Seeking advice: If your DD is not going to be tall - a novel I know, sorry ;-)

[TeNeetKeeMom]

I sure hope this all makes sense b/c I am too tired to type any more ;-)

My DD just turned 13 this month. She has been pitching since she was 9 years old. She is passionate, dedicated and practices 3-4 days a week and has been doing this for the past 2 years. She has a pitching coach. She has great command and velocity. She was the varsity/A team pitcher for her JH team as a 7th grader (younger classman). During the summer the HS coach let her practice/pitch with HS in their practices and wants to continue with this.

In travel ball she has always been the go to pitcher. She is an "A" level/starting/ace type of pitcher. That being said she is only 5'4 and I (mom) is only 5'7 and her dad is only 5'8 - so genetically speaking she is not going to get very tall. There could be a fluke and she somehow manages to get tall (I mean me and her dad both have some tall people in our family) BUT "yeah right! ;-) She has constantly had to fight and prove herself (her pitching) against taller pitchers but has always proved she is just as good and in sometimes showed she was better than those taller pitches the coaches had originally went to just because of the height but then when my DD was given a chance in the circle she clearly demonstrates she is the real deal.

Even though she is 5'4 she is throwing the same speed and in some instances faster than those 5'9-5'11 pitchers and she has great command. Everyone/coaches have always been pleasantly shocked (although now a days she is pretty much known and has earned respect in our softball community) by her speed, command and dominance and then she earns the job as a "go-to" pitcher.

We have always looked for teams that had at least one additional great pitcher so she would not have to pitch too much. We have been lucky so far to find teams with one additional great pitcher and one mediocre pitcher (working to get better) so that our DD was never over used and she actually got to play another position.

Therefore, throughout the years she has also been able to play middle infield (not b/c she is a pitcher and the coaches are trying to keep her so they "give" her the spot but because she can really play middle infield). She is just as talented playing MIF as she is pitching (we think man if she is this good at MIF now what would she be like if she was able to dedicate as much practice time to MIF as she does to pitching).

So I guess you guys can see where this is headed. We ask our DD all the time "are you sure you want to still pitch?" and she always answers "yes." We have tried to explain to her that most colleges (D1 is her goal) look at mainly tall pitchers and try to explain to her that she has a very limited shot at making it to pitch (D1) in college b/c of her limited height. I know there is always a tiny possibility that a (D1) college coach may give a shorter pitcher a chance (if she can do the job) but honestly out of all the college ball we watch (we watch a lot) we can't recall seeing a 5'7 (or shorter) pitcher pitching in a good (D1) college program - or have we had selective vision? We teach our kids that you can do anything if you put your mind to it and always tell them to work hard to overcome any obstacle that may lay in your way - but still that nagging feeling of our DD's hight will be a hinderance for her (as a pitcher) wont go away.

Alas, we are starting to think that we need to start persuading our DD to put more energy to MIF and we are confused if we should push her to give up pitching in lieu of focusing on MIF b/c she has a better chance of playing (D1) college (in a good program). Most people in our softball community would think we are CRAZY thinking this b/c everyone holds her as one of the Elite pitchers in our area but we are thinking that in the next couple years as girls continue to get taller/stronger (and more than likely our DD not getting much taller although I know she will push her self to stay competitively strong as those tall girls well as much as her body will allow) -perhaps her dominance could change? Its really a thing of wishing we could predict the future ;-)

I guess we are wondering when is the time (at what age) do you know if your DD has "got it" and can pitch at the next level (D1) and "don't got it" - we don't want to waist precious years/time if she should be dedicating her time to MIF and hitting. I mean she has one more year in JH then its High School!!

One thing is for sure she LOVES softball, she LOVES playing both positions with pitching edging out MIF as her favorite. Only if she was blessed to be tall then I do not believe I would be writing this now. We are so confused - any suggestions, advice or similar experiences out there? Thanks in advance!

 

[Amy in AZ.]

There are plenty of D1 programs, that she can pitch at. All you are seeing on TV, are the major top 10 schools. I see that you are in OK.
Look at the number of D1 schools in a state like IL. They all need pitchers. And don't under estimate all the other colleges, D2, D3 and NAIA. Her goal needs to be her education, then softball. Let her pitch.

 

[Jillsdad]

Just curious - how fast does she throw in practice and in games?

 

[sluggers]

First, you have the whole "playing softball in college thing" upside down. She goes to school to get an education so she can have a rewarding career. She doesn't go to school to play softball. Softball is just a little game people play to have fun. If her entire focus is on "playing softball at D1 level", then you and she are in for a big let down. It isn't what you think it is (my DD pitched at the D1 level).

