Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Right or Wrong, what do you think?

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We recently had a girl quit our team for a few reasons, one of which was she went from #2 pitcher to not pitching at all. She had not seen a pitching coach for about 2 years for financial reasons, and had developed some really bad habbits that became muscle memory.

One of the other mothers said that she doesn't think this girls should be punished (by not letting her pitch) because her parents couldn't afford pitching lessons.

Just wondering where you all would stand on that issue.

FYI (She just started taking lessons again, however she has to pretty much start from the beginning all over again.)

 

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That's a tough one, only time will tell what will happen. She could come out throwing great by Spring, but who knows. I think it's only fair for the rest of the team to go with the better pitcher at this time, and let the family know hard work pays off, and she may be ready to go by spring. Are they looking for another team?

 

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I haven't spoken to them. When basketball started my dd had to go down to 1 lesson a week and she took over the one my dd left. She was at her lesson this week, so I would imagine she would want to get on another team. I know that this piching coach can get her throwing right again by spring, but that depends on the girls attitude about it. I'm not sure if her parents frequent the OFC.

 

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Nothing should be given to anyone, nor should anyone expect it in travel ball. Hard work, either funded or not, should br rewarded. Mediocrity should have no place in travel.

 

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Thats kinda where I was with this. I know the sacrafices we make for our dd to go to private lessons. But this is travel! If she can't afford the extra help you HAVE TO HAVE in the pitching circle, she should have worked hard at another position. Her parents think that she is better than the other two pitchers on the team, and she is not even close. (I'm not saying that with work she couldn't be, though)

 

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First of all, this is not about punishment, it is about performance. If the young lady not taking lessons has made her slip out of the rotation simply because of skill, then it is 100% justified that she be rmoved from the rotation.

By allowing her to continue to be #2 when her skill set proves otherwise would be a diservice to her and it WOULD be a punishment to the girl who has moved up the depth chart to #2.

Unfortunately if you want to pitch in today's world, and be competetive, you have to have the lessons. Lessons are table stakes.

 

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Being a pitcher demands a lot, not only from the player but also from the parents. The difference between a good pitcher and a great pitcher is practice - practice - practice & year round lessons. Playing on a travel team is just that, a team. A coach can not be expected to keep playing a player that is not producing and hurts the entire teams effort. The parent has to understand that. The other families that put a lot of money into the team should not have to sit and watch a team faulter because of a pitcher that is not fundamentally doing what they need to do to get better. If she wants to pitch but not put forward the effort it takes to get better than she needs to play in a Recreation league somewhere. She would be a stud there. JMHO

 

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I would agree with the comments above. Even though, due to financial reasons she could not continue "official" lessons, she and her PARENTS could have continued to "stay the course" on what she had been working on. I am not an instructor, but I have never missed a lesson for my DD and I have learned what to watch for as far as right or wrong mechanics. I have noticed things during a tournament and reminded her of what her instructor said, and fixed minor mechanics problems. Sounds to me like when the lessons stopped, so did she.

 

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I have to agree with Doomsdad. You have to continue to work hard on what you were taught beyond the lessons. My daughter takes catching lessons and I have tried to watch and learn what are proper techniques and what are not. That way when her coaches are no longer availabe to us then she can continue to work on these things. Lessons or no lessons should not be the deciding factor. I am sure that they were not the reason for the slip in rotation. I am certain that it was due to her performance or lack there of. My daughter is taking catching lessons every week and is not generally in the catching rotation (we knew this when she accepted the offer on the team, he had 2 catchers and needed her for outfield). There is a girl who is not taking lessons at this time and she is still starting catcher. Her in-game skill level is just that much better than my daughters it would be absurd to think that just because my daughter is taking lessons that she should be in there instead. It should all be based on skill and talent not $$ spent on lessons. Every girl should be working on their skills as much as possible. We spend a lot of time practicing without the team (when life allows the time for it). In fact we plan to take her out to practice this evening because she has been getting a bad habit we need to correct. It is all about dedication, that can be done without spending tons of money.

 

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If she lost her pitching spot due to some other player being better, than I would say it was warranted , best player plays.
But it also seems like the coach should work more on this in practice than relying so much on outside instruction to get his players prepared. The player shouldnt have regressed as much much as you say just because she couldnt afford pitching instructions once or twice a week.

 

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If she lost her pitching spot due to some other player being better, than I would say it was warranted , best player plays.
But it also seems like the coach should work more on this in practice than relying so much on outside instruction to get his players prepared. The player shouldnt have regressed as much much as you say just because she couldnt afford pitching instructions once or twice a week.

