HS Ball question

[Country Boy]

Obviously every school and region is different with different levels of talent. In our area marginal players can be brought up from 7th/8th grade to varsity if they are in a school district with not enough good players. At one school in our area they had one girl pitching varsity as a 7th grader; another one catching varsity since 7th grade. Neither would be good enough for a lot of other varsity teams in the same area.

That is why for some players in our area I think they might be better off to skip HS ball altogether if their school is a program that is that bad.

I understand. I'm just having trouble with the concept that the program is so desperate for bodies that they need 7th & 8th graders to play varsity. Dad believes his daughter is the best IF, #2 P and yet this desperate program punishes her by putting her in the OF, thereby hurting the entire team. Something just doesn't add up.

 

[James Smith]

I know I have a differnt opinon then some other posters but move her down if that is what she wants to do. There is no way I am allowing DD to move down so she can play SS, RF is just fine for her. Players abilities is a losing arguement, DD loses this discussion as soon as she mentions it. DW throws it out sometimes and we have a good time discussing it and agree. It does not help DD 1 bit.

(I am kind of back to 6 weeks will not hurt her)

 

[fastpitch]

Just curious. Are you guys going to PGF Nationals?

 

[riseball]

DD is an 8th grader, was on the varsity roster last year as a 7th grader, got to pinch hit 3 times, otherwise played JV, then came over for the last part of the varsity game.

She also plays TB for an elite program and primarily is the pitcher or 1st base. She does OK...right at 60MPH for her fast and drop, decent screw, change and a very nice rise. Pitches well, so I've been told.


DD makes the varsity roster as a starter, takes primarily reps at pitcher and 1st base, in all honesty, she is probably the #2 pitcher, but was told that she was the #4 (which is a joke) and won't get to pitch at all. She also was placed in right field as the starter. For our opening day, she is a better infielder than three of the starting 4 we had starting.

With no pitching time, and her being relegated to right field, I'm tempted to ask the coach to move her down to JV so she can pitch and play 1st. Is this wrong? She is OK with it. Though I know she would rather stay with the varsity, but understands why it might be more important.

Our TB coaches expect her to hit the ground running at the start of June and we honestly cant take a month and a half off and play outfield...

Any thoughts are appreciated.

R

In the interest of an open and honest dialog let's not dismiss the information provided by the OP and for just a minute take the leap of faith that the OP has provided accurate information.

So we start with an 8th grade pitcher right at 60MPH for her fast and drop, decent screw, change and a very nice rise. Is this level of performance from an 8th grader beyond the realm of possibility? Granted it is not common but would be consistent with her playing for an elite TB organization. So for a minute let's assume that we have a gifted elite level athlete.

Those of you who have actually developed elite pitchers are painfully aware of the investment in time and money required to develop the skills described. Not to mention the gift of natural ability that is required. I am sure that even those removed from the art of pitching can appreciate this investment and what is at stake. So I have to ask why would anyone suggest that a gifted pitcher throw a month or so time to the wind to play a position that will not help them maintain and enhance the skills that they have worked so hard to develop? Is it too much to ask a High School program to provide an environment that permits an elite level player the opportunity to maintain the skills they have worked so hard to develop? It is one thing to ask a player to be flexible and play the position where they are needed for 3 months of HS ball. It is something totally different to ask an elite player to let their skills degrade and be thankful for the honor to participate. There is a reason that pitching and catching are referred to as skill positions. You simply do not take months at a time off.

 

[fastpitch]

riseball - why r u making razorweasel worry for no reason? she will be fine. if she practices on the side she will be ready for the TB season. She will likely be the varsity pitcher as a freshman next year and it will all be ok.

 

[riseball]

riseball - why r u making razorweasel worry for no reason? she will be fine. if she practices on the side she will be ready for the TB season. She will likely be the varsity pitcher as a freshman next year and it will all be ok.

It was not my intention to cause him any undue concern and apologize if that is the case. I also do not want to put words in his mouth but I am willing to bet that his daughters position on the HS team next season is probably not his top concern.

 

[starsnuffer]

High school ball is just rec ball, she's a pitcher, so she's going to lessons after her games/HS practice, throwing on her own, and having TB practice on Sunday anyway. If her TB team is good it's stacked with infielders anyway, and since a pitcher shouldn't pitch every game, she needs to be a good outfielder to play the games she isn't pitching. I don't see the problem. She has 4 years of HS to earn a spot pitching.

-W

 

[fastpitch]

It was not my intention to cause him any undue concern and apologize if that is the case. I also do not want to put words in his mouth but I am willing to bet that his daughters position on the HS team next season is probably not his top concern.

Yeah. I know its TB nationals and rightfully so. But she will be fine. HS season is short. Pitching JV may actually hurt her. Its likely she will K everyone even if she makes mistakes and may get used to leaving balls over the plate. A productive pitching practice on working on spots, pitches will be more time effective than playing on JV just to pitch.

 

[Cannonball]

If your 13 year old is throwing it 60 mph, you have a talented kid. What is the #1 throwing for your 8th grader to be #2? She is better than everyone on the varsity as well. Please keep us up to date. I want to watch her in college.

So, UCLA, Alabama, Texas, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, ???

 

[Country Boy]

In the interest of an open and honest dialog let's not dismiss the information provided by the OP and for just a minute take the leap of faith that the OP has provided accurate information.

So we start with an 8th grade pitcher right at 60MPH for her fast and drop, decent screw, change and a very nice rise. Is this level of performance from an 8th grader beyond the realm of possibility? Granted it is not common but would be consistent with her playing for an elite TB organization. So for a minute let's assume that we have a gifted elite level athlete.

Those of you who have actually developed elite pitchers are painfully aware of the investment in time and money required to develop the skills described. Not to mention the gift of natural ability that is required. I am sure that even those removed from the art of pitching can appreciate this investment and what is at stake. So I have to ask why would anyone suggest that a gifted pitcher throw a month or so time to the wind to play a position that will not help them maintain and enhance the skills that they have worked so hard to develop? Is it too much to ask a High School program to provide an environment that permits an elite level player the opportunity to maintain the skills they have worked so hard to develop? It is one thing to ask a player to be flexible and play the position where they are needed for 3 months of HS ball. It is something totally different to ask an elite player to let their skills degrade and be thankful for the honor to participate. There is a reason that pitching and catching are referred to as skill positions. You simply do not take months at a time off.

Wow, Riseball. You're making me think a little hard for a Friday afternoon. If the information provided is accurate, then the player needs to be pitching. But is pitching practice more valuable than pitching to batters? I am not a PC, but I believe that too much time can be spent working on pitches and too little putting it into practice. If she quits the team to focus on pitching, then it's 2 more months of throwing to Dad on a bucket. If she sticks it out, #1 may get hurt, quit, flunk out; then she might be pitching in games. Yeah, I know. A lot of 'Ifs'.

The reason this is so hard is it is odds defying. A Sr throwing 60 with 5 pitches is probably All Conference and maybe even All State mention around here. So I struggle with the thought of what to do with an 8th grader doing that. Much like I struggle to plan what to do with my future lottery winnings.

Edit: Yes, I know that there are lots of pitching drills, etc to simulate reality. But much like hitters have to transition off the T at some point and hit a moving target, Pitchers need to pitch with the threat of it coming back at them.