I’m at a loss... help !

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Oct 2, 2018
205
43
Georgia
Do we put too much pressure on these girls to preform week after week? Pitching lessons, hitting lessons, fielding lessons, team practice, weight training,sports psychologist on and on. Combine that with Puberty and emotions.
I am all for pushing to be the very best if the kid wants it. But are we starting to push these young ladies too early?
What age should we start pushing? I guess thats why some people say softball starts at 43 feet. Maybe thats the time to push and before that keep lessons twice a month and allow natural athleticism take over.
 
Jun 26, 2014
14
1
We are experiencing sort of the same thing, though my DD is 15 and a sophomore. This past January, before COVID shutdown, she fractured her left ankle at practice, while pitching (she is a right hand thrower). She was just warming up and came down wrong and rolled her ankle. But now, since it has healed, she can’t seem to throw a strike during a game. Practice and pitching lessons she throws strikes all day. Right now we have a little break with her travel team. Maybe this is what she needs, I don’t know. It’s something she needs to figure out herself. I’m doing all I can with practice and pitching lessons. I feel bad for these kids now a days. It’s so super competitive, which adds more stress on top of school work.
 
Sep 29, 2008
1,401
63
Northeast Ohio
We will never know if it is the coach and the pressure and confidence and the sucking the fun out of it and the too much tough love if we don't see a video. Preferably a video not edited of a series of pitches. There may be no solution if the pitching mechanics are bad.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
Nothing worse then having your DD holding back tears or actually crying on drive home.

DD cared about SB and she made an effort to be good at it.

Sometimes I had to kick her, other times I told her we are going fishing.

All kids are different. Hopefully you can find a middle ground with her.

(DD shuts down if you yell at her, no idea where her mind goes but you might as well be speaking to yourself)
 
Last edited:
Oct 4, 2018
4,611
113
I didn’t finish it. Early in the book there was an extended sequence where the main character is rushing to his dorm room to watch the World Series. In September. In the afternoon. I had to flip back a few pages to make sure it wasn’t set in the fifties, but there were cell phones. That sort of thing ruins a read for me.


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I might have to double check that. The book won significant literary awards, I believe. It wouldn't have with such mistakes.
 
Jun 19, 2014
846
43
Raleigh,NC
Pitchers have many ups and downs. Having positive influences around her does help to rebuild her confidence. My daughter took a few months off and back to pitching. Her bread and butter was always the drop curve. She is struggling with this pitch but her rise ball and changeup looks good. Very interesting to note since these were historically her worse pitches.
Work on what she is doing well and build it. Who knows if D ever gets her drop curve back but we are rolling with what she is currently doing well.


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Oct 9, 2020
47
8
A positive and encouraging pitching coach that knows what they are doing is a must. My daughter, who was cut by the first team she was on didn't have much confidence after not making the 10u team. But when we went to a new team her new coach asked her if she was interested in pitching... I was hesitant at first as was my daughter. The pitching coach that she was paired up with is amazing, he is demanding with technique and effort...But no matter what or how they were doing he always finds positives that "encourage" the kids. Now fast forward 1 year dd's team just started playing 10c and is throwing mid to upper 40's with control and confidence... It was pretty neat seeing him bring out some confidence in her now she is a leader on the team... The coach is also friends with a few girls that play High Level division 1 softball and they are in helping the girls on a regular basis during the off season or holiday breaks. Nothing like positivity and positive Role Models for kids this age... Tough love is ok, but the "mind games" are what younger athletes seem to struggle with... IMO....
 
Apr 28, 2014
2,316
113
A positive and encouraging pitching coach that knows what they are doing is a must. My daughter, who was cut by the first team she was on didn't have much confidence after not making the 10u team. But when we went to a new team her new coach asked her if she was interested in pitching... I was hesitant at first as was my daughter. The pitching coach that she was paired up with is amazing, he is demanding with technique and effort...But no matter what or how they were doing he always finds positives that "encourage" the kids. Now fast forward 1 year dd's team just started playing 10c and is throwing mid to upper 40's with control and confidence... It was pretty neat seeing him bring out some confidence in her now she is a leader on the team... The coach is also friends with a few girls that play High Level division 1 softball and they are in helping the girls on a regular basis during the off season or holiday breaks. Nothing like positivity and positive Role Models for kids this age... Tough love is ok, but the "mind games" are what younger athletes seem to struggle with... IMO....

Great story!
I think that many kids and parents for that matter see pitching as a slow but consistent progression, but for most kids its not. There are many peaks and valleys and just when you think its all figured out you hit one of them valleys. The valleys are where most who give up quit. But the valleys are opportunities to learn and grow. I really believe that the most important ingredient in being a successful pitcher is having an unshakable mentality. While no one is completely unshakable girls who are mentally tough invariably are more successful. I don't think pitching builds mental toughness I think it reveals it.
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
Great story!
I think that many kids and parents for that matter see pitching as a slow but consistent progression, but for most kids its not. There are many peaks and valleys and just when you think its all figured out you hit one of them valleys. The valleys are where most who give up quit. But the valleys are opportunities to learn and grow. I really believe that the most important ingredient in being a successful pitcher is having an unshakable mentality. While no one is completely unshakable girls who are mentally tough invariably are more successful. I don't think pitching builds mental toughness I think it reveals it.
Good read BT3100.
Could possibly be said of ALL players in softball! 👍
 
Jul 31, 2015
761
93
So my DD just turned 13 last week. At age 10 and 11 she was a dominant pitcher. She lost most of her 12u season last year because of Covid but continued to work almost every day and weekly with a pitching coach.
she was pitching upwards of about 53-54 mph regularly as well as maintining a good changeup and learning tothrow a drop and screw ball which were actually starting to look reallygood. We were very excited about the season but then something just “ happened” or “changed” .... it’s something I just can’t explain and something I’ve never seen from a player in my over 30 years of playing and coaching.
It started with getting into scrimmages and holding back a bit from nerves, not throwing nearly as well as in the backyard. I figured that was expected since she hadn’t been on the mound in a while ...
We switched her pitching coach over the pandemic and he seemed to be making great progress with her. Then she started getting very anxious on the way to lessons. Saying she was nervous because she thought he thought she sucked. He would say things like “ maybe uou can just be a first baseman because you just don’t throw hard enough “. She would cry sometimes on the way home because he made her feel like crap.
Now trust me , I am about tough love and pushing them so I thought nothing of it except - you gotta be mentally strong.
When she went back on the mound it was just disastrous. I’m. Not talking about not throwing hard. I don’t mean she couldn’t find the strike zone. I mean it was like she couldn’t physically throw the ball anywhere near the plate. The ball would bounce 3 times before getting there or the ball would fly over the back stop . This with zero velocity. It was like a 7 year old who never pitched before stepped onto the mound. Not a kid who was progressing so well and been seeing a pitching coach since she’s 9.
There are so many things I’ve tried to get her through this. She is a very athletic 5’9 left handed pitcher who wants this more than anything. We have her talking to a sport psych for children , and changed coaches. But I don’t know if it’s something she can ever overcome. She is petrified to go on the mound. But wants to get passed this and back to where she was 2 months ago.
Has anyone ever experienced this before ?
many advice ??
I can post videos if you like.
thanks in advance.

How is she doing? Any updates?
 

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