At what age

[bleacher coach]

Hey peeps long time reader first time poster finally. Just have to say that I like reading all the valuable info I come across on this forum and all the funny stuff to. Now I know I have awhile before all this actaully takes place but to all the pitching parents. What age did your daughter ask or tell you that she would like to pitch. I never really wanted my daughter to pitch or learn and not really sure why but just cause. Right now my daughter is young she is only in 8u and she turns 7 in a couple months and she never really ask to play a certain position, she like playing all positions out there. Over the weekend she wanted to go to this agility, catching, and pitching clinic and really just for the agility and catching part. The girls were put in 3 groups and rotating, she ended up going to the pitching part of it also. Well after the clinic she comes up to me and says she would like to pitch. Which really shocked me cause i thought she was bored out there during that part. Now part of me thought she is saying that now and will forget about later but later that day and all day yesterday she been praciting whatever little moves the coach taught them. Basically little moves you see pitchers doing when they are practing and warming up. This storm may just pass over which will be ok, but it is just a little out of her norm for her to be doing stuff like that unless she really like something.

Thanks

 

[quincy]

For younger ages the pitching rules are all over the place. As soon as soon they allow players to pitch even in a limited role is when some players start taking it seriously.

It might be a fad or you might just have committed to catching for your DD 3 times a week for the next 8 years.

 

[RetiredCoach]

When she was 10 and in rec ball, my DD's coach asked who wanted to try pitching? My DD raised her hand and has been pitching ever since. Soon her younger sister joined her and they are both, for the most part, going strong.

I'd suggest just let her try it. Encourage her but don't force her. She'll decide if it is for her or not.

 

[grcsftbll]

My daughter said she wanted to pitch at that age. She started imitating the older girls' pitching motions basically as soon as she saw them doing it. We started her in lessons when she had just turned 8. She just moved up to 10U this fall and is finally pitching in games. I was wondering if she'd lose interest, maybe the pressure would be too much, something like that. But no, she loves it. She doesn't want to do anything but pitch anymore.

So, that was my experience with a 7 year old saying she wanted to pitch. It could go the other way though, she might lose interest. Pitching requires a LOT of practice. I guess start reading up on pitching and working with her and see how it goes.

 

[quincy]

In 8U we had player pitch with coach backup. Every player on the Team pitched at least 1 inning in a game. DD is 14 now and quite a few of those players are still pitching, others 1 inning was enough and they never wanted anything to do with it again.

 

[shanenims]

My 7yr old daughter had asked to pitch during regular season and thought it would pass. Dad was wrong, as she kept asking. I finally got her some lessons from a family friends daughter who had pitched all thru college. My daughter really took to it and is now the starting pitcher on her fall team. I really didn't expect much as seeing girls during regular season lucky to get one strike across in 50 pitches. My daughter in last 2 games has struck out 10 batters and put 1-2 strikes on many batters before coach comes in. We practice a lot just throwing balls in back yard most nights when I get home. Too me, once she learns basics of pitching, it's just a matter of practicing and the results will show.

 

[bleacher coach]

For such a young age she is really in to softball, some weeks she will want to practice 4 times a week and some weeks she will be happy with 1 practice a week. She is really competitive because she always wants gameday to hurry up and get here. Which is what really bothers me when she started asking more about the position, because the only pitcher she knows is what she larned from 6u and 8u. When i told her that a really good pitcher can strike girls out and get 3 outs like that. Her eyes lit up like a slot machine, she said i can get the girls out myself. Our league doesnt start kid pitch unitl 10U so I guess i have some time and I will wait and see where this train takes me. If she is still wanting to pitch when she turns 8 i will probably start her in lessons maybe once a month and build on that if she still likes.

 

[JAD]

My DD started when she was 9 right after her first year 10U TB season ended, so she was almost 10.

 

[dadofadirtlover]

Looks like you need to grab a bucket and enjoy the ride my friend...

 

[BT3100]

One of our friends in the neighborhood stopped by to see me and my DD. Her DD is 7 and wants to pitch. The mother asked me about the journey. We are only just into it as my DD is 12. I shared the above and tried to explain just how much time and effort it takes. The tears, self doubt and blood all do pay off. My DD pitched a 1 hitter on Saturday with her new team. Pitching has done so much for my DD's confidence. It has given us more than we could give it back. The sport is beautiful and in my opinion pitching is the ultimate position to play. That said, one thing that I will say is that pitching does consume a great deal of time. My DD is a pretty good athlete and I don't think she will have time for any other sport. Pitching consumes that much time.