Here is some food for thought....several years ago, at 14u (mid summer) I watched a game where a pitcher threw hard but was very very wild (one pitch would be a strike, next pitch would hit the back stop, third one in the dirt etc). The pitcher was probably about 5'10 and 165 lbs- very athletic looking kid.
To start the game, she walked the first two batters with balls going everywhere. (backstop, dirt, way inside, way outside)
Then she hit the 3rd batter in the knee cap and from where i was sitting, it looked as if the pitcher hit her hip when she threw this pitch.
The 4th batter comes up (strong girl, not crowding the plate but had good poise in the batters box) and on the very first pitch, the pitcher hits this batter right in the hands and her knuckles exploded. (she was taken to the hospital).
At this point, I felt the team should have pulled this pitcher but they did not. I later learned later that the player that was injured was the the starting catcher and was out the rest of the season due to several broken bones in her hands.
The game continues and the next batter gets a walk, and the 6th batter hits a shot to the OF scoring numerous runs. At this point, the coach pulls the pitcher.
To me, watching this pitcher, she was very raw and had little control- on each pitch her "form" would change, she would hit her hip, then she would shorten her stride, then she would change her arm circle (hello elbow) but on the next pitch, she would come across her body on her release- she dipped on some of her pitches, stepped to the side on some pitches and she did not appear to locate her pitches-a total mess but she threw hard (probably mid upper 50's)
I saw this same girl pitching later that day and it was the same story, walks, a hit batter etc. except this time, her "wildness" really effected the opposing team and i could tell the batters were timid in the batters box.
I later learned, through the small softball community, that this pitcher (who had quite a reputation because of her father) quit the game mid season at 15u to play volleyball. It turns out her dad really wanted her to be a pitcher and would constantly take her to a new pitching coach to try and make her "faster" and would get annoyed at any pitching coach that told him his daughter needed to work on her "form" first.
Just figured i'd share....
). A factual approach goes a long way toward improvement for next game. Your pitcher is probably already upset and disappointed in her performance, and someone else piling on won't help. If anything, force her into a habit of "self diagnosing" her performance, and DO NOT allow self-pity. She should be on the bench thinking about what she can do to get better, not wallowing in self pity about how bad she did last inning. Crying pitcher syndrome is a downward spiral - demand that your pitcher replaces her mindset with a "self diag" positive one, or she won't get much circle time.
