Sorry DFP. You get a long post this morning. DD and I often have a lot of our more in-depth conversations while she's practicing pitching. It helps keep her mind from going in circles while working on a drill and provides a more game-speed cadence (5-10 pitches, break and talk, 5-10 pitches, break and talk, 5-10 pitches, break and talk). Something I picked up from her PC. At any rate, we got on the discussion about starting vs coming in as relief.
Right now, she has zero interest in being a starting pitcher. She's never been driven to be called a #1. And really doesn't care if you call her a #2 or #3. She just wants to pitch. Just....preferably in relief. DD loves coming in mid to late in the game and pitching. Whether that's 3 innings or 1 inning to close it out. Doesn't matter if her team is up or down. Her words "I like coming into the game knowing where it's at". Then she pitches accordingly. My assumption is she perceives the pressures and how her mistakes effect the outcome differently. Her previous coach would often put her in if we needed to stop some bleeding and give the team a chance to get runs back. And would also use her to hold a lead in the late innings. That she loves. Just don't make her start.
Out of a crazy amount of games through Spring/Summer this past year....her number one memory was one inning during a tournament where we were down 2 or 3 runs. The other team had started to time our other pitcher and we were getting to the end of time. We needed to get quick outs to get our bats back at the plate. HC pulls DD aside. Says "We need you right now. These need to be quick". She was warmed up but hadn't thrown a single game pitch that day (our first game of bracket). 8 pitches later we're back hitting. Ultimately, we lost and were eliminated. But this single inning is one of her biggest memories from the Summer.
As a parent, I've come to not care if she is a #1 or a #3 as long as she's happy with what is being offered. I just want her to be able to pitch as long as she wants to. Obviously, a #3 isn't going to get the same innings as a #1, but it sounds like she's fine with that. Maybe prefers it. And relishes her position as a support role in the rotation. If she can be a #2-4 and be a pitcher coaches trust to use in relief/closing then that's cool with her. She likes it. So, we'll continue working and groom her to be a pitcher coaches can trust in that role.
I'm curious if others have experienced similar? Whether with your DD's or with pitchers on your teams.
Right now, she has zero interest in being a starting pitcher. She's never been driven to be called a #1. And really doesn't care if you call her a #2 or #3. She just wants to pitch. Just....preferably in relief. DD loves coming in mid to late in the game and pitching. Whether that's 3 innings or 1 inning to close it out. Doesn't matter if her team is up or down. Her words "I like coming into the game knowing where it's at". Then she pitches accordingly. My assumption is she perceives the pressures and how her mistakes effect the outcome differently. Her previous coach would often put her in if we needed to stop some bleeding and give the team a chance to get runs back. And would also use her to hold a lead in the late innings. That she loves. Just don't make her start.
Out of a crazy amount of games through Spring/Summer this past year....her number one memory was one inning during a tournament where we were down 2 or 3 runs. The other team had started to time our other pitcher and we were getting to the end of time. We needed to get quick outs to get our bats back at the plate. HC pulls DD aside. Says "We need you right now. These need to be quick". She was warmed up but hadn't thrown a single game pitch that day (our first game of bracket). 8 pitches later we're back hitting. Ultimately, we lost and were eliminated. But this single inning is one of her biggest memories from the Summer.
As a parent, I've come to not care if she is a #1 or a #3 as long as she's happy with what is being offered. I just want her to be able to pitch as long as she wants to. Obviously, a #3 isn't going to get the same innings as a #1, but it sounds like she's fine with that. Maybe prefers it. And relishes her position as a support role in the rotation. If she can be a #2-4 and be a pitcher coaches trust to use in relief/closing then that's cool with her. She likes it. So, we'll continue working and groom her to be a pitcher coaches can trust in that role.
I'm curious if others have experienced similar? Whether with your DD's or with pitchers on your teams.