Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Pitchers parents and/or coaches. Opinions please

[311road]

Those of you who have daughters that pitch, how do you balance pitching time with other activities? My dd is playing 12u, she loves other sports too. With practice, homework, and some social time with friends, how do you manage time to throw? We try, but honestly sometimes she just doesn't want to do it, how much should the coaches expect their pitchers to throw during the week, does it change with age, does it matter if they are a number 1,2,or 3? She loves pitching and loves softball and understands the commitment it takes to be a pitcher and we do as well, but she also loves other sports and being a kid. A lot of coaches want kids to participate in other sports and we'll rounded athletes, do they want that for their pitchers as we'll? I'm not sure girls should be expected to make a choice on sports this early?

Also, If your daughter doesn't really want to throw, how much do they get out of that particular session?

 

[Pacerdad57]

We try to do three sessions a week (14 yr old playing 16u ball) (plus team practices) at about 100 t0 120 throws a session. It's usually about an hour 20 or so. She started a little late into travel ball so she has a little catching up to do, but she enjoys the game a lot, and is willing to go even when shes not really into it that session. She usually comes around to having a good time, we try to joke and have fun when we throw, but there are always the times when frustration rears it head for both of us.
We don't force her to overdo it, she does have to be a kid and have a life outside softball, and right now i think she's balancing it pretty well. If she's just absolutely not into it and too tired or just not mentally into it, we skip that session and reschedule for the next day if possible. No use dragging a horse to the water and trying to force it to drink, it's counter-productive.
All in all she probably does 300-350 pitches a week, plus infield work throwing and pitching at team practices. It must not be too much yet, she's planning far ahead as to what she wants to do and accomplish, so she's not fed up yet. Just absolutely try to keep it fun and in perspective to life. They need to have a childhood, and have a social life.

 

[coop24]

My dd threw 6 days a week, only day off was Monday. One of those nights was a pitching lesson. We threw for 1 hour, no matter how good or bad. Not to mention we also hit 5-6 nights per week and practiced fielding 2-3 nights. My dd played v-ball till she was a Jr., but still had softball requirements to meet and she understood that. Sometimes we were in the garage till 10 or 11 at night after away v-ball games. If there was softball practice, we did nothing at home, unless she felt she needed more work. We did this year round since she was 9, sure there were times where you missed here and there, but it?s a lifestyle and an attitude that she wanted to be the best she could.

If you?re having problems getting her to work out now, wait till boys and the social life of high school hits. If you have to force her to practice, than maybe pitching is not for her. Remember, someone out there is always working harder than you.

You need to figure out what level of softball you want to play at and then commit to that level of practice, no matter how old she is.

JMHO

"Mental toughness is doing the right thing for the team, when it's not the best thing for you." -Bill Belichick

Leadership is "getting others to do what you want them to, because they want to do it." ? Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

[Klump]

My dd is a 2nd year 16u and she pitches 5-6 times a week plus her pitching lesson and team practices. She's kept that schedule since she was in 10u and SHE is the one who wants to go out and pitch all the time, I never force her to (actually I try to sneak out of it sometimes but she never lets me). In my opinion, if your dd is not throwing at least 3 times a week without being forced to do it then you should consider whether or not she is pitching material. It has to be something she loves to do and wants to do on her own or else it will always be a battle and she will eventually end up giving it up. As a coach, if I found out my pitchers weren't practicing during the week I'd be very disappointed and perhaps look for another pitcher who was a little more dedicated. A pitcher is considered a specialty position and if you cannot put the necessary time into it then don't choose that position. Not only do you let your team down by skipping pitching practices, but who the heck wants to be put in the circle and expected to perform without being properly prepared? Pitching is hard enough when you practice your butt off and are prepared.

