My 12 yr old DD will be eligible for the 1st time to play school ball at the 7th grade level. She has a on avg 54-56 mph fast ball with a change,drop,and curve. I have always given the signs feeling this is the coaches job as my knowledge will be greater knowing what the batter did her last at bat and being able to evaluate by situation, batter stance etc. Apparently she is now to call her own game. I feel the pitcher should be worried about pitching and not stress what to call and evaluate each batter. Apparently this practice goes on right through High School and was told this is a skill she needs to develop. Is this the norm where I should have been developing this skill set in her? What do your schools do?
Who calls the pitch ?
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In school ball, it happens quite often.
She probably is beginning to understand why you call what you call when you do it. Has she worked with the player(s) that will be catching her on the school team?
She probably is beginning to understand why you call what you call when you do it. Has she worked with the player(s) that will be catching her on the school team?
I really like for the girls starting at 12 and up to call their own game. I know that I am in the minority, but I see so many coaches that really take the game away from the girls, that I prefer to let them do it themselves.
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(An aside to our gentle readers: And you wondered why we call them "crazy pitcher daddies"?)
Your DD is pitching 7th grade softball. This won't exactly be 18U ASA Gold softball. For some reason, I don't think anyone should be losing sleep over these games (except, perhaps the Daddies of the Pitchers).
Just relax, and enjoy her performance. She won't learn how to pitch and what to throw unless she makes mistakes. You are not trying to create a mindless pitching zombie. You are trying to create someone who knows more about pitching than you.
And, yes, she needs to know the how and why of calling pitches.
Your DD is pitching 7th grade softball. This won't exactly be 18U ASA Gold softball. For some reason, I don't think anyone should be losing sleep over these games (except, perhaps the Daddies of the Pitchers).
Just relax, and enjoy her performance. She won't learn how to pitch and what to throw unless she makes mistakes. You are not trying to create a mindless pitching zombie. You are trying to create someone who knows more about pitching than you.
And, yes, she needs to know the how and why of calling pitches.
I think a coach calls a better game at that age than a player but sluggers speaks wisely when he says
Where does she play middle school ball? Where I come from there is little middle school ball and what we have is like community ball. If a team around here had a middle school pitcher throwing 54-56 she could throw about any pitch with little damage done.
Middle school is an excellent place to enjoy this and may help in the summer as you can discuss pitch selection together.
Where does she play middle school ball? Where I come from there is little middle school ball and what we have is like community ball. If a team around here had a middle school pitcher throwing 54-56 she could throw about any pitch with little damage done.
We played MS ball in IL. in the fall. It was fun, most of the time.
Tangy-Mike
Tangy-Mike
I asked this question of two D1 Ohio college head coaches this winter - "From an evaluation perspective of a potential D1 catching recruit, how important is it that they can demonstrate calling their own game" - there response "Not at all". In both cases, their pitching coaches call the game.
That might be the case in college, but they've got to get through their high school years where they have to call the pitches. Not everyone is going to college and they need to focus in the moment--in the moment they are at right now, they've got to call pitches.
That being said, she needs to become experienced with what to call in what situation. Our catchers call the majority of our games, with some pitchers it being the coach or the crazy pitching daddy. Depends on the game, depends on the age level, and where we are playing at.
Our 14U TB catcher works with the pitchers to call the game.
If the pitcher does not like, she will shake her off. When fast ball is called,
it is always low/inside
If the pitcher does not like, she will shake her off. When fast ball is called,
it is always low/inside
Crazy pitching daddies are the last person you want calling the pitches, unless they have actually pitched past 8th grade. The DD needs to rely on her instincts a little and not be looking at dad.
