Got the No Lefty Catchers speech from a College Coach

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Jun 22, 2008
3,731
113
I have never bought into a lefty cannot play any positions other than pitcher, 1st base or outfield. What is backhanded fielding for a righty is forehand for a lefty. And for that matter, a right handed SS moving to their left to field a ball has to plant and turn their body to throw to first. A lefty, that is a backhanded fielding position but their body is already turned for the throw to 1st.
 
Aug 19, 2015
1,118
113
Atlanta, GA
On another note, it's hard to catch throwdowns on camera because you don't know when they're going to happen. Not like filming batting. Glad we have some Dads who film all the games this year.
 
Jan 5, 2018
385
63
PNW
Michelle Ruether Venturella (born May 11, 1973) is an American softball coach and former player who is currently head coach at Washington University in St. Louis.[2]
She competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney where she received a gold medal with the American team.[3]
Ventruella played NCAA softball at Indiana University. She is currently the head coach of the Washington University in St. Louis softball team.[4]

Michelle is a LH catcher. I had the opportunity to talk with her in person a couple years ago at NFCA coaches clinic. What a great person and role model. She talked about being a LH catcher and the bias....back then. She proved them wrong.

IDK best way to handle the coaches...I'd skip the AC and deal with HC if possible. If she has a LH catcher that she looks up to it might not be a bad move to mention who her "hero" is or who she tries to model herself after.

If she can hit.....someone will find a place for her.
 
Mar 12, 2016
47
18
Left Coast
A player on a PGF National Champion team played 3b. I watched her play all 4 years of HS ball at 3b. I don't recall seeing any fielding or throwing errors and she had excellent reflexes on rockets hit at/near her. She wanted to play 3b and she was spectacular at the hot corner so she got no arguments from her coaches.
After HS she played on a PAC-10 team. She started freshman year as the DP in the cleanup spot and hit well the rest of her career. However, in all 4 years on that team, she never played 3b. Your dd should try to prove them wrong about lefties not being good catchers but, in the end, she will need to decide if she likes the game enough to play any position.
 
Jun 14, 2019
80
8
My lefty daughter had the opportunity to meet Olympian Jenny Topping and it was amazing. Any lefty doubters need to just look at her long long long list of achievements to know that lefty can be every bit as good as a righty. Good luck!
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,481
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top