 

[Fastball19]

Our DD has a complete loaded schedule. Mondays we have pitching practice if there is no batting lessons and she will do pitching drills. Tuesdays she has pitching lessons and cross fitness after that, wednesdays she pitches before team practice, thursday she does cross fitness and then pitching practice before her team practice starts, friday we take the day off as best we can. Saturday we practice with the team and again pitching and finishing up sunday with games. No social life for her or us and most importantly, she wants to do this full schedule. Sometimes I just wish it would rain so I can relax! hahah

 

[Fairman]

311road

There is no right answer to your question. Each kid's situation is different. Ranging from their base athletic skill to your ability to catch and a place to do it. You have to be careful that you don't burn her out. I'd say 5 to 6 sessions a week year in and year out is asking for either mental burnout OR physical injury, pick one. Very few kids will sustain that kind of effort for a decade plus let alone a catcher-dad.

There are a ton of outside factors that will affect her desire to throw among these will be her dedication to other sports in season and out, boys, academics, and other extra-ciricular activities. When she gets the lead in the school musical as a junior her ability to practice will be diminished is just one example.

I have raised two dd's that both have pitched in college. Let me give you some very soft guidelines

The number one rule that any dad must observe is that your dd must not throw herself into any sort of injury. Any type of pitching injury is initially rehabbed by rest. An over use injury can cost your dd an entire season. Pay attention to aches and pains especially in the joints. Great mechanics are a sure fire remedy so make certain that she is on the right track when she is starting out. Be aware that not every coach will protect your dd and you may have to step in and NOT allow her to pitch the third game on Sunday. You will be saddled with her recovery while the abusive coach wonders who he can get to pitch next week as he admires a ten cnet trophy.

The number two rule is pay attention to the signals that your daughter is sending. If she is in band, playing V-ball, taking 3 AP classes and not getting to bed before midnight-forcing her to workout will do her and you no good. Make it easy to practice but pay attention to her mental state. If you pound on her and force her to throw she will just up and quit after a tearful fight. This is a balancing act and you may have to twist her arm to throw but if his gets to be a battle then back off.

Drawing conclusions form my limited experience may be dangerous but could be of some use. A typical year once they make high school was as follows.

When they were playing TB we would only work on Tuesdays and Thursdays to give them recovery time from the weekend efforts. We'd rest in September and only pitch once a week for maintenance. In August through November they would take lessons working on pitches and speed. This would typically be 3 times a week plus a lesson. The end of November and all of December we'd drop back to once or twice a week because of both family commitments and school tended to get rather intense. School ball would start out in January and we'd back off to 2 or 3 times a week primarily working on polishing her pitches and increasing her game speeds. When school ball moved into its 5 days a week mode. We would back off all of the extra work with maybe only a lesson on the weekend. Once they started playing school ball and she was pitching in games 3 or 4 times a week we would back off to no additional work. Then she would move right into TB and we'd begin again.

This was a yearly pattern that we could sustain (both of us) without injury while avoiding burnout.

Remember that not all players will want to pay the price to be a dominating pitcher and thats okay, we need center fielders, cleanup hitters, slappers. etc.... A last word is she is learning a skill that will top out when she is 22 and playing for some college in the NCAA finals. You need to take a long view. It is quite a journey. I wouldn't trade that time with my dd's for anything.

Good luck in finding the right balance.

 

[311road]

I guess I should have mentioned that normally we throw 3 times a week plus team practice. But, honestly there are weeks where it is only once our twice. She knows it is a huge commitment and we also know that. She says she wants to play college ball and we have told her we will do all we can to help her make that happen, yet there are those weeks. It's a fine line. I wish she would come in every night and say..."lets go, time to throw" that would show me that she does truly understand the commitment and sacrifice it takes to make that happen. The reality is that is not what she it's doing. There are times when she can't get out there quick enough or throw long enough. Then there are the others! Keep the replies coming. It's interesting.

 

[cobb_of_fury]

My question is - How does she do in games?
Does she tire quickly, Lose focus and start walking a lot of girls or is she hitting spots with consistency and good speed?

Often times when kids are successful with a minimum of effort it's tough to motivate them to work harder.

If she's doing the minimum and going in and dominating - she sees no reason for that extra work.

