Tips to get more pitching time

[grcsftbll]

This is how my kid is. DH had today off work and took her to pitching lessons. So she comes home, and tells me the coach taught her how to throw a curve ball. We're laying off the movement pitches pretty hardcore right now because of her elbow thing recently (which seems totally fine now btw but we're being very careful). But she's showing me how to hold the ball, how the pitch works. She asks me to please please go in the basement with her (rain rain rain) so she can pitch some more. So we go down there and she pitches 2 buckets. I'm like, you have to stop now kid. She's at the batting cages with her dad now and had a 2 day tourney this weekend, and I want to her have some energy to hit off the pitching machine tonight. She does have natural talent, I believe that. But she's also a work horse. She puts in the time. She practices almost every day. Maybe when she hits 12 and the hormones kick in she'll get whiny about it. But right now it's all she wants to do. And it kills me to watch her bust her rear all the time like she does and have to wonder, why does the coach not let me pitch as much as the other girls? Ya know? I tell her, we just keep working, kiddo. We keep on practicing and getting better and better and you'll get the innings. But the adult in me knows, sometimes people have biases and preconceived notions, and all the hard work in the world can't overcome those. Anyway. I really appreciate all the input and the venue to vent (because I try to keep things very positive with her and with our team, which I truly do love overall). I'm sure after our next tourney on the 7th I'll have something new to add

 

[MNDad]

I think you need a new PC. 9 is way to young to be working on a curveball and your PC is feeding you a line that she has four other pitches at this age. Master command of her location and don't worry about any other pitches.

This is your first fall of kid pitch travel ball right? Maybe the other kids are pitching more because they've got more experience?

 

[grcsftbll]

I think you need a new PC. 9 is way to young to be working on a curveball and your PC is feeding you a line that she has four other pitches at this age. Master command of her location and don't worry about any other pitches.

This is your first fall of kid pitch travel ball right? Maybe the other kids are pitching more because they've got more experience?

She played travel last year but it was 8U. Her location is pretty awesome. We focus on fast ball and change up, like 98%. She'll show her a new pitch now and then to keep it fun. Her drop ball is awesome, but we don't use it much. We absolutely stay focused on fast ball and change, both at home and in lessons. We work more on location of those 2 than anything else, by a lot. When we practice we do 5 zones, starting outside the plate, ending inside (or vice versa), plus throwing high or low in various locations (inside, outside, down the middle). We even work on decision making. This girl swings hard and fast, that girl swings early, this girl swings late. Etc. What pitch would you throw? Where would you put it? etc. She has one of the best change ups I've seen yet in a 10U game, including the 05 pitchers. That particular pitch came to her very naturally.

The other 2 played 10U last year, yep. But they are not so much better than she is, that they should get more than twice as many innings. And how does she gain pitching experience playing 1st or short stop? I'm not saying she should pitch more than they do by any means. I just think it should be more evenly distributed.

 

[MNDad]

Is 8U travel kid pitch or coach pitch?

 

[grcsftbll]

Coach pitch. This is her first year in kid pitch. She started lessons in January of this year.

 

[Rocketech1]

I think you need a new PC. 9 is way to young to be working on a curveball

Totally agree. When DD was also around 9YO, her pitching coach tried to introduce the curveball to her and I respectfully told him that all I wanted her to throw at 10U is a fastball and change-up. Well, I go to the car to get something and I come back and the PC is showing DD the curveball grip! That was the last time she saw him. I just couldn't trust him anymore. IME, PCs introduce lots of pitches, earlier and earlier so that the student has to come see them every week to work on all of these new pitches. BTW, we didn't introduce any movement pitches until DD was a 1st year, 12U player. Once we did, the transition to learning movement pitches was relatively easy because she had a good foundation for many years.

Lastly, very difficult for a 9YO to get enough spin on the ball to make it move much, especially if they are pitching from 35 feet with a 11 inch safety ball that does not have the raised seams that a real leather ball has.

 

[grcsftbll]

I don't think she has any ulterior motive. We don't do much at all with anything but fast and change. I think the novelty of learning something new now and then keeps it fun. I really believe that's all she's doing.

 

[MNDad]

I love how passionate and engaged you are about your DD's softball and pitching. It's tough to get some parents to even play catch with their kids. As your DD progresses in her career you'll be amazed how much she improves and what a truly "awesome" pitch looks like. At 9 they simply don't have the speed or strength to get much movement on the ball. To let you know where I'm coming from, DD just started college and she's still working on developing a good drop and CU. Thise pitches take years to master. I have no doubt she's awesome for a 9 yo though.

I'm glad to hear her PC is just introducing new pitches to keep it interesting. If hate to see your DD injured from a PC trying to have her do things her body isn't ready for.

 

[Rocketech1]

I don't think she has any ulterior motive. We don't do much at all with anything but fast and change. I think the novelty of learning something new now and then keeps it fun. I really believe that's all she's doing.

I would continue to work on that drop ball if you want a movement pitch right now. It will serve her well now and when she moves up to 12U, her drop will be very effective in getting lots of ground ball outs.

 

[Doug Romrell]

My dd practices all the time so that's not a problem question. We can happily answer that one. But he doesn't ask.

Some of the "SOME coaches" I referred to don't ask, as if it's not much of an issue.