Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Pitching Practice

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The other thing to keep in mind with pitching frequency is whether or not your dd is involved with other sports in the "off-season" (which is also very good for conditioning). My daughter is 11 & has been pitching for 2 1/2 years. She also plays travel basketball, which is generally 4-5 days/week throughout the winter & equally her passion. She pitches 2 days/week during basketball, which is something she's decided with us as a reasonable goal. As a result, I cannot remember the last time she complained about going through a pitching workout. I completely agree that quality pitching time is far more important than quantity. Make those sessions count. Work both on mechanics & endurance & if possible, have your catcher(s) involved as well.

You definitely have to listen to your dd about what she's willing to do. My dd said she wanted one day off from sports in general during the week, so that's what we do. As a former college pitcher, I don't believe you have to pitch 5-6 days/week to have the chance to play down the road. My dd throws about 50 mph, is very consistent with her fastball & also throws a change & drop. Last year as a 10 year-old, she took 2 months off during basketball season. She started back up 1 day/week in February & then 2-3 days/week in March, which didn't hurt her or our team at all. You want your pitcher(s) to be fresh not only at the beginning of your season, but also at the end. If both the ability & interest are there, good things will happen.

The one thing I remember most about being a young softball player is the excitement of getting back to it in the spring. My daughter (& probably most of yours) was too young to remember the last time she had that feeling because they're really never away from it, but times have changed, so we adapt. The new goal is to keep them excited about it all the time. If they truly enjoy the sport & expectations are reasonable, hopefully that won't be a problem.

 

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staff22, I think you just have to read your own kid. I just don't see one day a week (in February) being helpful, I don't see that building muscle memory. My kid has been pitching for 2 1/2 years as well, but I have a different philosophy about her workouts. But, she also plays softball almost year around (her choice). I have bought into the 5-6 day routine (she is a second year 12u) and I notice a difference when she takes time off. I do use some common sense where injuries or special events are concerned, but for the most part we stick to that routine, because it works. I would also add that the landscape where pitchers are concerned has changed a lot in recent years, there is a lot more competition for jobs out there than there use to be. I am amazed at how many kids are learning how to pitch now a days, and how many parents are willing to make the commitment where time and $$ are concerned. There are also a lot more instructors out there as well, all this adds up to more competition. All the while, the number of college pitching positions has not increased much I am going to guess. I know in our school district alone, we are loaded with pitchers all the way down to 4th/5th grade. Somebody told me they had 15 pitchers working out on the first day of practice (I assume this includes the 2 junior highs). That's an avg of at least 2 pitchers per grade. Most of them are pretty good pitchers as well. Little bit of a log jam once you get to high school. Our travel team has 3 pitchers who are all very capable, it is great to have that kind of depth on a 12u team, but it also means you better be ready when your number is called. When our travel team got together in the fall, 2 of our pitchers looked a little rusty, they were probably pitching 2-3 days a week. They were still good pitchers, but you could tell the difference. Soon after that one of them started pitching almost every day......well when we got together in January you could see a huge difference, clearly the new workout routine was helping her. Shortly there after, the third pitcher got motivated and started pitching almost every day, within a month she had made a dramatic improvement. I don't think there is any "one" way to do it. I know plenty of parents/kids who subcribe to what your saying. I also know that some of the best pitchers in Ohio high school history pitched almost everyday. I think you just figure out what works well for your kid and go with it.

 

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You definitely do have to read your own kid & let them guide their workout routine & frequency to a point. Luckily, what we're doing works well for us. If that wasn't the case, I'm confident my dd would do what it takes to reach her goals. This winter, I've seen her pick up speed, learn to spot pitches high & low on all four corners & add a drop ball that actually works by sticking with the regimen we've decided on, so this can work for some pitchers.

Also, I don't claim to be the absolute expert on pitching, which is why I make sure to consult college pitching coaches & others who I know & trust in setting goals for pitching progression. I was actually told this fall by a DI college pitching coach, whose team is ranked in the top 15 in the country, that I could reasonably give her the winter off during basketball. I chose to have her pitch weekly instead, because my dd was okay with that. I'd have to think most everyone does what they feel is in the best interest of their players, which I believe is the most important thing above all.

Our goal at this point isn't mainly to work for a college scholarship. Rather, we want our dd to continue to enjoy the game & improve at a pace that is comfortable for her. I'm sure at least in the short-term, she'd improve more in some ways if she were pitching more often, but we're patient enough to give that time. If a scholarship happens to come along some day, great. If not, at least she's having fun doing something she enjoys. Maybe other pitchers enjoy more repetition throughout the year, which goes back to reading your own kid. Obviously, my opinion on frequency is not the norm, therefore not the most popular idea floating around & that's okay. I'll only have myself to blame someday if what we're doing doesn't work out for whatever reason we want it to. Better to blame myself than someone else.