Because she doesn't know or understand what we know and understand;
The OTHER Girls are getting better - and she will be overtaken quickly and with little remorse.

I have seen it a number of times a Girl is a natural in 10's and 12's then 14's come - Girls are full grown and get to see that ball for 43 feet Boom! The ride is over.
It's hard for a kid to understand that - and sad when it happens-

 

[travelinmom]

My question is - How does she do in games?
Does she tire quickly, Lose focus and start walking a lot of girls or is she hitting spots with consistency and good speed?

Often times when kids are successful with a minimum of effort it's tough to motivate them to work harder.

If she's doing the minimum and going in and dominating - she sees no reason for that extra work.

Because she doesn't know or understand what we know and understand;
The OTHER Girls are getting better - and she will be overtaken quickly and with little remorse.

I have seen it a number of times a Girl is a natural in 10's and 12's then 14's come - Girls are full grown and get to see that ball for 43 feet Boom! The ride is over.
It's hard for a kid to understand that - and sad when it happens-

Wow, you nailed that! DD loves an audience so she manages to pull out some of her best stuff under pressure or when she is having fun. Obviously practice time w/ dad doesn't fall into either category. Lessons almost always go well because she wants to impress. Practices and warm ups have never been an accurate indicator of how she will do in the game.
Helping her find balance in life was my job and Dad's job was to nag/hound/nitpick and drive her everywhere she needed to be. DD chose to drop her other sport when she hit high school and dedicate 3-4 nights a week to softball. She decided not to work hard enough for D1 because she "wanted a life".
DD became a well-rounded young lady with lots to offer the right program and university and she learned that high school friends aren't all they are cracked up to be. She is competetive enough to work hard for playing time but the game itself is more important to her than the prestige of D1 ball. She seems to have landed in the right place for her.

 

[Pacerdad57]

In my observations, the balance we struck (that I mentioned before in an earlier post) seem to work well for us. I feel a kid deserves a social life, we require academics remain high (3 ap classes, volunteering at the zoo during summer intern program, orchestra at school, this is a full plate and in our opinion, academics top the list. Athletic scholarships are great, but total available let in conjunction with kids going for them aren't always easy to get. Academic scholarships are out there for qualified girls regardless.of softball. Basically either way she's going to college, so we're not pressuring for that big d1 ride, nor do I really want to subject my DD to that kind of pressure, it's not the only way for her to go to school, so it's not the end all.
long story short, she loves the game, her accuracy is improving every time out, she is now throwing 4 solid pitches and her velocity has come up almost 5-6 mph in the last 6 weeks so this workout schedule is working for her without messing up her body, mind or academics, and she gets to be a kid and have some fun too! That's something you'll never have the chance to do again and we want her to enjoy that freedom.

 

[FastBat]

If your dd doesn't want to throw? I would ask her if she really wants to be a pitcher.

If, she says yes, then tell her pitchers practice alot, 5-6 days/week in the "off season".

If she says no, just work on hitting and fielding. It's just fine to be a softball player and not be a pitcher or catcher.

There's 7 other players plus those on the bench, that make a team, and all contribute!

 

[3ballbratz]

311road

There is no right answer to your question. Each kid's situation is different. Ranging from their base athletic skill to your ability to catch and a place to do it. You have to be careful that you don't burn her out. I'd say 5 to 6 sessions a week year in and year out is asking for either mental burnout OR physical injury, pick one. Very few kids will sustain that kind of effort for a decade plus let alone a catcher-dad.

There are a ton of outside factors that will affect her desire to throw among these will be her dedication to other sports in season and out, boys, academics, and other extra-ciricular activities. When she gets the lead in the school musical as a junior her ability to practice will be diminished is just one example.

I have raised two dd's that both have pitched in college. Let me give you some very soft guidelines

The number one rule that any dad must observe is that your dd must not throw herself into any sort of injury. Any type of pitching injury is initially rehabbed by rest. An over use injury can cost your dd an entire season. Pay attention to aches and pains especially in the joints. Great mechanics are a sure fire remedy so make certain that she is on the right track when she is starting out. Be aware that not every coach will protect your dd and you may have to step in and NOT allow her to pitch the third game on Sunday. You will be saddled with her recovery while the abusive coach wonders who he can get to pitch next week as he admires a ten cnet trophy.

