Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2012 22:05:04 GMT -5
Raising a PitcherOr, how to become insane in one short year!
I'll never forget this woman's face as she yelled at me at the end of one travel ball game on a beautiful Saturday. She was upset because the team was planning practice and a couple of the pitchers on the team couldn't make it because they had other obligations on that day. She looked right at me and said, " We will not let this team be held hostage by pitchers!" After throwing down my scorebook and considering whether or not I wanted to douse this parent with a cold bottle of water , I walked away angry and confused. Obviously, she was not the parent of a pitcher. If she was, she would know how outlandish that statement was. Pitchers, above all positions, are probably the most devoted of players on any team.
Now, before you other position players' parents send me a nasty e-mail about your daughter's devotion and practice, please understand that I am not saying that other players don't practice. I'm saying that you cannot be a softball pitcher without constant practice and devotion. It just won't happen.
So, if your daughter wants to be a pitcher, great. This page is to help you understand the commitment and time it takes to be a good softball pitcher.
First, this has to be your daughter's passion, not yours. She has to want to pitch. If she doesn't, or is just doing it because you want her to, forget it. A pitcher has to have the attitude that this is what she wants to do.
The second thing you need to realize is that unless you and/or your child's father were softball pitchers, you probably know very little about softball pitching. You may know something about baseball pitching, but that does not translate into softball windmill pitching. The motion, the pitches, etc. are as different as apples and oranges. So, get over the fact that you may be able to teach your daughter to pitch. You can't. At least not without significant help.
So, if your daughter wants to pitch, you need to find a pitching clinic or a pitching coach to work with. The person should be someone with experience, a good record with other pitchers, and an ability to teach. Be selective if you can. Watch coaches work with their students. Listen to what they say to them. Talk to other students about the pitching coach. Talk to other softball coaches about them. Then give it a couple of lessons to see how it goes. If you are in the middle of nowhere and can't find a coach, purchase Ernie Parker's instructional tapes. They are a great resource of information and how to start.
Once you get a coach, schedule weekly lessons throughout the year. Some will try to tell you that you don't need ongoing lessons over the winter and/or during the season. Although pitchers can learn how to pitch in that time, they cannot progress. A pitcher needs to have weekly sessions throughout the year to improve. Even during the season, pitchers will pick up bad habits that will need to be corrected. Our daughter doesn't miss a lesson during the year other than for the holidays or extended travel.
As the coach works with your daughter ( and you will be the catcher, by the way, so get a good mitt!), listen to what he/she says. Ask questions, because during the week you will be practicing with her and will need to monitor her mechanics to the best of your ability. Ask the coach how many times she needs to practice and what kind of practice he wants her to do ( what drills, which pitches, how many pitches, etc.).
Practice. Remember I said devotion? Practice is where the good pitcher gets better. As soon as your daughter starts pitching, she needs to start a practice schedule. Depending on her age and her coaches' recommendations, most new pitchers begin by practicing 2 to 3 times a week outside of lessons. Practice sessions can last from 30-60 minutes depending, again, on your coaches recommendations. As they get more accomplished, the number of times a week increases to 4-6 days a week.When she was pitching, my daughter practiced 4 times a week, thirty to forty-five minutes at a time during the season. In the off-season, we decreased that by a day a week. The focus of these practices were speed, location, movement of the pitch as well as strength and endurance. During the off season we focused more on new pitches she was learning.
Remember, off days are important, mentally and physically. As you set up your practice schedule for each week, seek your daughter's input. Try not to have pitching interfere with every fun activity she wants to do . Watch for signs of burnout. When you see them, take some time off. However, understand that there will be days when you will have to get her to go out when she doesn't want to. Also, if she is sick or injured, practice will not be beneficial.
Practice doesn't begin and end with pitching, however. There are many good pitchers who practice a lot but do not get better each year. Why? Because they are not in good physical shape. A good pitcher needs to condition like any other athlete. Conditioning for pitchers can include weight work, running, and core body strengthening. Again, your pitching coach may have ideas about this as well as a program. Ernie Parker has a good tape on this as well. There are also some online sports conditioning services that can do a nice job, just be careful of price and service. The best way, in my opinion, is to find a trainer who lives near you and have them develop a program.
Mental Training and Attitude: Of all the players on the team, the pitcher has to have the most control over her emotions. That is because the pitcher is the emotional leader of the team. If a pitcher is upset, so is the team. When a pitcher is on the mound, she needs to be mentally tough and stay focused no matter what is going on. There are several great books about this. They are listed on the "resources" page.
A parent can help with this attitude by their actions as well. As a pitcher's parent, you will feel very nervous each time she pitches. Try to control this by thinking about this as being a long process. Every batter, every pitch, is a lesson to be learned. Try to relax and show your daughter how relaxed you are. ( It's hard, you ought to see me during games!) Also, keep expectations realistic. Your daughter is not going to throw 100% strikes ( nor would she want to), or strike out 100% of the batters. There are going to be days when batters hit her best stuff. You have to take it all in stride. Model for her the demeanor you want her to have. Encourage her and listen, listen, listen.
