DD freshman high school coach wants

[Ken Krause]

Path of least resistance is to make a token effort to throw the backhand change. Do it, do it poorly, throw it for balls and the coach will let it go. Especially if the other change is working.

No matter what a coach thinks, when game time comes around it's all about results. Produce the results and the rest of it is just noise.

 

[Sparky Guy]

Do it, do it poorly, throw it for balls and the coach will let it go. Especially if the other change is working.

That was my first thought too, but then I rethought it. How many times during your life have you seen someone given a task you know they were more than capable of doing screw it up so they wouldn't have to do it again leaving it for others to do? I've worked with people like that and witnessed it too many times. All it does is add to the workload of others in the group.

I think the best lesson here is to give it an honest effort first before purposely sabotaging it.

 

[6239kim]

thank you all for your comments and advise. i do see and hear part about life lessons and having to do things your whole life that are a challenge and things you may not want to do. DD has worked hard on being competitive with the two pitches and the coaches only comment was a little disheartening. She is very coachable and wants to be a team player. it was probably me being butt hurt more than her. he hasn't evan seen her throw to batters and he wants changes? OK OK i get it ... thanks again ...

 

[SBFAMILY]

The Best Change-Up Great softball pitching hints and recommendations for girl softball pitchers This tells you this is the hardest of the change ups to learn. Second look at what the speed difference should be on a changeup. Bill Hillhouse had my dd learn a different change up during a lesson, since this pitch is hard to throw.

 

[sluggers]

he hasn't evan seen her throw to batters and he wants changes?

No, the coach thinks he should be teaching her something. Whether your DD has something to learn from him is a different issue.

The real issue, which every pitcher encounters, is how to handle well-meaning but ignorant advice. She has to learn how to diplomatically handle the situation.

The "smile and nod" is a tried and true method. She looks at the coach, widens her eyes and gives that wonderful teenage girl smile and nods. She tries what he asks a couple of times, and as soon as he turns his back, she goes back what she was doing before.

 

[02Crush]

Mine was in the same boat as a freshman. She pitched the majority of the varsity games over 2 seniors. The coach left her alone and let her do her thing. Last year the team and DD broke all kinds of school records dating back 25 years. It seems to have really gone to his head, and the girls accomplished all that based on their talent before HS. ( meaning years of TB ) This year he has already approached me about changing her screwball. I told him later in private that it was not going to be an option. ( she will stay with what works ) I was very polite, but firm.

I wouldn't let it drag on, talk it over with the coach and get it out of the way.

That would probably work except that the OP's daughter is not on the team yet and has not had proven mound experience for HS team that would allow Dad the same luxury you had. Trying new stuff does not hurt and trying to learn it is fine but if she is mastered her existing pitches and they work I say do not start throwing new pitches in a game until DD is 100% comfortable as it is a high risk. Once she has tons of reps and can say she is ready then no new pitches in games.

 

[29dad]

This thread was pure validation for me. Our DD is homeschooled and will not play high school softball. She'll stick to travel ball and camps and we're perfectly fine with that decision. You can pick your travel ball coach, your pitching and hitting instructors, and you can pick your college coach, but you can't pick your high school coach. It's not worth it, and we have no regrets.

 

[MsDinosaur]

Just curious, but have you discussed this with your DD's pitching coach to get his/her take on it?

 

[SoCalDad]

I posted this a couple years ago but will recycle as it does pertain to this topic. My DD has been taught 3 change ups over her pitching career from several different pitching coaches. The first change up she learned was the circle change. She used that for most of her 10U years and it was quite effective against that age group. As she moved up to 12U the pitch became less effective as it looked like a change up. The 10U batters were fooled by the speed difference, the 12U batters, especially the older ones, were able to spot the delivery difference and would smack the ball.

During first year 12U we switched pitching coaches and she taught my DD the backhand flip. She was able to disguise this change up better and it worked very well for the next couple of years until 14U. Same problem as 10U with the 14s. They were able to start to spot differences in delivery and as hard as my DD tried she couldn't disguise it.

When she moved to 14U she also changed to the pitching coach on the High School team. This pitching coach did not care what change up her pitchers used as long as it looked like their fast ball. She worked with my DD and taught her the horseshoe change as that fit her fastball delivery style. The speed difference is only 8 - 10 MPH slower than her fastball but that is all that is needed to fool batters. She pitched on an 18U team this past fall/early winter and her change up was her go to pitch. Several opposing coaches approached her after the game to complement her on her delivery.

 

[EP Dad]

it has taken DD four years to get the change where it is, and now we just smile and start over?? i have been told by a couple other bucket sitters the back flip is harder to perfect than the knuckle, is the coach ever in question in your mind Amy??

My DD's been working on the back flip (which was the first change she learned) for 3 years. It's just starting to get good.