It's Cold & Rainy! Where do I take my DD to work out?

[Lothar241]

Hi Folks,

I live in the NE. Unless I pay for space, I have very limited opportunities to work out with my DD during the winter. My basement ceiling is too low for her to work on pitching (she is 5'10") and I don't have a garage. Any creative ideas I can look into to find a cheap or free indoor space to work with my DD?

 

[knightsb]

Over the years, we have practiced at Churches, Grade Schools, High Schools, and the YMCA. It helps if you know someone and can explain your situation. Sometimes we were requested to use Softies vs. a regular ball, but beggars can't be choosers.

 

[quincy]

I find it hard to believe your basement ceiling is to low, I am a little over 6’ and can practice pitching in our basement. I can only throw the ball about 30’ and into a tarp but that is OK.

Look to see if the schools in your area have open gyms. Our community has a rec center that we belong to. If you use a squishy ball and stay out of other peoples way they are more or less OK with DD pitching. We just need to try and go when they are not really busy.

(I have not tried this but individual teams or organizations rent out areas of the sports facilities around here on a set weekly basis. If there is a place you can practice out of their way, I would hang around the facility looking for an opportunity to borrow some of their space when they practice. Not just one time but every time they do. If I come bearing gifts they might let me, or they might look at me like I am crazy which happens more than I would like.

For a younger Team, I will work with your pitchers for 45 minutes if you let me practice on my own for 45 minutes?)

 

[sbmom19]

Talk to your local grade schools - we have had great success using their gyms since there isn't as much demand for them as compared to the JHS and HS gyms. We have also used church gyms. You could also talk to some local businesses - some of them have warehouses that they will let you use...

 

[sleepwalker]

I used to drive around and look for places for my dd to pitch all the time. When I lived in Washington State and it rained all the time, I found a grade school play ground with a covered play area where she would pitch. I also found some covered walking areas at the local Jr. College where she would pitch during raining times of the year.

When we moved to the midwest, where snow and wind would plague us 6 to 8 months out of the year, I discovered the hospital parking garage and another parking garage in the downtown area that was lighted enough to pitch at during the winter months. We would also go to the local high school and pitch underneath the home team grand stands where the bathrooms and snack bar were located. We were out of the rain, snow and wind, but not the cold. We have also pitched at the local events center that has a covered walkway around three sides of the building. The building would protect us from the rain, snow and wind, but not the cold.

We have been known to pitch under the drive thru areas at banks on the weekends to avoid the rain.

Now that my dd has gone away to college, I still find myself driving around town and looking for areas where we could pitch. Just the other day, I ran across two grade schools that had covered walkways next to the school and gym. It is amazes me that I didn't find those areas earlier.

As a side not, we did get kicked out of one or two parking garages.

 

[iMlearning]

indoors

We found an indoor soccer field and I told him I couldn't afford to rent the field so he said if we came in before 3 we could use it for free during the week. This gives us about 45 min to work after school. We also found a tennis court that has a bubble dome on it for the winter. I'd just start looking around and calling places.

 

[smddad]

Take her to SoCal. They're still practicing outdoors.

 

[JAD]

Wow, reading Sleepwalkers efforts to find a spot to pitch really makes me appreciate the nice weather we have in GA! It gets cold a couple of months of the year, but we can usually just pitching in the driveway with a sweatshirt or light jacket. No snow to speak of, and it does not rain more than once a week.

 

[fastpitchaddict]

We were able to build a batting cage in our basement (for tee work). Some of our local churches have gyms. I agree with JAD, I'm thankful for our Georgia weather.

 

[ItsJustAGameCoach!]

Take her to SoCal. They're still practicing outdoors.

Surprise, Arizona...We moved here in March and have only had 1 practice cancelled due to rain since we got here.