I am helping with a travel team from our city that my 9 year old DD plays for. It is full of Little League kids that we are helping move past community ball and they are excited. I have already had the pleasure of doing this once with a group of all local city girls (who I started with at age 10)that were 14U last year and put a thumping to most of the statewide competition in travel circles...mostly NSA (in Ohio which is pretty good ball.) My DD pitches and we'll need at least one more. I have been working with a few of the 9 - 10 U kids and decided to have a pitcher/parent meeting last night to outline goals. I also did a demonstration, then asked parents to use video as a feedback tool and gave parents a basic checklist of things to observe on video as they work with their DD. These are the basics to help them when I can't help them and until they commit to a Pitching Coach. Thought I would share them. I handed these out as two worksheets: First my goals -
Goals for 10U pitchers:
Reasonable goals for girls interested in being pitchers at a competitive level of 10U fastpitch softball.
To be able to pitch one or more complete games in a day
To pitch at a measurable speed of 39 – 45 mph
To be able to locate pitches middle, inside and outside
To have a change-up that can be used when ahead in the count
To walk no more than an average of 1 batters an inning
Many, many female athletes will pitch but only a select few will ever become pitchers. My experience is that girls who excel at the 10U level have a significantly higher chance of becoming a high level pitcher at the older age groups. Good mechanics, combined with the right attitude and strong adult support are keys in becoming a pitcher. Are you as a player and as a parent in?
Then my Checklist:
Check List of things to look for in video review:
Goals for 10U pitchers:
Reasonable goals for girls interested in being pitchers at a competitive level of 10U fastpitch softball.
To be able to pitch one or more complete games in a day
To pitch at a measurable speed of 39 – 45 mph
To be able to locate pitches middle, inside and outside
To have a change-up that can be used when ahead in the count
To walk no more than an average of 1 batters an inning
Many, many female athletes will pitch but only a select few will ever become pitchers. My experience is that girls who excel at the 10U level have a significantly higher chance of becoming a high level pitcher at the older age groups. Good mechanics, combined with the right attitude and strong adult support are keys in becoming a pitcher. Are you as a player and as a parent in?
Then my Checklist:
Check List of things to look for in video review:
- Does pitcher start with ball and glove separated and then have them touch for 1 second?
- Does pitcher have BOTH feet touching the rubber and does she rock back NOT step back
- Does pitcher push out with knee over toe, nose over knee
- Does pitcher open upper body nearly all the way with arm in line with, NOT outside of shoulder?
- Is pitcher stepping on or just slightly to the glove side of the power line with foot landing on an angle?
- Is pitcher landing on slightly flexed front leg with weight mostly centered in body?
- At landing is arm somewhere between 10 o’clock and 9 o’clock
- Is pitcher throwing the ball underhand by “internally rotating” ?
- (Forearm and bicep open until 9 o’clock and then whipping the forearm then wrist to release like an overhand throw.)
- Is pitcher dragging back foot on toe. Knee to knee finish?
Your experience with a start up 10U travel team would be an interesting blog or reality show. 
