Daughter went to a softball camp....

[Dial]

I think you all know where this is going. My daughter is going to a camp sponsored by our high school. When they started the extra session for just pitchers and catchers they started doing knee and flip drills, which we will never do. She is trying to be a good soldier and go along with it, but I can tell she is frustrated. Then they started doing the push the ball down slam the door and one of the coaches mentioned about she needed to "fix" something because my daughter was throwing across her body.

I told her to finish with a high elbow after she finished her regular movement and they wont know the difference. Once she throws her change-up they will stop telling her to fix anything.

 

[Stand an]

I'm watching the brewers game and they advertise a camp for boys and girls during the commercials. They show a clip of a girl pitching with the h.e. Finish on a clip. Boy oh boy.

 

[Doug Romrell]

I think you all know where this is going. My daughter is going to a camp sponsored by our high school. When they started the extra session for just pitchers and catchers they started doing knee and flip drills, which we will never do. She is trying to be a good soldier and go along with it, but I can tell she is frustrated. Then they started doing the push the ball down slam the door and one of the coaches mentioned about she needed to "fix" something because my daughter was throwing across her body.

I told her to finish with a high elbow after she finished her regular movement and they wont know the difference. Once she throws her change-up they will stop telling her to fix anything.

Clearly, this high school softball camp is of very poor quality in the pitching department, but I suppose this is all too common across the various high school and rec-ball camps. Just try and point out the merits of the internal rotation style and see what it's like to talk to a fence post.

 

[riseball]

I think you all know where this is going. My daughter is going to a camp sponsored by our high school. When they started the extra session for just pitchers and catchers they started doing knee and flip drills, which we will never do. She is trying to be a good soldier and go along with it, but I can tell she is frustrated. Then they started doing the push the ball down slam the door and one of the coaches mentioned about she needed to "fix" something because my daughter was throwing across her body.

I told her to finish with a high elbow after she finished her regular movement and they wont know the difference. Once she throws her change-up they will stop telling her to fix anything.

If she already has skills and throwing with IR why would you send her to a camp put on by a local High School? Did you not have any other options? Never heard of a High School coach ever developing an elite pitcher during the High School season. Bad instruction is far and away worse than no instruction.

 

[Dial]

A player certainly should not try and explain something technical or argue with the camp coach, but she should never just go along with it, mimic something unhealthy, or nod in a fake manner. This is what is wrong with society in general and this is bigger lesson. She should clearly state that this is not her method of drills and either ask to do her own drills during that time or decline to do the ones that are detrimental. It is not boot camp and the players are the customers.

If she is going to that school next year, it will just end in more misery if she is not honest.

I would agree, BUT, how many other threads have we seen on this boards where if you question the methodology of the coach you're looked at as more of an instigator rather than explaining a new method. We have been lucky with TB this year that her coach hasn't asked her to change. She is now producing in game. I keep telling my daughter that you have to prove it with results and you build on it. Im sure she will have to do the same for middle school ball in a couple months and high school in a couple of years.

Im sure its intimidating for her when everyone is doing knee drills and she isn't. Unfortunately the other girls don't know why they are doing the drill either.

 

[Dial]

If she already has skills and throwing with IR why would you send her to a camp put on by a local High School? Did you not have any other options? Never heard of a High School coach ever developing an elite pitcher during the High School season. Bad instruction is far and away worse than no instruction.

The first couple hours are for fielding and hitting as well which is the real reason we want her to go.

 

[Doug Romrell]

I don't see why that is intimidating, especially if she is not going to that HS for several years. The argument to do things that make you uncomfortable or you know is wrong is at the root of why peer pressure happens, too. She does not have to explain anything or promote some other method; she only has to ask for what she wants to do, simple, for example, only, "I would like to do K drills and work on walk throughs; may I do so, or when may I do that?. My players ask me things all the time; and I welcome it.

PS. Camp attendees are all at different levels, and when we run seminars, we allow for kids at higher levels to take some ownership of what they work on.

Once the player sees that the pitching instruction is nonsense, can't the player just quickly choose to go do something else at the camp?

 

[Dial]

I don't see why that is intimidating, especially if she is not going to that HS for several years. The argument to do things that make you uncomfortable or you know is wrong is at the root of why peer pressure happens, too. She does not have to explain anything or promote some other method; she only has to ask for what she wants to do, simple, for example, only, "I would like to do K drills and work on walk throughs; may I do so, or when may I do that?. My players ask me things all the time; and I welcome it.

PS. Camp attendees are all at different levels, and when we run seminars, we allow for kids at higher levels to take some ownership of what they work on.

Thats great. All I am saying is some coaches may not be as open minded. We have all read the examples of those on this board.

 

[cuzmail]

Thats great. All I am saying is some coaches may not be as open minded. We have all read the examples of those on this board.

Ding Ding Ding.
Quite often I see posts referencing that parents and players don't know what they are doing and they should just let the HS coach coach.

 

[CoachFP]

You should have told her to tell them her arm hurt and that she would prefer to just watch. Then don't attend that camp again.