,438
- 48
Couple more things. Around here where they basically have pick-up teams to play others in the area, these girls literally pay to play. A collection is made prior to the game. That's how the umpires get paid.
These girls play for fun, but it is better ball than you will see anywhere. Why? Because the only person they need to impress is themselves. No coaches to fear or impress for position, no parents continually coaching from the bleachers, they just have fun by PLAYING. Some of the diving catches in the infield and outfield are just unbelieveable. If you ever played sandlot ball, you probably saw some of the most amazing plays never caught on tape simply because you wanted to show everyone how good you are, or thought you were
Blasphemy!!! You are going straight to Mississippi for that one!!!
- Oct 14, 2008
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Ran into this issue this summer. She was supposed to go to Belize and play National teams there, That got shot down when there were troubles with some not getting there passport in time. Looked for 23U Major but would have to go 4 to 5 hours west almost back to Chicago from Ohio to play. That ruled that out. Wound up playing 2 ND Year 18 travel for 4 tournies just to work on the swing and some defensive mechanics. So far 2 weeks into it I think she would have been better off to spend 4 days a week in private training rather than 7 travel ball games a weekend playing the walk game.
2nd year 18 and in college is like no mans land here. If your lucky enough to have a major team close to you jump on the chance.
Tim
2nd year 18 and in college is like no mans land here. If your lucky enough to have a major team close to you jump on the chance.
Tim
- Nov 29, 2009
- 2,973
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The best line I ever heard from a player came from one of my DD's college teammates. She had just hit the fence 3/4 of the way up with a ball. As she's standing on 2nd base she looks back at her teammates in the dugout and says "I guess if I woulda lifted instead of laying on the bench that one would have been over." The dugout and the fans all got a good laugh out of that.
Very informative and interesting thread. Since my nephew is playing semi-pro baseball in-between college semesters, I wondered what the females might do?
Time off is tricky. And up to the individual. I will suppose DD will cross that bridge when she gets there.
Take it for what it's worth. 3 BB "after 18u" stories in timeline. My older brother pitched D1, in the summer he played in a men's league, nothing top notch.....just other local college players with minimal traveling. I pitched D1 ten years later, did not play summer ball, spent my summer chasing skirts, going to the lake, partying. ( may have to erase that part later if DD gets on here ) Nephew catches D2 twenty years after me, and plays semi-pro to stay sharp and get professional exposure.
My brother was always better than me. 6'4 and a great pitching build. Still holds the best season high school ERA in the metro area from 1982 ( .34 ). He wasn't too much into the parties or social circle, he studied hard and played hard. Had a good chance of minor or major league play but had elbow problems his Junior college year.
Me, well..............a decent pitcher 6'1, I loved the game and loved to pitch. But I also loved the late night college life and wild parties. I was a great HS and TB pitcher, and just a average college pitcher. Very little chance of pitching beyond college, just didn't have the edge or speed.
Nephew, probably going to make it into the big leagues. Has that desire and a ton of talent, and is sacrificing a normal college summer of fun to play ball half way across the country. He eats and sleeps baseball, and a very good respectable young man.
So my DD has more of my brother and his son's ethics, thank God. And I guess I will start now looking into what leagues are available after 18u. Surely a college FP coach has such options for his girls? I just can't imagine that he/she wouldn't.
Sluggers brings up a good point, I think pitchers need some type of "leave". I'm not qualified to say just how much, but most all of us need time to decompress and release the pressure of such a physically and mentally demanding position.
Sorry for the rant, sometimes I wish I'd done things different now that I'm older and wiser.
Time off is tricky. And up to the individual. I will suppose DD will cross that bridge when she gets there.
Take it for what it's worth. 3 BB "after 18u" stories in timeline. My older brother pitched D1, in the summer he played in a men's league, nothing top notch.....just other local college players with minimal traveling. I pitched D1 ten years later, did not play summer ball, spent my summer chasing skirts, going to the lake, partying. ( may have to erase that part later if DD gets on here ) Nephew catches D2 twenty years after me, and plays semi-pro to stay sharp and get professional exposure.
My brother was always better than me. 6'4 and a great pitching build. Still holds the best season high school ERA in the metro area from 1982 ( .34 ). He wasn't too much into the parties or social circle, he studied hard and played hard. Had a good chance of minor or major league play but had elbow problems his Junior college year.
Me, well..............a decent pitcher 6'1, I loved the game and loved to pitch. But I also loved the late night college life and wild parties. I was a great HS and TB pitcher, and just a average college pitcher. Very little chance of pitching beyond college, just didn't have the edge or speed.
Nephew, probably going to make it into the big leagues. Has that desire and a ton of talent, and is sacrificing a normal college summer of fun to play ball half way across the country. He eats and sleeps baseball, and a very good respectable young man.
So my DD has more of my brother and his son's ethics, thank God. And I guess I will start now looking into what leagues are available after 18u. Surely a college FP coach has such options for his girls? I just can't imagine that he/she wouldn't.
Sluggers brings up a good point, I think pitchers need some type of "leave". I'm not qualified to say just how much, but most all of us need time to decompress and release the pressure of such a physically and mentally demanding position.
Sorry for the rant, sometimes I wish I'd done things different now that I'm older and wiser.
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