Coach pitch for 10u

[Eric F]

I find that hard to believe that in 8U-10U there are 7-9 hours of practice and individual instruction for every hour of game time. Typically in 8U-10U 90% of the development is in a team setting. That is unless you play for the DFP Super Elite Platinum All Star 8U team who practice several hours every day in Ray Ray's pole barn or those that play PGF in California.

Speaking only for my DD...At the 8U and early 10U age, a majority of my DD's fundamental skill development came from our work outside of team practices. From what I saw, all of the better players in the league at that age were players who were doing the extra work.

I recall a time when I was approached by a dad of one of my DD's teammates (10U rec), and was asked how my DD got to be as good as she was. I explained that we did a lot of work on our own including hitting, catcher-specific work, and simply playing catch out on the street in front of our house. The dad looked at me like I was crazy.

 

[riseball]

I respectfully disagree with your assessment. I'm a proponent of developing all players - hitters, pitchers, catchers, and fielders - together. Waiting until 14U to start developing pitchers also delays the development of hitters, as well as catchers.

While it would be optimal to develop all players together, the human body does not work that way. Kids develop at different rates and end up a different skill levels. Which I never bought into the nonsense that you keep an 8U-10U team together through 18U. It just does not work. Like pitchers I find that catchers receive little benefit in 8U-10U behind the plate. Aside from the cool gear and different glove it has minimal resemblance to what will be going on a few short years down the road. At the young ages the battery often resembles a game of lets pretend rather than actual softball. The catcher gives a signal for a pitch the pitcher cannot throw and then the pitcher attempts to get it within 3 feet of where it was supposed to go. Lots of walks and frustration with little value to all involved. There are exceptions but at 8U-10U often the catcher is the big girl who can do little else and she is gone by 14U when the athletes emerge and get behind the plate. I have developed more athletic shortstops into very good catchers after they are well beyond 12U-14U than I have had who have been groomed since 8U to be catchers. As the get older many find that they do not and probably will never have the athletic skills to succeed at that position in the future. These kids often get left behind in the late stages of the game because catching is all they know and despite everyone's efforts and best intentions are not suited to be behind the plate. In 18U the dugouts are filled with girls who back in the day were catchers and pitchers.

 

[riseball]

Speaking only for my DD...At the 8U and early 10U age, a majority of my DD's fundamental skill development came from our work outside of team practices. From what I saw, all of the better players in the league at that age were players who were doing the extra work.

I recall a time when I was approached by a dad of one of my DD's teammates (10U rec), and was asked how my DD got to be as good as she was. I explained that we did a lot of work on our own including hitting, catcher-specific work, and simply playing catch out on the street in front of our house. The dad looked at me like I was crazy.

This is true. Had the same experience with my DD's. But in the OP's context of Rec Ball and the development of players, what about the other 99%?

 

[_MIA_]

Speaking only for my DD...At the 8U and early 10U age, a majority of my DD's fundamental skill development came from our work outside of team practices. From what I saw, all of the better players in the league at that age were players who were doing the extra work.

I recall a time when I was approached by a dad of one of my DD's teammates (10U rec), and was asked how my DD got to be as good as she was. I explained that we did a lot of work on our own including hitting, catcher-specific work, and simply playing catch out on the street in front of our house. The dad looked at me like I was crazy.

This is my feeling as well. Once they get to MS and HS where they practice everyday, then perhaps the number of reps they get during the week are enough along with maybe 1 other session with a parent/instructor. Pre-MS there are just not enough reps during a 10-12 person team practice 2 or 3 times a week. Summers for me from ages 6 to early teens were typically play ball with my friends in the morning until my Dad came home from his summer job (he was a teacher), go to the field with my father to play when he got home and then at night either play a game or go to practice if we had one.

 

[Jj malone]

DD previous rec league was 8u coach pitch 10u modified. Hated it because the coaches would have their players not swing to draw the coach pitch.
New rec. League is 8u coach pitch and 10u full kid pitch, no drop3, no stealing home first half fall only. It is a very successful program because the TB players and coaches are encouraged to participate. First year TB 10's all play and second year TB 10's bottom half of the team all play, which really helps with the pitching and catching.
The league throughout the season also hosts clinics once a week for free. The clinics have catching, pitching, hitting, and speed/agility. The way it's scheduled you can attend 3 things in a night. The private instructors and high school players coach at each of the workouts.

 

[_MIA_]

I find that hard to believe that in 8U-10U there are 7-9 hours of practice and individual instruction for every hour of game time. Typically in 8U-10U 90% of the development is in a team setting. That is unless you play for the DFP Super Elite Platinum All Star 8U team who practice several hours every day in Ray Ray's pole barn or those that play PGF in California.

