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Member
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?
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?
... "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!
... "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!
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.