Hello,
So, I need some help. Our 13 y.o. has only been playing for 16 months and been with her current pitching coach for a year: He has actually pitched both baseball and softball and we are fairly happy with him. The first several weeks he taught her specific drills: When she mastered the ones she'd been given she moved on. She didn't get to throw one ball for about the first 6 weeks. She has pretty good control of her fastball (can throw over the plate with her eyes closed), good spin, and can consistently throw 50mph without too much effort: She is nearly 6'0" tall, so I think that helps. The coach has just advanced her to a CU and a drop ball: She does drills and throws 7 days a week (she know she has a lot of catching up to do to get on par with girls her age).
However, she just got on her first travel ball team and her new coach insists that her mechanics are "all wrong" and that the pitching coach is "ripping us off". He wants to send us to a coach he prefers in SW Mississippi. His other pitcher goes to that coach and the girls mechanics are a bit different, more like the slam the door shut type pitch..very violent looking (could be that she is very small and putting every ounce of herself into the ball delivery though too). Now this coach seems to be on his toes in most other areas and uses many of the same drills DD learned at Stefni Lotief's Cajun camp this past summer. He seems to genuinely care about the girls and stresses homework/grades first.
We are really new to all this and just want to do what is best for our daughter's health, safety, and playing career (even if it stops at HS level). We just want her to safely have fun and reach her fullest potential, whatever that may be. So this leaves my husband and I not knowing what to do. Our dd had some shoulder issues when she taught herself to pitch last year by watching Ernie Parker videos: Her original pitching style is very much like what we saw from the team's starting pitcher. However, the whole time with her current coach she has had zero issues with shoulder or arm pain. What the current coach has DD doing looks very much like what we see a large number of pitchers on the "model pitcher" sticky doing (of the ones I watched probably closest to Kenzie Fowler UofA)...well minus the giant lunge (she just won't use those long legs yet..kinda just strides).
My big question is then....how do you know that your daughter is with the right coach and being taught safe, correct mechanics? I gave up trying to get any advice from the parents of other pitchers locally: Those conversations usually end up being all about their daughter and how fast she throws or how they wished their daughter could be as big as ours. They are usually very "helpful" when they find out she's only played two seasons, but once they see her pitch they get stand-offish. I realize softball is a competitive sport, but gosh some folks get a bit too personal with the competition.
Over the summer, we sent her to a local camp where one of the "coaches" was Harvard pitcher Laura Riccardone. She really didn't have time to evaluate her properly since she had 22 girls each day. She also couldn't do any lessons since she injured her knee post-season and was supposed to be staying off it. She recommended we contact her former pitching coach, Dr. Sherry Werner. I did email the good Doctor over the weekend to see if she had any recommendations, but do not know if or when she will have time to answer.
Honestly, we are very frustrated and confused. I have been reading this board and watching videos like crazy, but just am not sure about anything right now. We don't want to switch coaches if we don't have to, but do not want to keep her somewhere she may not be getting the best instruction either. From what I know, her coach has only had one notable player in about 10 years of coaching. So, what do you guys think? Stay, go, or look elsewhere altogether? Does anybody know of any good pitching coaches in the SE Louisiana/SW Mississippi area?
Hope I didn't ramble too much. Thanks in advance for any advice or input you may have to offer: I, well we...my husband and I, ....sincerely appreciate it. Have a great day.
So, I need some help. Our 13 y.o. has only been playing for 16 months and been with her current pitching coach for a year: He has actually pitched both baseball and softball and we are fairly happy with him. The first several weeks he taught her specific drills: When she mastered the ones she'd been given she moved on. She didn't get to throw one ball for about the first 6 weeks. She has pretty good control of her fastball (can throw over the plate with her eyes closed), good spin, and can consistently throw 50mph without too much effort: She is nearly 6'0" tall, so I think that helps. The coach has just advanced her to a CU and a drop ball: She does drills and throws 7 days a week (she know she has a lot of catching up to do to get on par with girls her age).
However, she just got on her first travel ball team and her new coach insists that her mechanics are "all wrong" and that the pitching coach is "ripping us off". He wants to send us to a coach he prefers in SW Mississippi. His other pitcher goes to that coach and the girls mechanics are a bit different, more like the slam the door shut type pitch..very violent looking (could be that she is very small and putting every ounce of herself into the ball delivery though too). Now this coach seems to be on his toes in most other areas and uses many of the same drills DD learned at Stefni Lotief's Cajun camp this past summer. He seems to genuinely care about the girls and stresses homework/grades first.
We are really new to all this and just want to do what is best for our daughter's health, safety, and playing career (even if it stops at HS level). We just want her to safely have fun and reach her fullest potential, whatever that may be. So this leaves my husband and I not knowing what to do. Our dd had some shoulder issues when she taught herself to pitch last year by watching Ernie Parker videos: Her original pitching style is very much like what we saw from the team's starting pitcher. However, the whole time with her current coach she has had zero issues with shoulder or arm pain. What the current coach has DD doing looks very much like what we see a large number of pitchers on the "model pitcher" sticky doing (of the ones I watched probably closest to Kenzie Fowler UofA)...well minus the giant lunge (she just won't use those long legs yet..kinda just strides).
My big question is then....how do you know that your daughter is with the right coach and being taught safe, correct mechanics? I gave up trying to get any advice from the parents of other pitchers locally: Those conversations usually end up being all about their daughter and how fast she throws or how they wished their daughter could be as big as ours. They are usually very "helpful" when they find out she's only played two seasons, but once they see her pitch they get stand-offish. I realize softball is a competitive sport, but gosh some folks get a bit too personal with the competition.
Over the summer, we sent her to a local camp where one of the "coaches" was Harvard pitcher Laura Riccardone. She really didn't have time to evaluate her properly since she had 22 girls each day. She also couldn't do any lessons since she injured her knee post-season and was supposed to be staying off it. She recommended we contact her former pitching coach, Dr. Sherry Werner. I did email the good Doctor over the weekend to see if she had any recommendations, but do not know if or when she will have time to answer.
Honestly, we are very frustrated and confused. I have been reading this board and watching videos like crazy, but just am not sure about anything right now. We don't want to switch coaches if we don't have to, but do not want to keep her somewhere she may not be getting the best instruction either. From what I know, her coach has only had one notable player in about 10 years of coaching. So, what do you guys think? Stay, go, or look elsewhere altogether? Does anybody know of any good pitching coaches in the SE Louisiana/SW Mississippi area?
Hope I didn't ramble too much. Thanks in advance for any advice or input you may have to offer: I, well we...my husband and I, ....sincerely appreciate it. Have a great day.