My dd is left handed so it's too much to overcome at third. She surprises the heck out of a lot of people at ss
What kind of player is your daughter?
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My dd is left handed so it's too much to overcome at third. She surprises the heck out of a lot of people at ss
My 12 YO DD started playing in first year 8U rec ball, because her friends at school were playing. So at first it was all about being with friends. By first-year 10U rec, she started criticizing her play and said she wanted to pitch. My dad played and pitched fastpitch, but he passed on. I didn't know anything about fastpitch pitching, so we took her to the best PCs we could afford. She played up to 12U and then 14U.
She was not born an athlete. Since 6 YO or so, she has been in the 97+ percentile in height. She is still growing into her body (she's 12 years, 2 months, 5'5" and 125 lbs.). She played on a TB team whose HC was a college athletic trainer. The HC conditioned the girls all week long for 6 months. My DD is faster, looks more athletic when she runs.
She loves to be in the circle, but in the past 18 months or so, gladly accepts the notion of being a utility player and doing her best wherever coach puts her. Besides pitching, HC primarily uses her on the corners and LF. Her glove is good, but her range is not. She continues to work on it. She has a strong, pretty accurate arm. She is a solid contact hitter and doesn't strike out often (10% of PAs). Mostly ground balls and line drives, with an occasional long ball. She is a reliable bunter. She has average running speed and is a smart baserunner.
In the circle she has outstanding composure, average speed, a fastball and drop curve (both with above-average movement), and is still working on her CU. She is very accurate with the fastball and drop (68% strikes), but hasn't found that accuracy yet with her CU (about 40% on-spot), and her CU is still a bit too fast. She works on learning a rise ball between tournaments. Most of the time she is pretty effective, but she's had games where she got clobbered. She has also shined in some big games.
So she is not the 1, 2, or 3 batter. But her bat is useful, so put her where she does the team the most good. Same with defense. She usually is good for 7 or 8 innings a day (about 100 pitches) before she tires in our Arizona sun. Use her as a starter of long or short relief. Your starting 3rd baseman may be better choice there. Her range at 1B needs improvement also, but she catches most of what's thrown her way and learned to come off the bag. She gets some of those foul balls and nabs runners sent home from third with accurate throws to catcher. She's very coachable, but don't expect immediate results because she is not (yet?) an elite athlete. She has a great attitude, is enthusiastic, shows up early, rested and ready to play. She'll go where you put her without complaining. She'll contribute to high morale in the dugout and on the field. She can get a bit loud cheering her teammates on when she's on the pine. If you're looking for a team player, you should consider looking at her.
She was not born an athlete. Since 6 YO or so, she has been in the 97+ percentile in height. She is still growing into her body (she's 12 years, 2 months, 5'5" and 125 lbs.). She played on a TB team whose HC was a college athletic trainer. The HC conditioned the girls all week long for 6 months. My DD is faster, looks more athletic when she runs.
She loves to be in the circle, but in the past 18 months or so, gladly accepts the notion of being a utility player and doing her best wherever coach puts her. Besides pitching, HC primarily uses her on the corners and LF. Her glove is good, but her range is not. She continues to work on it. She has a strong, pretty accurate arm. She is a solid contact hitter and doesn't strike out often (10% of PAs). Mostly ground balls and line drives, with an occasional long ball. She is a reliable bunter. She has average running speed and is a smart baserunner.
In the circle she has outstanding composure, average speed, a fastball and drop curve (both with above-average movement), and is still working on her CU. She is very accurate with the fastball and drop (68% strikes), but hasn't found that accuracy yet with her CU (about 40% on-spot), and her CU is still a bit too fast. She works on learning a rise ball between tournaments. Most of the time she is pretty effective, but she's had games where she got clobbered. She has also shined in some big games.
So she is not the 1, 2, or 3 batter. But her bat is useful, so put her where she does the team the most good. Same with defense. She usually is good for 7 or 8 innings a day (about 100 pitches) before she tires in our Arizona sun. Use her as a starter of long or short relief. Your starting 3rd baseman may be better choice there. Her range at 1B needs improvement also, but she catches most of what's thrown her way and learned to come off the bag. She gets some of those foul balls and nabs runners sent home from third with accurate throws to catcher. She's very coachable, but don't expect immediate results because she is not (yet?) an elite athlete. She has a great attitude, is enthusiastic, shows up early, rested and ready to play. She'll go where you put her without complaining. She'll contribute to high morale in the dugout and on the field. She can get a bit loud cheering her teammates on when she's on the pine. If you're looking for a team player, you should consider looking at her.
