Your kid says she wants to quit pitching.....

[Vertigo]

Even happens in college sometimes. My dd had a rough season as a freshman pitcher - meaning she did a lot worse than “she“ expected herself to do. She had an amazing HS career and I think it truly humbled her and knocked her for a loop. Once she came home for the summer, she actually said to me with tears in her eyes that she didn’t want to pitch anymore. It was way too stressful and she was done. I told her to give it one more season. I reminded her how rough it was her freshman season of HS and how they went from a losing record to being undefeated her senior year. They grew together as a team.

What we did last summer was figure out what she could do (non-pitching) to improve. Lots of it was little things like working out (weights) all summer and over her breaks. Improving her diet. She honestly didn’t touch a softball again until nearly the end of July. She needed the rest, mentally and physically. It took a lot of gentle coaxing. Mostly just being supportive and asking her if she wanted to throw - but letting it go if she said no.

Fast-forward to now. She improved greatly her soph season. Greatly improved her ERA, strikeouts went up, hits and walks went down. She’s much happier now, looking forward to improving more, and being the best she can be for her team.

Sometimes we need to step back and just try to understand how they feel. Giving them some space to figure things out while also being supportive. Sometimes we just need to be there to be their sounding board while pointing out the positives that have occurred with their pitching and continuing to encourage but not push.

 

[LW23]

5'3 112 as a Fresman to 5' 10'' 157 HOLY @!*&%#!$#

Feel like most Freshman are about done growing.

Google: "Most will have reached their adult height by the time they are 14 or 15 years old."

That's insane..... SIGN ME UP.....LOL.. I have a 5'4'' 116lb Freshman.

This would solve a lot of issues LMAO

Yeah, and she eats like a DUDE.... the biggest jump in height and weight was between her freshman and sophomore year. Now she is starting to fill out. Has a diet she follows for the most part and eats relatively clean for a teenager.

 

[wheresmycar]

When this has come up in the past with my two DDs who both pitch, my response has been "that's fine, you just need to complete your commitment to your team (through the end of whatever season it happens to be), then you can quit pitching, or quit the game." End of season rolls around, and coach asked whose coming back, they have signed up for another round. Oldest one graduates this month, and we ship her off to play college ball in August.

They need to know it's OK with you if they don't pitch or play softball.

A pitcher in our area coached by father, you could tell she was miserable. Finally parents allowed her to quit... and she did. Dad refocused on younger siblings activities... A month after "quitting" I see her in a pitching lesson. Mother says she asked to start taking lessons again. Few more weeks pass, and she's signed up with a new travel team, and a year later she is thriving.

Maybe their "anxiety" is created by idea of trying to please you, the parents.

 

[HasBeenorNeverWas]

Maybe their "anxiety" is created by idea of trying to please you, the parents.

I'm sure some of it is, but I don't understand why honeslty. I think the bulk of it is that she doesn't feel like she is good enough at all, despite everyone being encouraging.