So, you need to flush all this talk about "let's find the best program at D1 for her to play" and rather say, "Hey, she wants to be biologist. What schools have the best biology program?"

As to pitching or not pitching, you really are missing the big picture. Your DD will play about 8 more years of softball, and then hang up her glove and never play again. To point out the obvious: It is her life and her talent, not yours. So, the question is, "What does *she* want to do?"

I have a thousand tales of woe about parents who "know better" than the athlete. Parents who act that way end up hurting the child. Why? Because practicing and getting ready to play are hard work--and if a kid is pushed to do something they don't want to do, it will be a disaster.

So, on to your question, "Will she be good enough to play D1"? No one knows. At age 13, and I hate to break your bubble, but what she has done up to now doesn't mean diddly squat. To call a girl who just turned 13 "elite" is a little silly.

First, she is playing at a level of softball that isn't particularly competitive. Up to 13YOA, there a whole bunch of girls who play just to have something to do. So, your DD is playing against a lot of kids who have no real interest in softball. That is going to start changing, but you'll have to wait until she is 15 or 16 to get any kind of true idea of how "good" she is.

Second, your DD may have matured early, which means that she had an advantage over all the other girls. If she is small, she almost certainly matured before everyone else. What you are seeing could be simply a kid who matured before everyone else.

My DD#3 (not the softball player) and another girl played basketball together and were about the same size. At 12YOA, the other girl was a much, much better player than my DD. At 16YOA, the other girl couldn't even make the HS basketball team while my DD was starting. It happens all the time to boys. But, for some reason, parents think girls are different.

So, my advice:

Talk to your DD and find out what she wants to do after college. Then, find a good school where she can achieve her life goals. After all that, then look at softball teams.

Look at the number of D1 schools in a state like IL. They all need pitchers.

That is perhaps inaccurate. They all need *ONE* pitcher.

 

[InsidePitch]

Well they are kids playing a game. I'd say let her play the spot as long as she's happy playing it. Any coach worth his salt will make sure she can play other positions.

 

[howellhandmade]

My dd's first pitching coach was (and remains) about 5'3", and pitched for Pitt. So it's possible, and no more unreasonable than expecting another pitcher to have the red carpet rolled out at D1 schools just because she's tall, disregarding all other factors.

 

[InsidePitch]

DD's first pitching instructor was the HS pitcher. She was relentless, pitching almost every game they played while playing a full TB season. She has been pitching at Tufts the past 2 years. Not a D1 school but she is 5'1 and a gamer. As a plus, they leave Boston and go south and to CA to play in the early spring.

 

[Jojo]

I am going to have to echo the general consensus that "not" playing on a top D1 team is not worthy of her time anymore being a pitcher.

Is that the only reason why you want her to pitch? To be a pitcher at a top D1 school? That she will do for only 4 years.
Or do you want to her to get an education and have fun playing and representing her school while she does this.
Not to mention scholarship money to help defray the cost.

My DD was only 5'6, she had several D1 offers, but her final choice was a D2 school that fit her educational goals, was still in the same state so we could see her games, and with a full scholarship her entire tuition was paid.

She now has a degree, is working in her field and coaches a high school team in Florida. This is what her college goal was.

One of my DD's friends who was a 5'2" pitcher, played at a local JUCO, then transferred to a D1 where she was miserable. She finally settled in a D2 school where she was happy and it was in our same conference so they got to see each other and pitch against each other from time to time.

 

[chinamigarden]

Your DD is 13 pitching a the next level is not D1 its HS and 14U and 16U and 18U, then college. And from HS D1 is not the next level. there is NAIA, D3, D2 and at least one other college association that I can't quite recall. Then there is D1, and D1 is pretty much chopped up into quite a few layers as well. There is a lot of time and frankly a lot of things can happen in the next few years. She can grow another 4 inches easily and tack on 10 MPH. Or she could be done growing and has peeked not only in height but in pitching speed as well. Or she might not grow an inch and still tack on 10 MPH. Having a goal is one thing, but don't get so far ahead of yourself that you give up on the goal because it. Also be prepared to adjust the goal as reality sets in. If she wants to pitch for Oklahoma but doesn't get in there, she should be prepared to look at MAC schools or D2 schools.

If you look at the rosters of many of the D1 schools you will find 5'3" pitchers. They may not be on ASU and UofM or any of those teams who seem to be in the WCWS every single year, but there are plenty of them out there.

 

[nanotech14]

I think Angela Tincher is only 5'7" and look what she has acomplished,with hard work and drive.