I have 2 girls 18 and 8 similar in there biggest attributes are way above average arms, super quick hands and BIG Power. Both of them probably run on the plus side of Average. The oldest is career Infielder 3B/1B, good amount of time at SS up until 18u(before she filled out Rearend/Thighs...LOL) competent OF just never spent much time there. My little one is 06 playing first year TB, plays 3B and a little SS. Very good arm for her age, bats 3rd in the line-up. I see her future as a C/3B, she's going to be stout like her football playing Dad. Down side older one never put the "work" in to be "special", always played at pretty high level and was a good teammate. She loves playing and practice hasn't been a huge issue, just extra stuff like going to go hit, extra Groundballs, zero conditioning. Just a little "lazy" by nature. The only downside so far with little one is she's SUPER emotional, wants to be perfect. She has far and away blown my expectations away for an 8 year old. I'm so proud of her and glad she cares, she'll already put way more extra work than her sister ever did. Just got to keep her emotions in check.
Okay...let's see. Weaknesses. DD is a freight train. She is slow to start running but once up to speed, she is deceptively fast since she can cover a lot of ground quickly with her long legs. God forbid you get in her way while running because you will lose. She is second year 14u (just turned 15), 5'10" and 180 lbs. of solid muscle. She plays catcher and the corners. As a catcher, she has a 1.8 or so pop time. Her arm is good but could be better. We are currently working through the Wasserman e-book to improve her mechanics and so far it has helped tremendously. Accuracy, however, can still be an occasional problem but it is due to footwork more than anything. Since she hasn't been catching that long, less than a year, it will come with time and more practice. Also, she still needs more pitch recognition drills so she will drop and block more although in today's last tournament game, she was a wall behind the plate so I think it finally "clicked" for her.
DD has a great head for the game no matter where she plays. She seems to know where the plays are best made and always calls it out for her team. DD also has a very good glove although she will sometimes turn her head on a ball that bounces in the dirt even while wearing a fielder's mask or catcher's helmet.
Her stick is entirely a different matter. She knows when to hit for power and hit for runs and has a good eye. Today she hit her 52nd career HR since the age of 11 and her 13th in the 4 tournaments we've played this year. She usually has the best BA (last 3 years just under .600), OBP, OBP+SLG and is one of the top in RBI's on her team.
The only other fault I can think of is that occasionally, after making a fielding error or allowing a run to score on a WP, she will carry it into the dugout with her and occasionally it will affect her stick the next at bat if she is up that inning. I have to get her to have a short memory.
Other than that, she is usually upbeat, loves the game and is consistently cheering on her teammates while in the dugout. She will sacrifice for the team and do what needs to be done for their success. Heck, after not pitching in a game or practicing for over a year, her HS JV coach, while playing down, told her she was going in to pitch the game since their starter was sick. All she said was "Okay coach." She went in and gave them 5 solid innings until she tired out due to lack of stamina.
DD has a great head for the game no matter where she plays. She seems to know where the plays are best made and always calls it out for her team. DD also has a very good glove although she will sometimes turn her head on a ball that bounces in the dirt even while wearing a fielder's mask or catcher's helmet.
Her stick is entirely a different matter. She knows when to hit for power and hit for runs and has a good eye. Today she hit her 52nd career HR since the age of 11 and her 13th in the 4 tournaments we've played this year. She usually has the best BA (last 3 years just under .600), OBP, OBP+SLG and is one of the top in RBI's on her team.
The only other fault I can think of is that occasionally, after making a fielding error or allowing a run to score on a WP, she will carry it into the dugout with her and occasionally it will affect her stick the next at bat if she is up that inning. I have to get her to have a short memory.
Other than that, she is usually upbeat, loves the game and is consistently cheering on her teammates while in the dugout. She will sacrifice for the team and do what needs to be done for their success. Heck, after not pitching in a game or practicing for over a year, her HS JV coach, while playing down, told her she was going in to pitch the game since their starter was sick. All she said was "Okay coach." She went in and gave them 5 solid innings until she tired out due to lack of stamina.