My dd didn't play for this team last year. But this girl pitched for the last couple without instruction. It is my understanding that she didn't put much time in outside of pitching in game situations.

 

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Team sport. Not I sport.

 

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No question, if the young lady is not performing or putting in the work then she should drop down. IMHO, the best pitcher for the situation pitches, period.

 

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I'm sure there is more to the story that what we all don't know so I will defer from commenting if it is right or wrong.

All I can say is that Softball is becoming to be an elitist sport and this has to stop. You are right, there is no "I" in team and that is why we have developed a pitching catching program for our team that is subsidized by ALL players on the team. Our belief is that you can't play unless you have either one of these two positions and that these two positions are somewhat specialized in their performance. Not all extra costs should be placed as a burden on the shoulders of these parents so we attempt to offset it and include this in our teams budget.

However, I will comment to say that hard work is required and nothing should be taken for granted, positions should be earned.

 

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Financial reasons or not, you have to earn your spot or you won't pitch. You can't expect the coach to pitch a pitcher that is not going to give your team the best chance to win. At the travel level, it is not a punishment to lose pitching time if you can't compete, it is the way it is and should be. If they are unable to get lessons, I would say it is time to choose another position or pitch in rec league because they WILL get passed up by other pitchers who are getting lessons.

 

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It dont matter whether this girl is receiving instruction or not. Bottom line is to put a girl where she should be, ranked top to bottom for each position. It shoudnt matter if its because of financial reasons either. It needs to be equilly fair to everyone on the team. And that goes for every position.

 

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It dont matter whether this girl is receiving instruction or not. Bottom line is to put a girl where she should be, ranked top to bottom for each position. It shoudnt matter if its because of financial reasons either. It needs to be equilly fair to everyone on the team. And that goes for every position.

Ham,

Travel ball is not "Pay to Play" and it's not supposed to be fair or equal when it comes to playing time. If it were, we would all be talking Rec. ball right now and only investing $40 - $75 a season to play. The best 9 on the field and those who aren't on the field should have the inner drive to want to be.

JMHO

 

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I'm sorry to hi-jack this thread, but am I reading that several of you think a pitcher should see their coach weekly? Are all of these girls first year pitchers? If you folks are seeing your pitching coaches more the twice a month your wasting your money in my opinion. How much can your DD progress in a week that requires a visit to an instructor?

I'm not saying that they shouldn't throw 3 times a week, but why waste your money and deprive your DD the opportunity to learn from herself. I see way too many pitchers/hitters, that take lessons multiple times a week that cannot make their own corrections during a game. They're lost if their coach isn't there to tell them what they're doing wrong and they lack the self confidence to try something different. JMHO

 

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Nothing should be given to anyone, nor should anyone expect it in travel ball. Hard work, either funded or not, should br rewarded. Mediocrity should have no place in travel.

LK is 100% on the money!!

I'm sure there is more to the story that what we all don't know so I will defer from commenting if it is right or wrong.

All I can say is that Softball is becoming to be an elitist sport and this has to stop. You are right, there is no "I" in team and that is why we have developed a pitching catching program for our team that is subsidized by ALL players on the team. Our belief is that you can't play unless you have either one of these two positions and that these two positions are somewhat specialized in their performance. Not all extra costs should be placed as a burden on the shoulders of these parents so we attempt to offset it and include this in our teams budget.

However, I will comment to say that hard work is required and nothing should be taken for granted, positions should be earned.

I disagree with the elitist comment. It is becoming an elite player sport. The best players should play at each position. I also find it very difficult to make every player on the team a catcher or pitcher. You are right, these are very specialized positions, but to expect every player to be able to play one or the other is a bit much. Girls who don't work on these positions weekly have no business playing them in a travel tournament. Both are positions that a girl who is not proficient at them could get hurt. The speed and the power of the travel game is too much in my opinion. Rec ball is a different game altogether and girls can be substituted at these positions without much danger.

 

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I totally agree with wgman21. Why would you want to put a girl at pitcher or catcher who is not a pitcher or catcher? In rec ball you rotate positions, not travel ball. If you are not a catcher, you have no business behind the plate and you will get eaten alive. Same with the pitching. I don't agree with the elitist thing either. The more work you put into it, the better you will be. If there are girls who are willing to work their butt off all year to be better then the herd, why not let them. The only ones who complain about elitist teams are the ones who are not good enough to make the team. More power to the ones who go that extra mile, it gives others someone to strive to be like and it makes for watching good games. Give me a good game with good players who work their tails off to be the best they can over a game where everyone gets a turn at all the positions and it is fair and equal.