Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Private hitting or pitching lessons 10U?

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How many girls are taking hitting or pitching lessons from a private instructor on your 10U or 12U team? I just wonder if it's common for most players in that age division on a travel team to take private lessons?

 

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95 if not 100% of our girls have an instructor of some sort.

 

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Pitchers and catchers need instructors at all ages. Fielders need instructors but not as often along with outfielders. Everyone could use hitting coaches on a weekly basis.

 

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I would say we are at 100 0/0 or really close to it.

With our 10U and 12U Teams ( I know our 10U team and 12U Black our at 100 0/0)

 

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Our coaches have encouraged all of the players to take lessons. I know it's costly...but I think only about 60% of our team is right now. So what do you do in the off season with the ones who are not?

 

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My DD started pitching lessons at 10. She is now 15 and throwing all the pitches and throwing with speed 60+. We always did hitting clinics with the team on every Sat. starting at 10u till now at 16u..... 16-18 different stations set up to work on the fundamentals of hitting for one hour. Well worth it in the off season for all that are playing travel ball.
As they say "Champions are born in the off season"!!

 

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Our coaches have encouraged all of the players to take lessons. I know it's costly...but I think only about 60% of our team is right now. So what do you do in the off season with the ones who are not?

Having fun being a10 & 12 year old. Playing $occer or basketball.W

 

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I teach hitting to my girls 3 hrs a week (entire team) and 6 girls go to a private instructor 1 hr a week including my daughter. We also have 5 girls that are attending private pitching lessons every week and all are 9/10U girls. Nothing forced but most all my girls want this practice and lessons.

Ohio Hawks 10U Ferguson

 

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DD started with private instruction with pitching at 8U but that was learn how to drive off the rubber, how to open, and how to properly wrist flip. There was no pitching. At 9U, when it started to take ore seriously. I think DD started taking hitting lessons at 11U.

 

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... "95 if not 100% of our girls have an instructor of some sort" ...

I envy you coach!

One of the first things that a parent should do once they are convinced their daughter is going to be "serious" about this game is get private coaching from a qualified instructor (that's a completely seperate thread!). No matter where you stand on the issue of expense and time involved with private instruction at this age, it is LESS costly and LESS time consuming to learn proper mechanics from the begining. I wish someone had given me that advice with my first daughter as I spent a small fortune paying for private instructors to undo what I had taught her at 8u and 10u. Now on my second time through this rodeo, the first thing I budgeted for my 10u team's winter workouts was Micaela Minner twice a month to teach proper hitting mechanics. I want ALL of our girls learning it right the first time!

 

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My dd started taking hitting instruction at 6 after watching the older girls do it and then she wanted to. Now her hitting instructor is her head coach and he sets time aside from regular practice to help every girl on the team one on one once a week, definitely feel fortunate, its a game changer. Our pitchers also get private instruction once or twice a week also. We are only 9u but have a great group that want to be competitive and successful. I would say its a must to play serious ball. On top of individual instruction we practice once a week, and have an extra optional day per week for girls to work on conditioning/agility/defense. You get out of it what you put in it they say!

 

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... "95 if not 100% of our girls have an instructor of some sort" ...

I envy you coach!

One of the first things that a parent should do once they are convinced their daughter is going to be "serious" about this game is get private coaching from a qualified instructor (that's a completely seperate thread!). No matter where you stand on the issue of expense and time involved with private instruction at this age, it is LESS costly and LESS time consuming to learn proper mechanics from the begining. I wish someone had given me that advice with my first daughter as I spent a small fortune paying for private instructors to undo what I had taught her at 8u and 10u. Now on my second time through this rodeo, the first thing I budgeted for my 10u team's winter workouts was Micaela Minner twice a month to teach proper hitting mechanics. I want ALL of our girls learning it right the first time!

My DD wanted to be a pitcher when she was 6. Needless to say, she has been with a pitching coach since she was 6, and no matter what people say, it's the best thing I could have done for her. She learned the right way without having any bad habits, and has a fairly good grasp on what she needs to adjust should she struggle now that she is 11.

 

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... "95 if not 100% of our girls have an instructor of some sort" ...

I envy you coach!

