- Feb 3, 2011
- 1,880
- 48
They were right. Walks are a part of the game, but 60 completely unhittable pitches in a row is tough on teams. Watching 20 runs a game walked in does nothing to help develop the fielders. Young rec teams who don't have a true pitcher do need to have a lobber who can come in and toss and inning or 2 of BP to the other team.Parents thought it was better to have other teams hit the ball like it was batting practice for them.
Most parents and players have no idea how much time is required to develop a circle-ready 9yo pitcher.
Our #1 has been pitching about 18 months, since she was 7. Our #2 has been pitching for about 8 months, since just before her 9th bday. Our #2 is only a few months older than #1, but there's a clear difference in their respective experience levels.
Our first 2 backup pitchers also began pitching in the spring of this year. The younger one is really committed and practices often, while the older one practices off and on. The younger girl is a 2003. She should be playing 8u now, but her old coach pushed her to come to 10u. I've been able to get her into 2 league games, so she's seen a lot of batters this fall, but not nearly as many innings as if she was on the 8u team. If she continues her training this winter, she could be a pretty decent pitcher by spring. As for her old coach thinking she'll pitch on the all-star team next summer, though, I am not a fan of giving parents unrealistic expectations. Unless someone comes out of nowhere, we pretty much know who the 4 all-star pitchers will be.
The older backup got her first inning this past weekend and did very well, surrendering only 3 runs against a great hitting team in a 34-pitch inning, and 29% of her pitches were strikes. Those are numbers any rec coach around here could live with.
The next 2 in line after them got an inning each during the seeding tournament, but won't pitch anymore this season. One is 9, the other is 8, and hopefully both will continue working on it during the winter.
So, we've got 6 pitchers and all have seen the circle at least once this season. There are 2-3 others who want to pitch, but it's unlikely they'll get that opportunity with this team.
In our situation, it's the players and I who run the team. The players earn opportunities by demonstrating through their willingness to put in the work and by BEING GOOD TEAMMATES. The parents are welcome to voice their concerns to me or our assistant at the appropriate time, but their input about softball - while important - is less valuable than the kids' to me.
For me personally, the progression is fun to watch, regardless of where these young players go from here.