How to tell a high school coach that she can't overuse my pitcher

[Lightning]

So DD's high school team has a new coach. The program has only two pitchers, and coach is planning to use DD as the sole varsity pitcher and the other girl as the sole JV pitcher. She's also planning a schedule where they'd play 3-4 games per week for the season, including tournaments where she'd play more than one game per day.

Coach has told DD that she needs to be prepared to pitch 100% of the team's innings this spring. DD has told Coach she's not comfortable with that load, and Coach says she needs to get comfortable with it. This week she told Coach that her shoulder was unusually sore (after throwing 100-150 pitches M-F in practice, and then pitching in games both days this weekend with her travel team), and Coach not only refused to give her a day off but told her that she wants her to throw an additional 100 pitches per day so she can learn to work through the pain.

So now it's time for me and my husband to speak up, but what do we say? I don't want to make it seem like DD is a diva but I'm also not willing to let DD suffer an injury because Coach won't listen to her. DD is also scared to refuse to do what Coach tells her because softball is a PE class and DD doesn't want Coach to fail her, which would require her to take another semester of PE later on.

We have a meeting next week. DD's PC says we need to be prepared to pull her from the team, though that's a little complicated because DD is also signed up for the class so she might be stuck for the semester. (Also DD is friends with her softball teammates and doesn't want to let them down.)

So how is the best way to communicate to Coach that we are not going to let her wreck DD's summer by driving her to injury in the spring? Do we need to involve the AD, or only talk to him if the conversation with Coach goes badly?

 

[Lance Steckler]

"My DD will not be pitching for you if this is your plan." And as far as the PE credit, go to doctor.. problem solved.

Would not even mention summer team. Strictly, not going to abuse my DD with a completely unrealistic workload. PERIOD.

Anger is a gift when it comes to moronic HS coaches.

 

[cvsoftball]

Get a doctor's note limiting her pitch count/innings.

 

[chinamigarden]

You need to have that same talk with your travel coach who knows she is playing HS and is still pitching her both days on the weekend.

 

[Lance Steckler]

pitching both days on a weekend, may or may not even closely mirror the stated plan of the HS coach. Pitching in parts of 2 75 min games on a sat and maybe same on Sunday, is not even close to 100-150 pitches 4+ days in a row.

it is a little wierd that travel and HS are going on at the same time.

 

[Lightning]

pitching both days on a weekend, may or may not even closely mirror the stated plan of the HS coach. Pitching in parts of 2 75 min games on a sat and maybe same on Sunday, is not even close to 100-150 pitches 4+ days in a row.

it is a little wierd that travel and HS are going on at the same time.

The HS season doesn't start until the spring but she's had the team doing full practices since tryouts last month. Most HS teams we know about are only doing conditioning, but she has pitchers throwing bullpens every day to get them ready for the spring season.

 

[Lance Steckler]

The HS season doesn't start until the spring but she's had the team doing full practices since tryouts last month. Most HS teams we know about are only doing conditioning, but she has pitchers throwing bullpens every day to get them ready for the spring season.

ahh that makes sense....except I think my DD would have a job or homework to do. Ohio has pretty strict rules about HS season, coach involvement, etc. Likely just to prevent the issues are are encountering now.

What would coach be doing if your DD played soccer or vball or any other in season school sport??

 

[LEsoftballdad]

I went through this very thing this spring. My daughter was the main pitcher for her varsity team, and the new coach decided she would ride her through the playoffs. Our second pitcher was in 8th grade and wasn't ready for varsity. After 19 games in 44 days, including five scheduled back-to-back games, my daughter developed shoulder tendonitis, which ruined her summer season. She took about a week off after the spring season but was afraid she wouldn't get recruited if she didn't play, so she pushed through the pain. Her performance suffered because she was still not right after the HS season.

When we finally realized the depth of her injury, I confronted the HS coach and explained to her that she potentially ruined my daughter's D1 chances. I told her if she is going with the same workload in 2024, my daughter will not play. The coach stood there like a deer in headlights as I explained what her pitching would be next spring. I am not sure it registered completely with her, but I got my point across.

Be your daughter's advocate. As much as we want them to be adults, they're not yet, and they still need our guidance.

 

[earlg3]

That's very unfortunate that the coach is acting that way. What is their leverage to be pushing her like this anyway? Losing your only pitcher sounds a lot worse than her pitching a bit less to stay healthy. Sorry to hear you and she are experiencing this.

 

[Gags]

Most HS teams we know about are only doing conditioning, but she has pitchers throwing bullpens every day to wear them out for the spring season.

Fixed it for you...

Also - It's the start of October. With practices every day (and leaving out weekends and holidays) - that theoretically gives her well over 50 days until any assumed "in season" practices in Feb. Obviously, I don't know the talent-level of the rest of the girls on the team - but give most any bucket mom/dad 50-75 practices, and they should be able to get a girl JV-ready in that time.

TL/DR - What's her excuse for not developing another pitcher over the next 4 months?