Height, Weight, Pop times, Pitch Speed, Baserunning Times

[quincy]

DD's legs reach the ground.

 

[Steve Huff]

As long as she fits in a classroom and the school offers the courses she needs she will be fine. Caitlin Lowe was a bit under seven feet and she did fine!

Love it! And in MHO this chart is total bs! Yes, it is nice to hear about a 6'3" pitcher. But there have been DI pitchers that were 5'3". There have been hundreds 5'5"-5'6". Angela Tincher is 5'7". Lisa Fernandez may be listed as 5'9" but she was 5'7" at most. So this chart would have you believe your most mobile infielders are for the corner positions? You want your fastest and shortest players there? This is really misleading and don't think it is helpful. Give me a 5'2" girl that walks 65 times in a season, hits .350, and gets on-base at a .480 clip and I'll take her any day. She'll play 2nd base, left or center, and I will buy a pair of binoculars to make sure I have 8 girls between the lines.

 

[Momo'sDad]

I can tell you I know one college player whose parent told me that 5'5" means you will NOT be a pitcher, but you CAN be a left-handed slap hitter. And this was for a top 20 school.

That parent lied.

hokiesports.com :: Softball :: Jasmin Harrell

That's just one Division I school out of approximately 300. It's perfectly ok to help players and parents to develop reasonable expectations, but I don't buy into absolutes like the ones this parent gave to you, nor is it something that would be beneficial for coaches to instill in our players. Maybe there are no D1 pitchers who are 4-11, but there are plenty of young women who at 5-foot-5 can do the job needed to stand out in the circle for their schools.

Maybe it's because I mainly work with players in the 10u range, but it could just be that I don't possess the dream-killer gene. If 5-5 outworks 5-11, 5-11 could very well lose the job she felt her superior height entitled her to. As youth coaches, no matter how tall a kid's parents are, we should be mindful of the fact that young people can have latent growth into their early 20s.

To me, this goes hand-in-hand with what you yourself have said to us multiple times about not locking girls into positions at an early age.

 

[chinamigarden]

I don't know who came up with the info on this chart but it seems to have been pulled out of the air. I took a look at 4 Division 1 rosters. Just the first 4 schools that came to mind.

There were 8-10 girls on each roster at 5'6" or less. The shortest girl I saw was 4'10" and a couple of others at 5'2". On these 4 rosters there were a total of 4 pitchers at 5'6" or less.

I don't follow college softball as much as some do but I think I looked at 4 schools that have some credibility. University of Michigan, University of Alabama, University of Arizona and Arizona State have some decent programs and are probably indicative of what is going on at higher levels of college softball.

 

[cwestwjg]

My DD has attended lots of college camps where she stood right next to college players. D1 schools, Memphis, Arkanasa, Miss State, Tennessee, etc. She is barely 4-11 if alot of those girls are listed at 5-4 or above it was in high heels and standing on a stack of books.

All college stats get pumped up look at college football it's the worst offender!!

 

[chinamigarden]

Just looked at University of Texas. They only have 4 girls listed on the roster as pitchers 5'9", 5'8", 5'7" and 5'5".

 

[chinamigarden]

Division II
UC San Diego 11 players on roster 5'6" and less including pitchers listed at 5'4" and 5'5"
Midwestern State 10 players on roster 5'6" and less including the entire pitching staff (5'5", 5'4", 5'4")
Grand Valley State University 9 players on roster 5'6" and less including pitchers listed at 5'6", 5'3" and 5'3"

 

[Momo'sDad]

The player mentioned was a pitcher in HS and is NOT a pitcher in college. She is an infielder now who slaps. That is proof enough for me. I stood next the players at my alma mater and I did not come up to their shoulders, so I am not sure where you guys are looking. Girls stop growing around 13-14.

I thought you were providing that link and the statement from the one parent as reliable information on what coaches, parents, and players should know about getting to play softball in college.

I misread the intention of your post. My mistake.

 

[cwestwjg]

Girls stop growing around 13-14.

Google this!!! opinions vary alot on the subject.

 

[Steve Huff]

"To me Fernandez looks all of 5'5"."

Maybe Screwball. I have stood next to her many times but I can't say I measured her. Her build made her look shorter, but she may have been 5'5"-5'7". Not more!