Put it this way. My 8 YO DD takes around 500 swings or so with me a week and maybe 300 to 400 ground balls a week in probably 5 or 6 hours of individual work. In 4.5 hours of practice a week with her travel team she probably gets 1/10th of the swings and 1/15th of the ground balls...and my instruction is better too

 

[canyonjoe]

When we played we had kid pitch. You could walk 2 batters an inning. After that if you threw 4 balls a coach would pitch to their kids assuming the strikes so if you had 2 strikes you got one pitch (from the rubber). It was tough throwing on a cold night to a short kid. Our league later went to all kid pitch in an effort to develop better pitchers. They kind of did, but most just left for TB at 12 so never really helped the league.

If I could start a league I would go with half the games kids pitch and half the game coach pitch. Ideally I would find a pool of coaches who would pitch to both teams so the coach can't just pitch to the hitter strength all the time. When are kids were all 9 we played a fall ball season and we would scrimmage for an hour at the end of every practice. We got in more fielding and hitting in an hour than in 4 games with coach pitch.

To me this issue is the same in baseball. Until pitchers can throw strikes the game is just boring to the other players. They learn to swing at terrible pitches and then one day have to face a real pitcher who just blows them away. I think each league needs to determine the best situation for all of their players and do that.

 

[kjs23]

I don't think there is one answer to when kids should be left to sink/swim in the circle. Obviously travel programs need a unified ruleset but rec often has the ability to tailor the rules to the kids involved. Play a game with all kid pitch and one with modified coach rescue then ask ALL of the players which one was more fun. That will be your answer, which may not be the same answer as the group 20 miles down the road. For us it was clearly coach rescue. At 10U rec, fun = engagement = development.
For those of us in areas where we can't afford to push players away from the game due to overall numbers, flexibility in how we administer the game is critical.

 

[Eric F]

While it would be optimal to develop all players together, the human body does not work that way. Kids develop at different rates and end up a different skill levels. Which I never bought into the nonsense that you keep an 8U-10U team together through 18U. It just does not work. Like pitchers I find that catchers receive little benefit in 8U-10U behind the plate. Aside from the cool gear and different glove it has minimal resemblance to what will be going on a few short years down the road. At the young ages the battery often resembles a game of lets pretend rather than actual softball. The catcher gives a signal for a pitch the pitcher cannot throw and then the pitcher attempts to get it within 3 feet of where it was supposed to go. Lots of walks and frustration with little value to all involved. There are exceptions but at 8U-10U often the catcher is the big girl who can do little else and she is gone by 14U when the athletes emerge and get behind the plate. I have developed more athletic shortstops into very good catchers after they are well beyond 12U-14U than I have had who have been groomed since 8U to be catchers. As the get older many find that they do not and probably will never have the athletic skills to succeed at that position in the future. These kids often get left behind in the late stages of the game because catching is all they know and despite everyone's efforts and best intentions are not suited to be behind the plate. In 18U the dugouts are filled with girls who back in the day were catchers and pitchers.

Maybe my opinion will change in the years to come as my experiences and observations grow. That said, it sounds like what you experienced/observed and what I have experienced/observed have some pretty big differences at the younger ages. Maybe my DD was just fortunate to develop with a pool of fairly talented young ball players. In talking with the parents on my DDs TB teams over the last few years, it doesn't sound like my experience was significantly different than theirs. Again, this is just what I have experienced. It may or may not apply to anyone else.

Especially at younger ages, I'm a big proponent of developing ball players, not single position players. My DD has identified herself as a catcher since she was 9yo. However, she has also spent time at every other position on the field (including 3 very unimpressive inning in the circle - lol). I'm a fan of young players that can play many positions with a reasonable level of competency.

 

[expeklaha]

I appreciate all the strong opinions and I’ve loved reading the responses, and I will continue to read.

For a moment, think of softball as a product. There are lots of competing products these girls can choose from (soccer, volleyball, swim, martial arts, etc). I’ve heard complaints from my league officials that “every year we lose more kids to soccer.” When I take a step back and look at my league’s product I see why kids might look elsewhere. Games move slowly so we consistently hit the two hour max. Kids have to arrive 30 minutes before gametime (60 minutes for pitchers). That’s a 3 hour commitment – not to mention the two hour practices. All for what? A whole lot of standing around. I’m on the girls about being in ready position. But I know they gotta be thinking, “Why? Everyone knows this pitch will be too wild to hit.” So far this season (we're 100% kid pitch this fall) we've scored ~50 runs. I think just one or two of those runs were truly *batted* in.

I certainly want to develop pitchers and teach kids to play the right way. But it’s gotta be fun, right?

As far as getting reps at home I agree that’s huge (albeit easier said than done in rec). I’m always looking for ways to get kids to practice on their own. I’ve often mused I’d have an all-star team if parents would just spend 15 minutes/day playing catch with their dd. How can we get kids to do that? Probably a topic for a different thread. But I think a big part is simply making the game fun and exciting so they want to practice on their own.