Little Pitcher

[cnardone]

If I start giving suggestions then the next thing I know I will be the one doing the scrubbing..

and that is one of the last things any one of us needs.

 

[_MIA_]

and that is one of the last things any one of us needs.

If I was the one who had to wash her uniform she would probably get a new pair of pants every other tournament!!
She actually does her own laundry but the scrubbing of the pants takes a little more elbow grease then her little 72 lb body
can muster.

 

[inumpire]

At 10yro, don’t listen to the naysayers at all. Find a good pitching coach that stresses fundamentals and location location location!! learn to make them hit HER pitch!!

 

[soxtroy@yahoo.com]

Much of this may should be based on genetics. If she has the right genetics to possible grow to a tall stature then encourage her to develop her pitching. If not let her enjoy pitching as she wants and maybe later encourage her to focus on another position depending on how high a level she wants to play and how competitive. Pitching young is not bad for any young player as it develops the work ethic necessary to become the best she can be. If college softball becomes her desire then pitchers are usually recruited first. Usually followed by catchers and then shortstops. A shortstop can usually be made to play any position well as they are usually the better athlete on a team. If college and/or gold level ball is not her desire then by all means let her do what she loves to do and have as much fun as possible with it. I could go on and on with this subject as I had two daughters play at those levels plus I coached at the gold level for 22 years. Just be sure she has fun while she is young and try not to miss too many birthday parties, etc. because of softball. Playing other sports can also be very beneficial to her development.

 

[ANNASDAD]

At 10yro, don’t listen to the naysayers at all. Find a good pitching coach that stresses fundamentals and location location location!! learn to make them hit HER pitch!!

 

[fastpitch91]

My DD is starting her 2nd year in 10u TB. She just turned 10 and started taking pitching lessons about 5 months ago. She throws consistently 40 mph. She did get to pitch for her TB team last year in her first year playing TB. She is going to pitch this year as well. I have had a lot of people tell me she is too little to be a pitcher. She is only 4'5 and around 70 lbs. Is her speed good for her size? And is she really too little to be a good pitcher?

40 at 10U is decent especially at her size. Amanda Scarborough was 5-6 and threw 68, Mowatt was listed at 5-4 but suspect 5-2 and throw 60+. My DD way back when was 5-2 and told the too small all the time but managed to be #1 on her TB team with great success and played in college at DIII and absent injury issues was competitve, although not the best on a top 25 team. As the umps used to say - how does that little thing throw that hard? And as noted by others to succeed her movement and location accuracy were dead on

Only real issue was she couldn't throw her drop to the 5-11 players because her release point was below their knees but her rise was a killer.

 

[Hawk_]

I just picked up a small pitcher. Why? Cause she can hit spots and throw strike. Simple as that.

 

[HighStrung]

Our pitching coach has always had one thing to say about smaller girls (my daughter being one of them), size and speed will come. Throwing 60mph doesn't help if she can't throw a strike either. So from the beginning he worked on form, control, and spin with her. She's about to turn 12, 5' and 85 lbs wet. She's going into her 2nd year of 12u, cruises around 47-49 right now but has amazing control and placement. She's also got a change up and drop ball that are very on point, with a new curve that she's getting accurate with and finally game ready.

She just accepted a position on an A level team which will be playing a handful of PGF as well. New HC said he's got two flame throwers, DD is his surgeon. I doubt she'll be the #1 starter this year by all means, but when they get the flamethrowers timing, she'll be coming in to pick them apart with movement and location. DD hasn't got to her big growth spurt yet, she's showing no signs of the change from a girl to woman, so we hope there is still height in her future. I'm 6'2 so the possibility of some height is there, but for now her pitching coach and new HC both say her ability to locate and move the ball are her keys to success, and what got her a spot on his mound.