One of the first things that a parent should do once they are convinced their daughter is going to be "serious" about this game is get private coaching from a qualified instructor (that's a completely seperate thread!). No matter where you stand on the issue of expense and time involved with private instruction at this age, it is LESS costly and LESS time consuming to learn proper mechanics from the begining. I wish someone had given me that advice with my first daughter as I spent a small fortune paying for private instructors to undo what I had taught her at 8u and 10u. Now on my second time through this rodeo, the first thing I budgeted for my 10u team's winter workouts was Micaela Minner twice a month to teach proper hitting mechanics. I want ALL of our girls learning it right the first time!

Good Post! When my DD was taking pitching lessons from 10Uto 13U her pitching instructor did the following. First lesson consultation with DD and parents to discuss our expectations as well as his.
He was upfront that he expected "measurable growth" at each visit. We had to bring the score book with all the required pitching stats.Each lesson started with a review of the stats and opinion of the mechanical physical growth. EX: location of strikes, velocity changes on pitches, movement or pitchspin P/C etc. If he did not see the P/C or inning pitched number he felt was needed he did not hesitate to suggest moving teams to get the pitching time needed. DD also had to log her at home work in her journal. He was a great coach and when he left the Cincy area to head back to S.C a lot of players lost a good instructor. Over the years I have been able to apply a lot of his teachings in my instruction including using a variety of tools to measure growth including growth in the area of conditioning and stretching to see if the player is working at home. As well as coaching the mental part of the game.

Pitching and Catching are the most demanding positions on the field and require a self motivated player to truly achieve success at the higher levels of play. These ladies will generally require PI in atleast one of the three areas: a. Position, b. Hitting, c. Conditioning/Strength training.

If the parent is able to model instruction, and apply the basics or fundamentals and has the time needed to dedicate to working with their DD they are their PI. So when at 8-10U DD wants to pitch or catch mom and dad have to understand there will be additional expense,time and dedication needed as the ladies progress if they cannot be their coach.

Know where you want to go. Do not dream about it plan for it.Set goals and Make It Happen!

 

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I will say two things ... I agree with the statement that is best to learn the "right way" the first time ... but the first thing is that there is no one right way, and philosophies about right ways have a way of changing over time. Good instructors though certainly have a firm grasp of the fundamentals and are able to work with their students to identify and correct bad fundamentals. In fact, my DD is now one of those instructors who I think very effectively works with younger girls ...

But ... that same DD also never played fastpitch and didn't have a pitching or hitting lesson until she was age 13, and she ended up being a pretty successful D3 pitcher, and wasn't a bad hitter either. I do think that had she would have had more "potential" had she started earlier, but the second point I am trying to make is that I wouldn't want parents to think that if you don't do and/or can't afford those kinds of lessons at a young age that your DD has no chance of being successful.

 

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I will say two things ... I agree with the statement that is best to learn the "right way" the first time ... but the first thing is that there is no one right way, and philosophies about right ways have a way of changing over time. Good instructors though certainly have a firm grasp of the fundamentals and are able to work with their students to identify and correct bad fundamentals. In fact, my DD is now one of those instructors who I think very effectively works with younger girls ...

But ... that same DD also never played fastpitch and didn't have a pitching or hitting lesson until she was age 13, and she ended up being a pretty successful D3 pitcher, and wasn't a bad hitter either. I do think that had she would have had more "potential" had she started earlier, but the second point I am trying to make is that I wouldn't want parents to think that if you don't do and/or can't afford those kinds of lessons at a young age that your DD has no chance of being successful.

Very True...
We have a pitcher signed D1 that was a hard worker. Dad worked with her regularly in the yard and went to a high level hitting and pitching instructors 10 or so times a year for tune ups...Nothing consistant...

If the ladie is able to learn quickly they can pick up stuff from camps,clinics etc and use it in their regular routine. I have seen players go 2x a week for years to an instructor but still not get good results or understand the areas of equipment and equipment selection or how to improve performance outside of mechanics.

The hardworkers with guidance will achieve success no matter what level of play...

Know where you want to go. Do not dream about it plan for it.Set goals and Make It Happen!

