- Jul 14, 2018
- 982
- 93
... for some reason, the coaches wouldn't pitch her except perhaps 1 inning every 3/4 games. And when she had her 1 inning, she'd strike out a batter or 2, and the rest would hit some weak ground ball or foul out. The only time someone got on base was when DD's teammate made an error, which was fine since it's 12U after all. I guess that's not good enough for them.
We just emerged from a very similar situation. DD pitches well, but got very few opportunities (the other two pitchers were the daughters of assistant coaches). That's kind of how it goes at this level. The top-notch coaches aren't working at 12U, they're working with showcase teams and helping girls that are trying to get recruited. Changing teams can feel like the end of the world, especially if you've been with the same one through some crucial development years.
Yet, they didn't even give me the courtesy to let me know to stop her pitching lessons. I am done paying for them, and I am done wasting my and DD's time with extra practicing either.
This is exactly the wrong attitude to take. Those coaches and that team will be in the rearview mirror soon enough. Your DD needs to keep working on her game and getting better. You cannot let some 12U coach determine your daughter's softball future, especially if she enjoys the game. It's not their place to tell you to stop lessons. Don't stop unless your daughter is done with playing softball.
She can pitch fast ball, changeup, drop, rise, curve, and screw. She just switched to 12" ball easily and pitches it faster than when she was with the 11".
Really? She just made the switch to a 12" ball and she can throw a rise? She just backed up to 40 feet and can change speeds and throw breaking pitches for strikes? I think you need to take a deep breath and realize that learning to pitch is a loooong process. If your daughter is frustrated by that process, or just not interested in putting in the time, then hand her a lacrosse stick. But if you're the one getting frustrated, try to give her some space and realize that watching her grow and mature as a player will be far more rewarding than having a kid who picks up a ball and turns into Monica Abbott overnight.
And when you do switch teams, for the love of Pete, do NOT announce to your new coach that your daughter has a six-pitch repertoire. Unless you're the parent of a 12U unicorn, it makes you sound foolish.