If you are a bucket parent ( one who catches his/her daughter) you need to also model this during practice. Yes, getting hit in the shins does hurt. Remember, she didn't do it on purpose. Besides, you need to order a pair of shin guards anyway! Don't get angry when things don't go just right. Be patient and let your daughter sort it out. Help by reminding her of the mechanics she has been taught.
Speed: As a pitcher's parent, you will become fluent in your daughter's pitching speed as well as others. Many people put the total emphasis on speed. While having a good fastball is important, remember that all great pitchers ( Lisa Fernandez comes to mind) are the ones who keep batters off balance by changing speeds.
On every bulletin board I have ever seen, there is always a parent asking, " What is a good speed for a ____ ( any age here) pitcher?" It's amusing to see all the answers. It's also amusing to hear the devoted parent of a 10 year old who swears his daughter is throwing 60 mph. Not likely. The point is that speed depends on so many things. size, experience, strength, etc. Don't get caught up in the "speed trap." Yes, your daughter needs to work on it. But don't make it the main focus of your daughter's pitching. Emphasize control, movement and speed change. As she grows, speed will come. Some kids do have it naturally, lucky girls! But most have to work at it and develop it as they grow. Plus, remember, speed without control is called "base on balls."
Pitching time: You can't learn how to pitch without pitching in a game. So, before you decide on a team, determine how much "mound time" your daughter is going to get. If she is a beginner, chances are you don't want her pitching every inning of every game. More than likely, you will want her to ease into a pitching role an inning or two at a time. As she gets more experienced, you will want her to get more time on the mound. Make sure you understand her role with any team that she decides to play for. Also, make sure you know who will be "calling her pitches." Some teams just let the kids pitch. At the beginning stages, a pitcher has enough to think about without worrying about who's calling her pitches! Most importantly, make sure the team is a good, supportive environment for your daughter. Make sure that when she is not pitching, she gets to play other positions from time to time. A good player needs to be multi-dimensional to be desirable for a good team! Plus, remember that many girls decide not to pitch as they get older. Make sure she is well rounded and can play other positions.
It takes many years to develop a good pitcher. Remember that when your daughter is bouncing them in the dirt or off the backstop.
www.softballmom.org/index.html
I'll never forget this woman's face as she yelled at me at the end of one travel ball game on a beautiful Saturday. She was upset because the team was planning practice and a couple of the pitchers on the team couldn't make it because they had other obligations on that day. She looked right at me and said, " We will not let this team be held hostage by pitchers!" After throwing down my scorebook and considering whether or not I wanted to douse this parent with a cold bottle of water , I walked away angry and confused. Obviously, she was not the parent of a pitcher. If she was, she would know how outlandish that statement was. Pitchers, above all positions, are probably the most devoted of players on any team.
Now, before you other position players' parents send me a nasty e-mail about your daughter's devotion and practice, please understand that I am not saying that other players don't practice. I'm saying that you cannot be a softball pitcher without constant practice and devotion. It just won't happen.
So, if your daughter wants to be a pitcher, great. This page is to help you understand the commitment and time it takes to be a good softball pitcher.
First, this has to be your daughter's passion, not yours. She has to want to pitch. If she doesn't, or is just doing it because you want her to, forget it. A pitcher has to have the attitude that this is what she wants to do.
The second thing you need to realize is that unless you and/or your child's father were softball pitchers, you probably know very little about softball pitching. You may know something about baseball pitching, but that does not translate into softball windmill pitching. The motion, the pitches, etc. are as different as apples and oranges. So, get over the fact that you may be able to teach your daughter to pitch. You can't. At least not without significant help.
So, if your daughter wants to pitch, you need to find a pitching clinic or a pitching coach to work with. The person should be someone with experience, a good record with other pitchers, and an ability to teach. Be selective if you can. Watch coaches work with their students. Listen to what they say to them. Talk to other students about the pitching coach. Talk to other softball coaches about them. Then give it a couple of lessons to see how it goes. If you are in the middle of nowhere and can't find a coach, purchase Ernie Parker's instructional tapes. They are a great resource of information and how to start.
Once you get a coach, schedule weekly lessons throughout the year. Some will try to tell you that you don't need ongoing lessons over the winter and/or during the season. Although pitchers can learn how to pitch in that time, they cannot progress. A pitcher needs to have weekly sessions throughout the year to improve. Even during the season, pitchers will pick up bad habits that will need to be corrected. Our daughter doesn't miss a lesson during the year other than for the holidays or extended travel.
