I agree, what the heck do I know about throwing and I am trying to teach the poor kids that I run into contact with.
Is the average 9-10yo athletic ENOUGH to throw a ball correctly?
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I agree, what the heck do I know about throwing and I am trying to teach the poor kids that I run into contact with.
Well I don't think I'm in anyway expectional. Though I do know what you mean about average and below averge coaches particuarly in rec leagues. Though in fairness to many of those coaches, they are volunteering thier time simply so there can be a league. The better coaches do put some time into learning how to teach kids. I know I made plenty of mistakes the first time though with my oldest. I'm sure I still make mistakes with the younger one and her group, but hopefully they aren't the same mistakes.
But the point is if the kids aren't throwing a fair anout away from practice time, they simply won't get much better. It is like that in nearly every endevor whether it be school work, sports, reading, you name it. If you don't practice it, you likely won't improve.
But the point is if the kids aren't throwing a fair anout away from practice time, they simply won't get much better. It is like that in nearly every endevor whether it be school work, sports, reading, you name it. If you don't practice it, you likely won't improve. So true,I didn't know how much I didn't know until I came on this site.I did know how to throw.Like was stated on this site I threw with a purpose to throw hard, be it a rock,baseball or a snow ball.I went out in the yard with both DD and DS and threw the ball alot.I knew in order to be any good they needed to know how to throw.We spent the time to practice to get better.We didn't wait for a coach or organized practice.Just get out and practice having a catch.They will get better.
You are right, as are many here. I really don't need to weigh in, but I will offer a slightly different angle; people don't know, what they don't know! Only with exposure will a rec coach come to the revelation that they lack the knowledge to improve players. One of my greatest peeves in coaching is watching a coach recruit the 15 best players, put them on a field, and declare him or herself a winner. I have voluntarily coached many bad teams. I coached a girls team one year that went 0-35. After they were 0-10, I walked up to two players and asked them if they needed help. They had never played more than a 3 inning game, and got beat by an average of 23-0. My joy was seeing these girls improve over the next 25 games. The average score the rest of the season was 11-2, and after about 5 more games were playing 7 inning games. They started smiling even though we lost everything! I didn't care. The same was true in HS ball though our awful program went to the State Championships every year but one. I don't really appreciate recruiters. I do appreciate teachers. At the same time, I don't condemn those who are just volunteering in rec ball. Bless them all! But a guy or gal coaching 18U TB had better know his craft, and had better know how to impart it! If not, then why don't they just go be a "party organizer" and sell balloons and punch?
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Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Play BB to learn to throw
A pretty good case has been made for learning to throw with a small ball. In my area, you are more likely to find the above average coach in BB than SB, although neither is a guarantee. And as far as playing with better players, again BB over SB. IMO, it makes a lot of sense to have your DD play BB with the boys at least until she develops decent throwing and hitting mechanics. Transition to SB at approx. age 9 or 10 IF the SB program can provide decent coaching and semi-competitive play, otherwise stick w/ BB for another year or two or start travel SB.
A pretty good case has been made for learning to throw with a small ball. In my area, you are more likely to find the above average coach in BB than SB, although neither is a guarantee. And as far as playing with better players, again BB over SB. IMO, it makes a lot of sense to have your DD play BB with the boys at least until she develops decent throwing and hitting mechanics. Transition to SB at approx. age 9 or 10 IF the SB program can provide decent coaching and semi-competitive play, otherwise stick w/ BB for another year or two or start travel SB.
- Jan 15, 2009
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Which doesn't really explain why the same average parent coaches somehow teach boys to throw correctly. Maybe one of the factors working against the girls is that they tend to listen to the coaches better than the boys do. So a girl is taught wrong and does it wrong because she follows instruction, boy is taught wrong and ignores the coach and goes with what seems to work better naturally.
- Feb 3, 2011
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Thanks for all the shared perspectives.
While I would like for our team to win a few games this spring, I'm far more concerned with individual player development. Sure, it's fun to win ballgames, but in the spring rec season, I think it's much more important to build solid players than to worry so much about building a winning (rec) team. I would feel the same if I had a more experienced team, but that feeling is magnified with so many newcomers.
I've communicated to the players and the parents the importance of throwing, and have given them a detailed, yet simple breakdown of how to work on it at home, but it's up to them to put in the work.
