Anyone from Colorado

[Huskerdu]

Hi Everyone,

There is a remarkable thing happening in Colorado Softball. Pitching has become an endangered species. Teams all over our city are folding because of pitchers changing teams, playing up, etc. It is an epidemic when some of the most established organizations are losing teams. This is happening from 14u up to 18u. Two teams just folded that lost their #1 pitcher and it is just shocking to me.

Is it because fewer and fewer are willing to do the work and spend the money in order for their DD to pitch? Lots of kids want to pitch but very few are able to be competitive over the long term.

Is this happening in your state? Anyone from Colorado here on the forum?

 

[smddad]

I'm seeing less and less pitchers at 14U and above since they instituted the 43ft pitching distance.

 

[riseball]

Hi Everyone,

There is a remarkable thing happening in Colorado Softball. Pitching has become an endangered species. Teams all over our city are folding because of pitchers changing teams, playing up, etc. It is an epidemic when some of the most established organizations are losing teams. This is happening from 14u up to 18u. Two teams just folded that lost their #1 pitcher and it is just shocking to me.

Is it because fewer and fewer are willing to do the work and spend the money in order for their DD to pitch? Lots of kids want to pitch but very few are able to be competitive over the long term.

Is this happening in your state? Anyone from Colorado here on the forum?

I would expand to say that traits such as hard work, commitment, and certainly accountability have become more scarce over the years. but to your point, pitching is simply too much work for many since it requires year round commitment to be highly successful.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Anyone from Colorado here on the forum?

As strange as it sounds, I believe "Indiana" is in Colorado. Here is a thread - Welcome to Colorado.

The thin air there makes it rougher on pitchers.

 

[Doug Romrell]

I would expand to say that traits such as hard work, commitment, and certainly accountability have become more scarce over the years. but to your point, pitching is simply too much work for many since it requires year round commitment to be highly successful.

There are more and more recreational things for these kids to do in their spare time, like whatever it is they do as they walk around like zombies buried in their smartphones. It goes to show you that those who commit and spend the time necessary now days are experiencing the development of character through their hard work, something that seems to becoming scarcer today.

 

[Indiana]

Ha ha - yep, I'm from Colorado I was born in Indiana. I've seen plenty of very, very good pitching in Colorado. I've noticed that each good team has at least one good pitcher. Likewise, any good pitcher can find a team with a strong defense and good coaching.

Being competitive over a long period of time seems to require a good work ethic, the right mental attitude, some natural-given talent and body type, and of course the good luck to avoid serious injuries.

 

[riseball]

As strange as it sounds, I believe "Indiana" is in Colorado. Here is a thread - Welcome to Colorado.

The thin air there makes it rougher on pitchers.

Used to live and coach in Highlands Ranch. If you can pitch in Colorado you can pitch anywhere.

 

[Indiana]

Used to live and coach in Highlands Ranch. If you can pitch in Colorado you can pitch anywhere.

Yeah, there are a lot of home runs hit out here. I had never really noticed it particularly until DD's team played a tournament at sea level this summer. Our girls hit many fence shots which would have been out here in Colorado. It was a weird feeling seeing a ball get hit and thinking "it's out" and then the ball dies at the fence.