 

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... I wouldn't want parents to think that if you don't do and/or can't afford those kinds of lessons at a young age that your DD has no chance of being successful.
This is a very loaded statement. "Successful" at what? I coach so that my girls will have the tools to be in a position to realistically have a shot at a D1 (possibly D2 or NAIA) scholarship. I think by far, the majority (certainly not all) of travel parents and players want this as well -- just a realistic shot! That seems to be the standard that most are shooting for or why else would we care which scouts showed up at what showcase, or what is better... ASA or PGF? I will bet none of my girls or parents know that Jess Epler had the lowest D3 ERA last year (thanks NCAA.com!), but I bet a lot know Michelle Gascoigne led in D1. Parents need to know that if they simply want the D1 door open to their daughter, the spots are beginning to be handed out at age 13-14 yrs and every year that goes by there will be less spots available. So although no one would say a girl who starts lessons at 12 or 13 has "no chance at being successful" ... end of sentence, many college coaches will tell you that your daughter has "markedly diminished chances of being successful" at getting a D1 slot if she doesn't learn proper mechanics early.
Also the statement ... but the first thing is that there is no one right way... is debatable... maybe partially true ... maybe not true at all. There are a lot of research physicists and guys like Howard Carrier who are much smarter than me and could debate that statement better, but suffice it to say that there are a million wrong ways out there. Perhaps the best reason to find early quality instruction for your daughter is to prevent the difficult to correct mistakes from setting in early. Having done this once before, I will take an ounce of prevention over a pound of cure any day. There are many ways to get instruction for your daughter at reasonable costs. Coachdennis gives a great example ... just go for occasional tune ups

 

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I wish I had the numbers but the facts are that at the 10-U level that the overwhelming majority of these girls are not only not going to play D1/D2 scholarship ball, but way more than we all like to think won't even play high school varsity ball. And my premise would be that the main reasons for this have way more to do with burn out and changing interests as they grow older than no or bad instruction when they were 10. Again, I am all for good instruction and do wish my DD had more of it when she was younger because it may have raised her ceiling, but I also know that she didn't burn out and that the career she had at the D3 level was very successful and will make for good memories for the rest of her life (and mine as well).

 

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Pitchers must have training with mechanics and mental game to be a good travelball pitcher and then the work ethics take over on how far she goes, a pitching coach can drive instruction in a young pitchers head, if it isn't accepted or won't practice consider it money wasted. Something else that needs to be accepted by the parent is that lessons are not pitching practice but lessons and if progress isn't being made each week then then accountability comes in, pitching coach or student. A pitching coach should evaluate his lessons, a parent should evaluate the DD's work ethics, if only one is pouring soul into it then is just a business, if both are pouring soul into it then on field performance is the product. Items a parent can think about when entering the private lesson market.

Positives to the Fastpitch experiance is the game is always in the player, DD 's been away from the game for a few years but the passion came back with pitching instruction to young players, we both currently instruct 4 nights with 14 great kids with bright eyes, drive them hard but always remind the parents they are kids. For the parents that think their kid isn't listening, I hear DD bark out phrases and techniques I would say to her and thought I was speaking to a pumpkin during the growing period. It's a good ride, remember they are kids and not a chess piece. Done with my garble, YES is the answer to the thread

 

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If you want to be able to compete you better get private instruction, otherwise you will get passed up by all the girls who are getting it.

 

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I'm still trying to figure out how and when these girls had time for all this training? My DD ran CC, played $occer,basketball ,ran track and played softball in high school (at least 1st team in all sports except basketball because she quit after sophomore year because she couldn't stand the coach). She was also involved in numerous school activities including being president of her class all 4 years. Took AP classes and could graduate from PITT in 3 years (finished 2nd in High school), I know for a fact she didn't have the time to take private lessons and train in hitting 3X a week plus speed and strength the other days. My other daughter didn't play as many sports but just as busy with school work and also being class president. Of course some people may say she is not playing much at her college but I can tell you she is more athletic then most of them and is NFCA scholar athlete with bright future as a Dentist.
Just because you don't go for private lesson doesn't mean you won't succeed... Just my 2cents for those parents who are wondering if my 6-10 year old should take private lessons so they don't get left behind.

P.S. DD did get offers to play college basketball...D3 but was on offer.;&