As the coach works with your daughter ( and you will be the catcher, by the way, so get a good mitt!), listen to what he/she says. Ask questions, because during the week you will be practicing with her and will need to monitor her mechanics to the best of your ability. Ask the coach how many times she needs to practice and what kind of practice he wants her to do ( what drills, which pitches, how many pitches, etc.).
Practice. Remember I said devotion? Practice is where the good pitcher gets better. As soon as your daughter starts pitching, she needs to start a practice schedule. Depending on her age and her coaches' recommendations, most new pitchers begin by practicing 2 to 3 times a week outside of lessons. Practice sessions can last from 30-60 minutes depending, again, on your coaches recommendations. As they get more accomplished, the number of times a week increases to 4-6 days a week.When she was pitching, my daughter practiced 4 times a week, thirty to forty-five minutes at a time during the season. In the off-season, we decreased that by a day a week. The focus of these practices were speed, location, movement of the pitch as well as strength and endurance. During the off season we focused more on new pitches she was learning.
Remember, off days are important, mentally and physically. As you set up your practice schedule for each week, seek your daughter's input. Try not to have pitching interfere with every fun activity she wants to do . Watch for signs of burnout. When you see them, take some time off. However, understand that there will be days when you will have to get her to go out when she doesn't want to. Also, if she is sick or injured, practice will not be beneficial.
Practice doesn't begin and end with pitching, however. There are many good pitchers who practice a lot but do not get better each year. Why? Because they are not in good physical shape. A good pitcher needs to condition like any other athlete. Conditioning for pitchers can include weight work, running, and core body strengthening. Again, your pitching coach may have ideas about this as well as a program. Ernie Parker has a good tape on this as well. There are also some online sports conditioning services that can do a nice job, just be careful of price and service. The best way, in my opinion, is to find a trainer who lives near you and have them develop a program.
Mental Training and Attitude: Of all the players on the team, the pitcher has to have the most control over her emotions. That is because the pitcher is the emotional leader of the team. If a pitcher is upset, so is the team. When a pitcher is on the mound, she needs to be mentally tough and stay focused no matter what is going on. There are several great books about this. They are listed on the "resources" page.
A parent can help with this attitude by their actions as well. As a pitcher's parent, you will feel very nervous each time she pitches. Try to control this by thinking about this as being a long process. Every batter, every pitch, is a lesson to be learned. Try to relax and show your daughter how relaxed you are. ( It's hard, you ought to see me during games!) Also, keep expectations realistic. Your daughter is not going to throw 100% strikes ( nor would she want to), or strike out 100% of the batters. There are going to be days when batters hit her best stuff. You have to take it all in stride. Model for her the demeanor you want her to have. Encourage her and listen, listen, listen.
If you are a bucket parent ( one who catches his/her daughter) you need to also model this during practice. Yes, getting hit in the shins does hurt. Remember, she didn't do it on purpose. Besides, you need to order a pair of shin guards anyway! Don't get angry when things don't go just right. Be patient and let your daughter sort it out. Help by reminding her of the mechanics she has been taught.
Speed: As a pitcher's parent, you will become fluent in your daughter's pitching speed as well as others. Many people put the total emphasis on speed. While having a good fastball is important, remember that all great pitchers ( Lisa Fernandez comes to mind) are the ones who keep batters off balance by changing speeds.
On every bulletin board I have ever seen, there is always a parent asking, " What is a good speed for a ____ ( any age here) pitcher?" It's amusing to see all the answers. It's also amusing to hear the devoted parent of a 10 year old who swears his daughter is throwing 60 mph. Not likely. The point is that speed depends on so many things. size, experience, strength, etc. Don't get caught up in the "speed trap." Yes, your daughter needs to work on it. But don't make it the main focus of your daughter's pitching. Emphasize control, movement and speed change. As she grows, speed will come. Some kids do have it naturally, lucky girls! But most have to work at it and develop it as they grow. Plus, remember, speed without control is called "base on balls."
Pitching time: You can't learn how to pitch without pitching in a game. So, before you decide on a team, determine how much "mound time" your daughter is going to get. If she is a beginner, chances are you don't want her pitching every inning of every game. More than likely, you will want her to ease into a pitching role an inning or two at a time. As she gets more experienced, you will want her to get more time on the mound. Make sure you understand her role with any team that she decides to play for. Also, make sure you know who will be "calling her pitches." Some teams just let the kids pitch. At the beginning stages, a pitcher has enough to think about without worrying about who's calling her pitches! Most importantly, make sure the team is a good, supportive environment for your daughter. Make sure that when she is not pitching, she gets to play other positions from time to time. A good player needs to be multi-dimensional to be desirable for a good team! Plus, remember that many girls decide not to pitch as they get older. Make sure she is well rounded and can play other positions.
It takes many years to develop a good pitcher. Remember that when your daughter is bouncing them in the dirt or off the backstop.
www.softballmom.org/index.html
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