The number two rule is pay attention to the signals that your daughter is sending. If she is in band, playing V-ball, taking 3 AP classes and not getting to bed before midnight-forcing her to workout will do her and you no good. Make it easy to practice but pay attention to her mental state. If you pound on her and force her to throw she will just up and quit after a tearful fight. This is a balancing act and you may have to twist her arm to throw but if his gets to be a battle then back off.

Drawing conclusions form my limited experience may be dangerous but could be of some use. A typical year once they make high school was as follows.

When they were playing TB we would only work on Tuesdays and Thursdays to give them recovery time from the weekend efforts. We'd rest in September and only pitch once a week for maintenance. In August through November they would take lessons working on pitches and speed. This would typically be 3 times a week plus a lesson. The end of November and all of December we'd drop back to once or twice a week because of both family commitments and school tended to get rather intense. School ball would start out in January and we'd back off to 2 or 3 times a week primarily working on polishing her pitches and increasing her game speeds. When school ball moved into its 5 days a week mode. We would back off all of the extra work with maybe only a lesson on the weekend. Once they started playing school ball and she was pitching in games 3 or 4 times a week we would back off to no additional work. Then she would move right into TB and we'd begin again.

This was a yearly pattern that we could sustain (both of us) without injury while avoiding burnout.

Remember that not all players will want to pay the price to be a dominating pitcher and thats okay, we need center fielders, cleanup hitters, slappers. etc.... A last word is she is learning a skill that will top out when she is 22 and playing for some college in the NCAA finals. You need to take a long view. It is quite a journey. I wouldn't trade that time with my dd's for anything.

Good luck in finding the right balance.

Great post !

 

[hot corner]

311road

There is no right answer to your question. Each kid's situation is different. Ranging from their base athletic skill to your ability to catch and a place to do it. You have to be careful that you don't burn her out. I'd say 5 to 6 sessions a week year in and year out is asking for either mental burnout OR physical injury, pick one. Very few kids will sustain that kind of effort for a decade plus let alone a catcher-dad.

There are a ton of outside factors that will affect her desire to throw among these will be her dedication to other sports in season and out, boys, academics, and other extra-ciricular activities. When she gets the lead in the school musical as a junior her ability to practice will be diminished is just one example.

I have raised two dd's that both have pitched in college. Let me give you some very soft guidelines

The number one rule that any dad must observe is that your dd must not throw herself into any sort of injury. Any type of pitching injury is initially rehabbed by rest. An over use injury can cost your dd an entire season. Pay attention to aches and pains especially in the joints. Great mechanics are a sure fire remedy so make certain that she is on the right track when she is starting out. Be aware that not every coach will protect your dd and you may have to step in and NOT allow her to pitch the third game on Sunday. You will be saddled with her recovery while the abusive coach wonders who he can get to pitch next week as he admires a ten cnet trophy.

The number two rule is pay attention to the signals that your daughter is sending. If she is in band, playing V-ball, taking 3 AP classes and not getting to bed before midnight-forcing her to workout will do her and you no good. Make it easy to practice but pay attention to her mental state. If you pound on her and force her to throw she will just up and quit after a tearful fight. This is a balancing act and you may have to twist her arm to throw but if his gets to be a battle then back off.

Drawing conclusions form my limited experience may be dangerous but could be of some use. A typical year once they make high school was as follows.

When they were playing TB we would only work on Tuesdays and Thursdays to give them recovery time from the weekend efforts. We'd rest in September and only pitch once a week for maintenance. In August through November they would take lessons working on pitches and speed. This would typically be 3 times a week plus a lesson. The end of November and all of December we'd drop back to once or twice a week because of both family commitments and school tended to get rather intense. School ball would start out in January and we'd back off to 2 or 3 times a week primarily working on polishing her pitches and increasing her game speeds. When school ball moved into its 5 days a week mode. We would back off all of the extra work with maybe only a lesson on the weekend. Once they started playing school ball and she was pitching in games 3 or 4 times a week we would back off to no additional work. Then she would move right into TB and we'd begin again.

