My daughter just turned 12 and is playing competitive ball. The team makes a TON of fielding errors. The first few tournaments, my daughter held it together during these LONG innings on the mound. She usually physically tired first. Unfortunately, the team's fielding has not got any better and appears to be wearing on my daughter. After six tournaments, she is now mentally tiring quickly when errors begin. It is rare that her team go an inning without an error. Every inning usually has 2-3. There are many innings that majority, and even all, outs come from strikeouts even though they have faced 7+ batters in the inning. This past weekend my daughter was on the mound for over 25 minutes and had gone through the lineup + 3 batters. There was only 1 out which was a strikeout. There were 7 fielding errors that inning, 2 hits, and then my daughter walked two batters in a row (first walk loaded the bases, 2nd walk walked tying run in). My daughter began crying out of frustration. This was only the first inning! (the inning finally ended with 2 more strikeouts). If she is striking batters out, the innings are short (3-5 in an inning). If the ball is being put in play, the innings are long. Over the last couple of tournaments she began stepping left of the power line. I think this has started because she started guiding the ball and had a breakdown in mechanics due to fatigue during the long innings.
The coach told me that he knows my daughter is only good for 3 innings and then she tires. I was a little irritated given that 3 innings with this team is the equivalent of more than 6 innings with a normal team. She throws more pitches in 2-3 innings with this team than she did in 6 innings with her spring team. Most of the team's game only go 2 to 3 innings. The few that have gone 4-6 have been with her having a high number of strikeouts and a rare game where fielding was good.
Has anyone else dealt with this? I keep telling her she has to hold it together and stay strong even when they are making errors but I'm having difficulty continuing to say this to her when the fielding is not improving.
The coach told me that he knows my daughter is only good for 3 innings and then she tires. I was a little irritated given that 3 innings with this team is the equivalent of more than 6 innings with a normal team. She throws more pitches in 2-3 innings with this team than she did in 6 innings with her spring team. Most of the team's game only go 2 to 3 innings. The few that have gone 4-6 have been with her having a high number of strikeouts and a rare game where fielding was good.
Has anyone else dealt with this? I keep telling her she has to hold it together and stay strong even when they are making errors but I'm having difficulty continuing to say this to her when the fielding is not improving.