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Now THAT is impressive! Is she still playing 14U?
Yes. She has had offers to play up but we felt it was better for her to stay with her age group.
I understand. I was curious because there are pros and cons to that. My DD also is a second-year 14U, and she isn't at the point where she can join a team purely as a ''business decision.'' Having a good connection/history w/ teammates and coaches is much more important at this point.
In any event, congrats to your DD on her dominance. Very cool. Enjoy it. Those numbers are staggering.
Brags are welcome.
... Were you like that in sports? Or is this a quality that you see and think, 'Where did that come from?'
- Dec 7, 2011
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No better “team” player. Example - With a game-ending do-or-die “error” in the outfield the other day, in an exciting extra-inning semi-final game, right after the walk-off error by the outfielder there were only two of our teammates that right away ran out to lift up the outfielder feeling really bad. My DD was one of them.
Will regularly pull off sport-center top 10 plays.
Pitching, that with the right support mechanism (pitch calling and displayed confidence in her), that can be second to none. A strikeout pitcher with one of the top riseballs I have seen.
Sneaky-fast on the base paths (for a six-footer), mostly due to great intuitive eye for the game.
In a situation where the play MUST be made, suicides and hit-n-run, etc, I would pick nobody else.
Very discriminating at the plate in looking at pitches. Almost painfully so at times. But then she will get sooo many hits at two strikes to bail out her butt. (leading to the thinking she is a scatter-the-ball-all-over-the-field type “contact” hitter – which is true at two strikes BUT still can hit the long ball as long as anyone at zero or one strike)
Can play a great outfield but rarely has a chance with her being planted at pitcher then first base.
The constructive criticism would be around controlling her emotions on the mound. Like when she faces a grapefruit-sized zone umpire. It boils her blood. (yes she got this fiery trait from her parents….)
Will regularly pull off sport-center top 10 plays.
Pitching, that with the right support mechanism (pitch calling and displayed confidence in her), that can be second to none. A strikeout pitcher with one of the top riseballs I have seen.
Sneaky-fast on the base paths (for a six-footer), mostly due to great intuitive eye for the game.
In a situation where the play MUST be made, suicides and hit-n-run, etc, I would pick nobody else.
Very discriminating at the plate in looking at pitches. Almost painfully so at times. But then she will get sooo many hits at two strikes to bail out her butt. (leading to the thinking she is a scatter-the-ball-all-over-the-field type “contact” hitter – which is true at two strikes BUT still can hit the long ball as long as anyone at zero or one strike)
Can play a great outfield but rarely has a chance with her being planted at pitcher then first base.
The constructive criticism would be around controlling her emotions on the mound. Like when she faces a grapefruit-sized zone umpire. It boils her blood. (yes she got this fiery trait from her parents….)
What's funny is I read most of these comments, not just this page, but this forum and notice how most of the posters have daughter's that are 12U-18U, not many 10U girls.
I can define my daughter in 2 words; No Fear. She started 10U this year as an 8 year old, wants to pitch and loves to pitch. ( even adding a strike zone on our front door that she pitches a jugs ball at). She doesn't care who comes up, or how big, she challenges herself and battles.
A little slow running wise, even for being a small girl, but wants to learn slapping and leftside small ball.
Defensively, strong arm, can play all infield positions. Has instincts, reaction,etc that is hard to teach.
But what I truly love, win or lose, after the game or tournament, she is still a 9 year old at heart, dress up, dolls, etc and I won't changed that for anything.
I can define my daughter in 2 words; No Fear. She started 10U this year as an 8 year old, wants to pitch and loves to pitch. ( even adding a strike zone on our front door that she pitches a jugs ball at). She doesn't care who comes up, or how big, she challenges herself and battles.
A little slow running wise, even for being a small girl, but wants to learn slapping and leftside small ball.
Defensively, strong arm, can play all infield positions. Has instincts, reaction,etc that is hard to teach.
But what I truly love, win or lose, after the game or tournament, she is still a 9 year old at heart, dress up, dolls, etc and I won't changed that for anything.
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