Push ups for called third strikes

[tghorley]

Heck, some of the called third strikes I've seen, I wouldn't even take a swing. And I sure as heck couldn't do 10 pushups.

Seriously, communication between coach and player to me is the best. Most of these kids want to succeed and coaches need to teach them to succeed. At this age (actually at all ages), sometimes you have to remind them, you can have fun but you got to focus also. Why did they miss that last sign or not swing? It could be something as simple as they were mad because they did not swing at the last pitch or swung and missed. Then you need to teach them to forget about it and refocus on the next pitch. It could be something a teammate told her about the pitcher and that is what she was focused on. Heck, they may not even have known they had two strikes. To me, bottom line is you have to teach them to focus and refocus.

As a side note, I was at an 18u showcase tourney several weeks ago to watch a certain team (16u) I am familiar. Well, they met up with a buzz saw of a pitcher. She was fast, great movement on the ball, curve, drop, screwball and rise. I have not seen so many called third strikes in a long time. I laughingly told the coach after the game he should quit giving the take sign so much!

 

[Randy Stiles]

I don't have a lot of experience as a coach, but had a 14u team this summer. For most of the girls it was their first time playing anything other than Rec league. They were facing much tougher pitching than they had ever seen. Some players really struggled at the plate and often stood there and looked at 3 strikes and never swung. Or would be down in the count and wanted them to not take 3rd strike. It was just uncertainty and not wanting to look bad swinging and missing. It was a frustration for the coaches and we considered something to motivate them to swing.

My DD was at a clinic this weekend given by a NCAA D1 coach. She stated that she tried to change the mindset of the player while at the plate. She said, she if they were going to miss a pitch, she wanted them to miss big! She wanted it swung at hard. Also, she said they need to change their thinking in that when at the plate they should expect to swing at the pitch but if its a ball then decide not to swing. Said if they are standing at plate trying to decide to swing/not swing, by the time the decision was made the ball had already gone by them. I think was happening a lot to my players. I think having them to expect to swing and take her approach would help my players.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I don't have a lot of experience as a couch

Not many people do.

 

[chinamigarden]

I spent a summer working as an ottoman once

 

[chinamigarden]

It's a whole lot easier to go from yes to no on a pitch then it is to go from maybe to yes

 

[rjnashburnva]

We are a 12U travel team and we use push ups in practice rather than games. Coaches also do push ups for a good play so it goes both ways. We don't use it as punishment but more to raise awareness of mistakes.

 

[rjnashburnva]

Forgot to add . . . we only do 5 pushups so it is quick and it gets the point across

 

[MsDinosaur]

I spent a summer working as an ottoman once

They had a whole empire; I heard about it in school.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

 

[2bucketdad]

It bothers me when they swing at two junk pitches and then watch a meatball go by for strike 3...or when they watch two great pitches go by and then swing at a bad pitch...

 

[quincy]

Also, she said they need to change their thinking in that when at the plate they should expect to swing at the pitch but if its a ball then decide not to swing. Said if they are standing at plate trying to decide to swing/not swing, by the time the decision was made the ball had already gone by them.

First part of this vidieo is for you. (Entire vidieo is good)