This was a yearly pattern that we could sustain (both of us) without injury while avoiding burnout.

Remember that not all players will want to pay the price to be a dominating pitcher and thats okay, we need center fielders, cleanup hitters, slappers. etc.... A last word is she is learning a skill that will top out when she is 22 and playing for some college in the NCAA finals. You need to take a long view. It is quite a journey. I wouldn't trade that time with my dd's for anything.

Good luck in finding the right balance.

Outstanding post with great advice!

 

[daboss]

All I can add to the many wonderful posts is; do YOU get it? While your daughter may have sugar plums dancing in her head during the season ask yourself is she really committed to making sacrifices now to reach those goals that seem so far away? There's nothing wrong with being a recreational pitcher and simply have fun. Kids do that all the time but you have to know you get out of it what you put in to it. You can't expect to learn this craft and perform at a high level without a committed effort. It takes a special young lady with a gift and the right personality to dedicate themself to be a premier pitcher.

 

[coachjwb]

Agree with others that if your DD really wants to pitch that she will want to practice often. Also agree that it is important to find some balance and time for other things. Don't agree that it needs to be or even should be 5-6 days a week. And also a proponent of having a couple of breaks over the course of the year where she shuts it down for several weeks. I think though that a general rule would be that she should be wanting to find timing to practice 3-4 times a week.

 

[brownsfan]

At 12U, my dd pitched 5 days a week. No more, no less. Mondays and Friday's were off days. Two of the days dealt with just mechanics and breaking things down, two were building strength in legs, and the lst day was either a light day, simulated game with me being the batter (or her sister), or putting things back together. During the season, only two days of work with focus on 1.5 sessions on the pitches that didn't work while the other half was building on the strengths. That didn't include 5 days of hitting and 3 days of working defense. We'd spend easily two hours at a bal field. But she loves this sport

 

[cobb_of_fury]

I disagree slightly - with the "If She dosent want to practice she shouldn't be a pitcher" school of thought.

If a girl can pitch consistently and with good result without practicing 5 days a week - Let her pitch.
Why shouldn't she pitch, just because she wants to do other things?

Her raw talent will take her as far as it will take her. Eventually she will not be an effective pitcher and that will be the end -

BUT until that happens I think she should pitch as much as her talent dictates.

Every single player reaches an end of their ride at some point - there is no reason to not take it to that point.

But I would also make it clear to her that ride could last a lot longer if she put more in to it.

 

[Uber_jones]

Some really great advice here, I am just going to give you what I found with my DD over the years:
She threw every other day, she was a smaller pitcher, we tried 6 days a week and it didn't work.
She would or her schedule would dictate how long we threw a specific day, that alone might've been the catalyst to keep her going.

Short bursts of practice can be very effective.

 

[Fairman]

I believe that most lifting programs have a day-on, day-off pattern to give the body a chance to convert that effort to muscle.

Pitching everyday has no chance of being beneficial to the player.
The player will simple wear down, develop bad habits to paper-over problems, develop repetitive stress injuries and certainly she will lose her heart. Next thing you know: she is playing s------r.

 

[FastPitch86]

Agree with others that if your DD really wants to pitch that she will want to practice often. Also agree that it is important to find some balance and time for other things. Don't agree that it needs to be or even should be 5-6 days a week. And also a proponent of having a couple of breaks over the course of the year where she shuts it down for several weeks. I think though that a general rule would be that she should be wanting to find timing to practice 3-4 times a week.

Nice points. Think pitching 5-6 days a week will lead to injury and/or burnout for MOST players. The body needs time for recovery and if not, are mure susceptible to injury. Body builders don't squat 6 days a week as an example, they work another body part to let their leg muscles recover. As a parent, you have to take control and educate your DD about the importance of recovery.