Anybody's DD have REALLY bad days??

[Everyhouserecycles]

DD just turned 9 a few days ago and plays 8U rec ball. She can be really good (and she is, most of the time), but will have some days where she is really, really bad. The girl made all-stars last spring, went to district and did okay, then went to state and was missing every pitch (coach pitch!) by a mile. I thought that maybe it was pressure, but she has since had multiple days where she seems to forget how to play, but is fine a day or two later. I pitched to her last week and she was killing the ball, then on Sunday and Monday I threw her a combined 30 or so pitches and she didn't touch any (literally!) I'm sure that I'll pitch to her in a day or two and she'll be fine.

I'm not looking for mechanics advice or anything like that (I can see she's immediately dropping her hands, out in front of the ball, etc.) because I'm sure she'll be fine in a day or two.

Anybody else have this problem? Think she could just be tired? I don't know what to do!

 

[Eric F]

I don't know what to do!

What to do...

1. Relax. A bad day on occasion is not a catastrophe.
2. Keep working with her...and keep it positive.
3. Be patient. The road ahead is long, with many awesome days ahead.

 

[Orange Socks]

Yes, all the time. It really sucks when the team you coach day in day out doesn't show up, but sends some other kids that don't even know what sport they are playing. Who are you and what have you done with my girls!!!! Every tournament a team that is there will have games/days like this. You just have to accept that it is going to happen, but you just don't know when it will happen. If it happens to one or two girls it's okay but when it happens to the whole, you are screwed. My DD is almost 16 and it still happens. Your kid is in coach pitch. Relax and enjoy it the ride.

 

[CMMom1740]

If she's having one of those lousy days while you're practicing, just stop. When something like that happens, you (meaning her) tend to get inside your own mind and psych yourself out. The opposite is true too. Have you noticed that when one or two on a team start to hit really well, it tends to be contagious? I'm a psychologist (not a sports psychologist though), and the mind-body connection is super powerful. I know that on days when my "flow" at work is interrupted, I might as well just pack up and go home (although I can't usually). If I can get my mind right, things fall into place.

If she's not troubled by it, don't broadcast your anxiety to her. It could become contagious too.

 

[DNeeld]

What to do? Give her a hug and take her for ice cream. She is 9. Her college scholarship is still a few years a few way.

Most important, stay positive.

 

[grcsftbll]

I know this is about hitting but in case you ever feel like she should be perfect already...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiPjXrMn3Mo

 

[Lightning]

It's the age. My DD is in 8U as well and she has great days and terrible ones. It seems like every time she has a bad game or practice, she follows that by being awesome.

You have to relax about the bad days, and find something positive about whatever she does. Even if she takes 100 bad swings in a row, the fact that she's still in the batter's box waiting for the next pitch is a positive. Be especially positive on those days when you're watching your daughter and thinking she was replaced by an uncoordinated alien who's never played softball before.

For DD, I try to back off when she has a bad day. We're working on getting her to stop, breathe, and try to reset herself. It's harder to do when someone (usually Dad, sometimes Coach) is asking her what's going on.

 

[Me_and_my_big_mouth]

Growing bodies, growing brains. It's human nature to forget what we've already learned when we're focused on something new - especially kids. They tend to laser focus on one thing at a time. Learning fractions? Suddenly spelling suffers. Learning how to throw a ball? Suddenly can't swing a bat. At 9, she doesn't really have any muscle memory yet. Keep it fun and never let her think you're disappointed. I could almost guarantee that on the days softball isn't happening, she's thinking of some other new skill she's learning. You just have to figure out what that is, and celebrate over ice cream!

And like others said: it still happens when they're teens. One weekend, my solid .500 hitter went 0-11. The next weekend, back to herself. After the first game, her coach said, "I'd like everyone to take a moment to welcome MAMBM-kid back from wherever she went last weekend. Nice of you to join us." Kid laughed and took a bow.

Bad days make you appreciate the good days more.

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[Gags]

I wish I had that problem. Yesterday it was 70, today it's 30 and snowing. My garage is a mess, no room in the basement to set up a net. I want to get back out there! Spring can't come soon enough.


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[JAD]

My DD has had 35 eye exams between the ages of 10 and 18 in an effort to explain her ability to strike out looking...