With respect to the 'average rec coach', I cannot find so much fault with them in our case, because our league has not trained them. We mandate that each attend a clinic each year, but do not run any clinics ourselves, nor do we provide them with points-of-emphasis for each age division. We have a number of experienced softball players who coach rec teams, but they aren't getting the job done either. I even had 1 tell me that it didn't make sense to 'waste' so much time working on the overhand throw, that a 5-10 minute warmup was more than enough. And since she's been 'playing for 30 years, she's convinced that she knows what's best for the kids in a youth league.
Hitting is important, but until we learn to throw, we're really not playing softball. Whereas the goal of last spring's more experienced team was for everyone to get a hit, the goal for this spring's team is to teach everyone to throw and to have them properly execute a throw in an actual game.
While I would like for our team to win a few games this spring, I'm far more concerned with individual player development. Sure, it's fun to win ballgames, but in the spring rec season, I think it's much more important to build solid players than to worry so much about building a winning (rec) team. I would feel the same if I had a more experienced team, but that feeling is magnified with so many newcomers.
I've communicated to the players and the parents the importance of throwing, and have given them a detailed, yet simple breakdown of how to work on it at home, but it's up to them to put in the work.
With respect to the 'average rec coach', I cannot find so much fault with them in our case, because our league has not trained them. We mandate that each attend a clinic each year, but do not run any clinics ourselves, nor do we provide them with points-of-emphasis for each age division. We have a number of experienced softball players who coach rec teams, but they aren't getting the job done either. I even had 1 tell me that it didn't make sense to 'waste' so much time working on the overhand throw, that a 5-10 minute warmup was more than enough. And since she's been 'playing for 30 years, she's convinced that she knows what's best for the kids in a youth league.
Hitting is important, but until we learn to throw, we're really not playing softball. Whereas the goal of last spring's more experienced team was for everyone to get a hit, the goal for this spring's team is to teach everyone to throw and to have them properly execute a throw in an actual game.
While I would like for our team to win a few games this spring, I'm far more concerned with individual player development MomosDad I agree with you 100%.I want each player to progress as far as they want to go, be it TB or highschool.I like how you explain and hope the parents help in this process.Work with your DD's or DS's at home.
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
MomosD - I think your focus on player development rather than W-L record is on target and admirable. While your throwing goal may be realistic and appropriate for your team of players, do you think that the boy's BB teams of this same age might not have and achieve more advanced goals? And that skill development would be quicker for those girls that progressed from tee-ball to baseball rather than immediately to softball?
Three Things I can see that effect this:
First there is a HUGE difference in participation rates from baseball to softball. We have one of the strongest local softball rec leagues locally in terms of numbers and we are 25% the size of the local baseball rec league. That is a huge talent pool they are drawing from.
Second: From what I have seen MORE parents take it seriously for their DS over their DD and are more willing to take their son out to throw and hit and catch and so on. So you look at a typical 8U/10U rec team on softball and you may have a few players who might move onto travel - go over to the same age boys baseball teams and everyone thinks their DS is the local all star or could be if given the chance. All the dads think they have the next **insert favourite MLB player here** and they will go out and play catch, and take them to the cages and so on. Coaches can schedule more practices with less parents worrying. Softball parents are nuts enough - baseball is totally insane. Parent participation + More practice = better at it - even bad mechanics can be adjusted for if you practice enough (i.e. result is good even if method isn't the best) but with decent coaching and more time (and more players) then you will just end up with more kids with decent skills.
Third: Baseball coaches are WAY more willing to go for the win at all levels (including rec). I hear discussions all the time in LL in Majors (so 12U basically) about how they can minimize the playing time for their bottom players and still meet LL requirements. Not saying that doesn't happen in softball - just seems much more often on the boys side
I guarantee the bottom 6 girls on our rec team do nothing in regards to softball apart from scheduled practices and games.
I also look at my DD's class at school. ALL the boys play sport - no exceptions. I would say maybe 50% of the girls do (perhaps a little higher if you think cheerleading or dance are actually sports)
Yes, some of the above are gross generalizations. Also we on this board are the exceptions to the above - the ones who are willing to do the same for our DD that we would do for a DS and likely our own DD is all about going out and playing.
Last thought: Here is why girls should play softball or on all-girls teams: Little Boys are little *&(#&(*$@&*s especially in groups. I know - I have one. For every 1 girl whose parents believe they that they "love playing on the boys team" there is at least 49 who hated it and never ever played ever again after being the only girl on a team. We had co-ed t-ball in our league - our retention rate for girls was 5%. We went to all girls t-ball and our retention rate is now 95%.
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