Are Kids Working on FUNDAMENTALS of the game enough???

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I have a first year 18u team. I wonder what the difference between "basics" and "fundamentals" really are. Is it simply the difference between practicing "reps" and player specific "improvement" work? Are these "fundamentals" individual skill development - or game situation drills?

Ok Mark I will bite on this, and probably get slaughtered. Basics are a proper throwing form, a knowledge of the game, and a desire to be the best.

Fundamentals would be more of a situational aspect.

If she can't throw properly she will never be able to increase her arm speed and throw speed like the colleges are looking at. (is that a proper sentence?)

If she doesn't have a grasp for the game during stressful situations, she will never make the right throw or catch, to win the game at a critical point which would reinforce her goals.

If she doesn't have the desire to be the best, she will never reach and conquer her goals that she desires.

Teach the girls mechanics in the younger years. Wins and losses are not the end all and be all in younger age travel ball, but without them you will never progresss to the top levels which I think most of the girls aspire at that tender age. If they don't progress, they will get frustrated and lose their desire. If they have the "right stuff" put them into tough game situations and make em sweat and challenge them as much as possible.

Last but now least, put them in the most demanding competitive situation that you can afford. If they ain't playing against the best teams they will never know what they can REALLY accomplish in softball, and in LIFE!

JMHO

Herb

 

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Sammy
My estimate of 400 hours for my dd last year was total practice; including hitting, fielding, conditioning and team-work. (did not include travel) A pitcher has to do the work that the other players do then some more. Yes she worked almost 52 weeks to maintain and improve.

(She just took 2 weeks off and then 2 more for a foot injury for the first time in 4 years and it shows; can't throw a change-up to save her soul and her spin has a decided tilt that wasn't there a month ago and she was winded after just an hour.)

My point; I would like to see the rest of the team devote half this much effort that a typical pitcher does to improving their skill sets; that team would be unbeatable.

 

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Sammy
My estimate of 400 hours for my dd last year was total practice; including hitting, fielding, conditioning and team-work. (did not include travel) A pitcher has to do the work that the other players do then some more. Yes she worked almost 52 weeks to maintain and improve.

(She just took 2 weeks off and then 2 more for a foot injury for the first time in 4 years and it shows; can't throw a change-up to save her soul and her spin has a decided tilt that wasn't there a month ago and she was winded after just an hour.)

My point; I would like to see the rest of the team devote half this much effort that a typical pitcher does to improving their skill sets; that team would be unbeatable.

Gotcha - and your last comment says it all. DD's travel coach used to constantly remind all his position players of this, and the ones who made it to the college ranks took him seriously.