How tall are softball players?

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Apr 28, 2014
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As pattar said, coaches aren't just scouting for those who have maxed out on their potential or who the best player is at that moment. They're projecting. They're looking at a good athlete or someone with physical tools and thinking about what they can be in the future.

You say they're uncoordinated, but maybe they just haven't been playing the sport long and they are either new to pitching or have had poor pitching instruction. A coach might see them and think "If my pitching coach works with her for a year, she's going to dominate our competition."

After all, if they're uncoordinated and pitching with poor mechanics and they're still throwing in the mid-50s, that sounds like two potential stars if the right coach gets hold of them. I'd be interested in, at the very least, talking to those players if I'm that HC.

Makes perfect sense, but for the fact that this school hasn't had a winning record in 4 years and is loaded with potential pitchers who can't seem to get it together.
Maybe just an anomaly.
 
Jul 28, 2016
18
3
The big kids are a easy sell and would have to guess that some coaches have probably missed because they picked up a kid because of there size. My dd went through this shes 5'3 on a good day smallest by far but best hitter for power and average strongest arm at 69mph and she was one of the last to verbal on her team We heard all the time love her but want to see her more vs some bigger kids that could go into a camp hit a ball off a tee and get a offer. So to answer The question i do think smaller kids have to work harder.

But at the same time i think it made her a better player.


Very true, small kids definitely have to work harder to get noticed. I can tell you my 5'11 170lb DD certainly gets noticed at camps, but that can be good or bad. She still has to perform.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
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Chicago
Makes perfect sense, but for the fact that this school hasn't had a winning record in 4 years and is loaded with potential pitchers who can't seem to get it together.
Maybe just an anomaly.

It's impossible for us to know if the issue is with scouting talent or coaching up that talent (or both!).

Some people can really coach. Others can evaluate talent. Some can do both. Some can't do either.
 
Mar 28, 2016
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Height can get you noticed for sure. Some coaches are even biased to their own detriment.

Here is a look at the Huskies roster with 6 or 7 players "listed" at 5'3" or under. I imagine all those heights have been rounded up.

Maybe Washington is just a shorter team than most.
 
Apr 28, 2014
2,316
113
Height can get you noticed for sure. Some coaches are even biased to their own detriment.

Here is a look at the Huskies roster with 6 or 7 players "listed" at 5'3" or under. I imagine all those heights have been rounded up.

Maybe Washington is just a shorter team than most.

When we watch college ball on TV always see the 5' 2" girls hitting line drives and winning games. If that kid walked into a camp they wouldn't pay her one second of time.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
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When we watch college ball on TV always see the 5' 2" girls hitting line drives and winning games. If that kid walked into a camp they wouldn't pay her one second of time.

So all those 5'2" kids walked on to their respective teams?? I know this might be a groundbreaking opinion, but it is possible the parents complaining that their kids get overlooked due to their size might actually overvalue how good their kid actually is...
 
Apr 28, 2014
2,316
113
So all those 5'2" kids walked on to their respective teams?? I know this might be a groundbreaking opinion, but it is possible the parents complaining that their kids get overlooked due to their size might actually overvalue how good their kid actually is...

It could be!
And those kids who are 5' 2" could be studs in games may never even need to go to camps.
 
Feb 17, 2014
7,152
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Orlando, FL
So all those 5'2" kids walked on to their respective teams?? I know this might be a groundbreaking opinion, but it is possible the parents complaining that their kids get overlooked due to their size might actually overvalue how good their kid actually is...

Ya think!!! :) Right up there with my kid did not get recruited because she had a facemask.
 
Dec 2, 2013
3,410
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Texas
I remember watching a player about 5 years ago that played for USF at 3rd base. She was 4'10" Monica Santos. Seeing her stand next to Sara Nevins was spectacular. They were in town playing the UH Coogs and I was able to talk to her mom for a bit as they traveled from Tampa. I bet she thought she never had a chance to play D1 ball. Oh wait she also played for the PR national team. She hit 9 career HR's while at USF
 
Jun 29, 2013
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The size issue isn't part of our imagination, there are plenty of colleges (and frankly travel teams as well) who don't consider shorter kids unless they fit the short-kid stereotype (Pedroia like intensity, hyper, always the loudest on the bench, etc.) Taller kids get a pass on that behavior, they can be reserved or quiet. I more or less agree that it's about being noticed, but I think the way the shorter kids have to get noticed isn't just based on their ability.
And before we start listing exceptions to this rule, I fully acknowledge there are exceptions.
 

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