I have been is discussion with a ton of other coaches from top tier teams to lower tier teams, everywhere in between. My question is, where have all the 16U pitchers gone. I've heard teams, solid A teams, offering girls that don't throw 50 with the wind behind them. I know I'm frustrated cause I'm trying to add another pitcher, hopefully 2 to a pretty solid 15U team and there's nothing out there.
Pitchers
- Thread starter Jackel2168
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- Jan 25, 2011
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18u, I would think
Ding, ding , ding we have a winner. College expo teams
Well yes - that is where the best ones are.
However I look at it differently - it goes back to 10U/12U.
Pitching is hard - it takes a lot of work to be just average. And softball teams in travel really only go for a 1-2 pitchers rotation - maybe 3 in pool games. So a lot of girls stop pitching for lack of circle time and either decide to concentrate on hitting/fielding or leave softball altogether. Especially in 10U/12U the best athletes/players tend to be on the better teams so a lot of potential pitchers are playing SS for that 10A or 12A team - I know on our 10UA team we had 3 girls who would have pitched and been #1 on any 10UB team but never threw an inning for our team. Already being a field player/hitter on a better team is more important to them than getting to pitch.
By the time you exit 12U the girls who are left pitching are where you are getting your pitchers from for 14U-18U until college. There are not that many pitchers who start later than 12U (yes there are exceptions but not many). Now have some of them stop playing softball because they don't want to put the work in/other sports/boys/school/other activity/sleeping/injury/stop playing for their parents and this pool of players gets smaller and smaller.
We also keep pushing this 'type' - you must be this tall, you must throw this hard, and so on - and if you don't then there is a pretty good chance you wont pitch.
And then there is the whole 'you need to be seen' so the college level pitchers end up in 16UA or 18U exposure teams the moment they hit high school eligible.
We kill the potential pitching pool in the younger age groups and then continue to do so with the way many coaches ride their #1 pitchers and minimal other pitcher development.
- Feb 17, 2011
- 201
- 16
Most are 18U. My dd got the call when she had just turned 14 from a 18U team. This team had a four pitcher rotation.
Many have trouble making the transition from throwing the ball by everyone at 12U to getting hit a year later. The majority of pitchers lack the desire to practice as much as needed and the effort required to be able to hit their spots drop, change, or rise at any time.
I see it as a lack of desire to put in the time required as they turn into teenagers with all of its distractions.
Many have trouble making the transition from throwing the ball by everyone at 12U to getting hit a year later. The majority of pitchers lack the desire to practice as much as needed and the effort required to be able to hit their spots drop, change, or rise at any time.
I see it as a lack of desire to put in the time required as they turn into teenagers with all of its distractions.
It might just be me, but if you're 14 or 15 playing up at that level for "exposure" you're insane. Unless you throw 60+ no great college is going to look at you. On top of that, unless you hound the coach relentlessly, unless you are a junior they cannot even contact you. I just don't see why you would sit on the bench for an older team when you could be playing at your own level.
We are just getting started in recruiting, but from my experience with showcases, the majority of the D1 recruiters were at 16U for pitchers and catchers. The recruiting being done at 18U is D1 position players and D2, D3 and NAIA pitchers and catchers.
Coach-n-Dad
Crazy Daddy
- Oct 31, 2008
- 1,008
- 0
DD, a pitcher on the left coast, played 18 Gold since 14. There were many college coaches from D1 to JC looking.
In our experience, any good pitcher is picked up by an 18 Gold team right around 14 years old. 18 Gold coaches want to win games and they will have the best pitchers they can find.
In our experience, any good pitcher is picked up by an 18 Gold team right around 14 years old. 18 Gold coaches want to win games and they will have the best pitchers they can find.
