When do you tell your DD to concentrate on another position??

[Hyper Henry]

I am pretty sure this has been discussed before but I can't seem to find the link. My DD is 11 years old and has been pitching for 3-4 years on a rep team. She has never been the #1, usually the #2 or #3. This past year we got a little more serious on pitching practice and also started working with a private instructor. Last I checked with a gun she is throwing 42-45 mph but can struggle with accuracy sometimes. We are in off-season indoor practices now here in Canada and it just seems like she is not progressing much at all. She is one of 4 returnees on her team this year and she knows she needs to be a leader on her team this year as well as develope her skills so she will be ready to move up to the next level the following year. But that being said I am seriously considering asking her to pack in the pitching and focus more on hitting and other positions she plays (1st, 3rd and catch). I think she has the abilty to become a much better pitcher but she is not a kid that has the abilty to really push herself and tends to get down on herself if she is not having a good game or happens to make an error. I don't think those traits are very good for any postition but really not good if you want to be a pitcher are they?? So when do you say "ok all this extra time and expenses that we are putting into pitching could be more beneficial to other areas"??
I hope this makes sense.......) Great sight by the way and love reading all the different ideas and suggestions.

Thanks

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Well, I am going to say stick with pitching. 45 is more than average for an 11 YO, like you describe. You can't tell much about her until she starts to mature.

Some of the girls that are really good at 12, won't even be playing at age 14.

 

[EP Dad]

Does she love to pitch? Eleven is too early for you to quit on her. If she loves it keep doing it, if she doesn't then stop.

11 is still too young to know who is going to be left standing when the dust settles. If your DD blooms later than the other girls she may leap frog them. 11 is too soon to tell in my mind.

 

[starsnuffer]

She's a kid, if she enjoys doing it, let her do it. It's all about the journey, not the destination.

If she's really not into it and you've been pushing her to pitch all along, well. . .

-W

 

[sluggers]

Geez, starsnuffer, you're stealing my best lines. I'm going to have really work on this one...

Amy is right...she can end up better than the other pitchers. At 11 YOA, it is too early to tell.

The real question is whether the kid wants to pitch. If she doesn't, then it is a waste of time. Her childhood is way to short for you. If she isn't having fun pitching, then drop it.

I had two DDs...one loved pitching and the other didn't. The one who didn't had tremendous talent for pitching, but she didn't enjoy it.

 

[mrslug01]

Agreed 11 is early to quit if she loves it. My older DD pitched through 8th grade at school. At the end of 6th grade (12 I guess) she made a recruited team as a hitter. She has some mechanical issues and gave up pitching at that level. She could always hit. She still enjoyed pitching and did it a school for 2 more years then said it's time to focus on something else (playing CF and hitting). My younger one is 14 now. She was on a recruited team at 11 and was throwing mid to high 40's. Had two other kids throwing around 50 and their dad's were coaches. My DD got very little time pitching (although she was the best pitcher). We left at end of season. 3 years laster, we're back on same team. She's number one pitcher (the other two are gone). Throw's mid 50's with lots of movement. You DD needs to want to pitch to be successful.

 

[SoftSocDad]

First up, I admire you for being able to say that, right now, your kid isn't the greatest. Too many parents are on the other side of the fence, thinking they can simply will their kid to greatness.

Give her the opportunity to succeed - or fail - at whatever it is she wants to do.

The problem for many of us is that pitching lessons are ridiculously expensive. But if she's putting in the time with the lessons and with regular practice at home, I think you have to do whatever you can to make sure she's able to continue working at her craft, even if she's not displaying all-star potential yet.

If you've got the means to allow it, let her continue pursuing her goals. Money can be replaced. The lessons she'll learn and the memories you both will make together in the process cannot.

 

[bobbyb]

We didn't even start till my dd was 11. Didn't get real serious till last year, she is 15 now. I agree with what the others are saying...she has to want it to do it even at 11. I would also ad...its a good thing to be number 2-3 pitcher early so you can play/learn other positions. We had one summer where my dd pitched every game. She liked it but she enjoyed the next summer better when she got to play other positions too. There is a huge leap in physical/mental/emotional ability from 11 to 14. 11 is way to young to say what she will be or can do in the future.

 

[Lozza]

She's a kid, if she enjoys doing it, let her do it. It's all about the journey, not the destination.

THIS. If she's enjoying pitching and working hard at it, then let her be. Don't pay for lessons if you don't think they're worth it, but be her father and encourge her to do something that she loves.

 

[sru]

Hi Henry,

Fellow Canadian here.

Sounds like your DD has the speed, just needs to work on accuarcy, which at 11 yoa, is always a challenge. If she is having fun, let her keep pitching. Maybe work on the mental aspect a little bit. Being a pitcher is like being a goalie in hockey (see goal number 5 in the major junior championchip game last night), you need a thick skin, the abililty to look to the next pitch not backwards at the last pitch.

I've seen plenty of pitchers with great arms struggle with accuracy at that age, by the time they are 15, they can thread a needle.