Daughter considering playing basketball

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TNdad

TNdad
Feb 7, 2010
58
0
EAST TN
My daughter is a pitcher. She is 13yoa. She works on pitching 4-5 times a week. She has been pretty succesful. We think she has a pretty good chance to play after high school if she keeps progressing. She had always played softball, volleyball and basketball until last year. She gave up basketball. This year she is considering playing basketball again. Middle school basketball is about like football with no pads. We are concerned with injuries from basketball. She will still have time to keep up the work it takes to be a pitcher. Its hard to say NO you can't play. Any thoughts?
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,339
113
Chicago, IL
What serious injury is she going to get playing BB? She might get banged up or worse case twists her ankle and not be able to pitch for a couple weeks. Oh well, kid leaves the house they sometimes come back banged up.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,088
0
North Carolina
With my daughter, it's her decision. I would never say no unless it would infringe on her academics or other commitments she's already made, or if I felt she would be too busy, and then I'd ask her to choose.

Last month, my daughter tried out for middle school basketball, was invited on the team, but decided on her own before the first official practice not to play because she felt she didn't have time for two sports and everything else she likes to do, from church to schoolwork to enjoying her friends to drama club, etc. But if she wanted to play, I would have supported it. It's real important to me that she knows it's her life, not mine.

Also, it's hard to say if it would hurt your daughter's softball/pitching. Yes, it's less time to work on softball, but she might be fresher mentally to work on her pitching later. There are advantages to cross training both mentally and phyiscally. If she plays softball only, she might be sick of it when it comes time to get a scholarship. It's hard to predict that sort of thing. I know some girls who have been very good at both sports.
 
Last edited:
May 7, 2008
8,499
48
Tucson
College coaches almost always prefer girls that play multiple sports. I made my DD play basketball, through her freshman year.
 
Oct 22, 2009
1,779
0
My latest student that received a scholarship received a volleyball/softball scholarship.
I'm sure colleges do love dual sports students.

I allowed mine to play volleyball & basketball in Jr. High. She played one year each and decided her time was better spent focusing on softball.
Personal choices.
 

Coach-n-Dad

Crazy Daddy
Oct 31, 2008
1,008
0
What serious injury is she going to get playing BB?

This is from playing Basketball. Injury occured in early December 2009. Thank god it was only dislocated and she was on the softball field by mid Feb for HS Softball. That being said, DD still plays HS basketball.

Injuries happen, they could happen on the field, on the BB court, in the street, in the home. We try not to be overprotective...
15831_1302436086225_1390144414_850262_7668273_n.jpg
 
Oct 23, 2009
966
0
Los Angeles
Not to be an alarmist but I think its a good question to ask, especially for the any parent of a pitcher. Basketball (and Volleyball) are considered "overhead" sports where the arm is frequently above the head during play. Athletes who play these sports should take great care in proper warm-up and be cognizant of overuse injuries to the shoulder complex. Rotator cuff and shoulder blade injuries are not uncommon with these sports. Also the knees take a pounding (load bearing, twisting on hard courts BB & VB) in all three sports and tendonitis can happen. Anyone who has played basketball knows that jammed fingers and ankle sprains/strains are very common and take time to heal.

I'm not suggesting that softball players don't play other sports but these type of injuries can and will happen playing basketball and volleyball and the pros and cons of playing these other sports, while playing softball, should be weighed.
 
Jan 25, 2011
2,280
38
well my dd is 13 too,and plays BB and pitches.I see nothing wrong with it.It is VB that I would stay away from.My dd is a pretty good pitcher,but a 13yo it is a little to early to worry about pitching in college,when she is at the 16u level then lets talk about college,until then let her play BB.
 
Aug 2, 2008
553
0
If she likes basketball then absolutely let her play.

From Crossfit,

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects”
 

halskinner

Banned
May 7, 2008
2,649
0
What serious injury is she going to get playing BB? She might get banged up or worse case twists her ankle and not be able to pitch for a couple weeks. Oh well, kid leaves the house they sometimes come back banged up.

Let me remember, OH YEAH, nasketbakll injuries to my pitching students. Sprained ankles, sprained wrists. Jammed and broken fingers, torn ligamates in the arm / pitching hand. Cracked knee cap. 40 foot pass caught in the face splattered and broken nose, torn ligamates in the pitching thumb. Oh yeah, cant forget the good old strained groin muscle and torn quads.

Cant stop em from playing other sports but other sports CAN end their pitching carreer.
 

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