Pitcher shortage?

[Ken Krause]

One other thing with pitchers specifically is many coaches at the younger ages want to win, so they'll pitch their #1 most of the time. That means #2 and #3 are fighting for scraps -- maybe a pool game or friendly here and there. After a while they figure why bother putting in all the time, and their parents figure why bother paying for lessons, if they're hardly ever going to pitch anyway.

In some cases that's probably a good decision. In others, though, perhaps not. Kids mature and grow at different rates, and that girl who can't break a pane of glass as a 12U might turn out to be a pretty good darned good 16U or 18U pitcher. I've seen it happen. But if she's been discouraged by a lack of opportunity we'll never know what she could've done.

 

[tnacntv]

In our situation my DD has been in all these scenarios throughout her five years of travel ball. I can remember in 10 and 12U watching her watch a couple of other pitchers who came out throwing much faster than she, blowing it by the batters. She was in awe of these pitchers. Her pitching was 5-8 mph slower then but she had great command and movement. She has been passed by, overlooked, and used as third string her whole career. Fortunately it has frustrated me more than her. She nearly quit last year but I think she realized that she is a good pitcher and can be very successful. This realization came as she saw these players who were, in 10 and 12U, at the top of their game now 'throwers' more than pitchers. Three of those players have now quit softball altogether for their own personal reasons, I'm sure. But my DD holds steadfast and still works hard with her own dreams of playing at the collegiate level.
I have made many mistakes in not realizing the 'Daddy' ball side of the game. Despite what the coaches we have played for have said it has not been about 'the girls success' but their own daughters success. In the mean time this selfishness has set back many talented girls who could have led the coach and his daughter to great success. I am fortunate that my daughter has not given up yet. As badly as she has been treated I've came to realize that she does truly love to play. Facing her adversity with the gumption that I never could have held. She is developing into a great pitcher, a very ball smart player, and a determined young woman who I am so very proud of.
I believe it is up to the adults to bring the focus back to the girls and the game. I believe it should not be about the ego, one single girls success, or just winning. It should be about the girls, their goals and dreams, and pushing EACH one of them equally as hard to help them reach those goals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqmBZnkP3jA

 

[Steve Huff]

Hal, that was good, and I never thought about it. But then again, I never coached where there was that much competition after I left Colorado. Utah had some good softball, but I lived in an isolated valley, so I wasn't exposed. But common sense says that might be a factor! I wonder if expectations, by themselves, or more importantly parents, might weigh on them? I had a factor of pregnancy with two players. But cars, boys, and even boys who didn't want them to play and focus on THEM, were factors. The best HS pitcher I ever taught started drinking at 17 and had her first boyfriend who was a loser! Her senior years she was half the pitcher. And the same is true of my Varsity pitcher in Utah, though she never drank.

 

[Steve Huff]

I think its a different issue. Too many kids at 12 and 14 who pitch are coddled and treated like they are special. Daddy or Mommy take them from one team to the next because of some imagined advantage or some percieved slight. Daddy forms his own team so his girl can be #1... Or coaches walk around on eggshells because they are afraid fo losing their pitchers mid season...

Around age 16 Daddy realises that this level of compitiion is way over his head so he sends off his little diamond diva to be coached by someone else. Who low and behold holds her to the same standard as everyone else. Why she gets treated the same. Doesn't anyone understand she is special... Or she hits the age where the coaches have years and years of experience and are not going to let a teenager run his team because of the position she plays.

So she quits the game because there are no decent coaches.

Ha! Really good, and I've seen this too!

 

[Steve Huff]

We are in Northern California. There is a shortage of OUTSTANDING pitchers playing at the 16U level but it is because if a 15YO is an OUTSTANDING pitcher she is playing on an 18 Gold team. There are a handful of good 18 Gold programs within a couple hours of us and all have at least 3 pitchers and as many as 6. Those same programs that have 16U teams have good pitching but rarely outstanding pitching.

This post really bothered me. I don't mind girls playing up if it is in HER best interest. But having 6 pitchers on a team is not in the OTHER 4 or 5 pitchers best interests! Who needs more than 3, four at max? Stockpiling doesn't help that no. 4 or no. 5! I have always been frustrated with "recruiters"! To me a recruiter is a coach who thinks having a winning program boosts his image. To me a "coach" is a person who trains and develops players, not someone who fills out a lineup of All-Stars!

 

[Steve Huff]

One of my favorite pitchers was told by a 14u team she was not good enough, so she now pitches for 18u.

Good for her!