Sit them in a circle facing out. Each girl gets a sheet of paper and a pencil that she writes her name on. They pass the papers around the circle and write something positive about each girl.
It's amazing what some of these kids learn about themselves when they get their paper back.
maksoftball, I'm thinking it's mostly you... Don't feel bad though, we all go through it and we all GET through it.
When MY DD was 14, she was recruited to an 18 Gold team (yes, recruited by the HC). She struggled during the first tournament of the season and the HC played her very very...
The cost of any sport, even the rediculous ones is NOTHING compared to drug rehab or raising a child for a young teen.
To the OP, the others here are spot on when they say to be the adult and work it out. I couldn't imagine telling my kids that they can't do something because it takes too...
starsnuffer is correct that a rut or hole isn't unsafe. An umpire or UIC will not cancel a game because of them.
DD has pitched over/through ruts and holes like those pictured and worse! She moaned and complained and tried to fix them as much as possible before games and innings.
She is now...
For the last few years DD (not me) got a few very young girls started in pitching. She talked daily to her PC about her students and once they decided that they wanted to pitch she sent them to him.
It was an awesome experience for DD and she made a couple of bucks in the process.
Your video made me smile. It looks like your DD is having fun with pitching, keep it fun for her :)
I second the comment about getting a professional PC for a few lessons so she has a clue on correct mechanics. correcting bad mechanics is very very difficult, it's easy to know good mechanics...
I know that FED rules allow a step back and I might get flamed for this comment but it is how I feel.
If she has intentions of playing outside of High School softball, teach her to not step back at all.
If she is dedicated, she has a chance at being physically "rec" ready within a couple of months. Remember that not all players can be pitchers; she will need to practice twice as much as the other players on her team; she will need to be mentally strong when winning and when losing; she will...
No, a coach shouldn't talk individually to a player or her parents about weight unless asked individually about it. Do you honestly think that an overweight kid doesn't know she's overweight, especially if she's obese? Not only is she aware of her weight, she is generally PAINFULLY AWARE of...
gasfreak,
I am jealous! My DD has her first college practice on Monday, at a school 1,800 miles away!
I have a few comments for you:
1) Yes, you are probably more nervous than she is.
2) The best advise you can give her is "have fun"
3) The best advise I can give YOU is to cheer for the team...
DD, a pitcher on the left coast, played 18 Gold since 14. There were many college coaches from D1 to JC looking.
In our experience, any good pitcher is picked up by an 18 Gold team right around 14 years old. 18 Gold coaches want to win games and they will have the best pitchers they can find.
Ever since DD started playing 16's and up I have not liked the fall softball season. I don't like timed games that "don't matter", or stressing out about what college coaches might or might not be there to see her play...
I am disliking this fall more than most. In 3 days we go on the road to...
This is a really good question and I had to think about it...
At first it was clear that DD has been serious about pitching since day 1, but then I realized that she has LOVED TO PITCH since day 1. She got serious about pitching at 14 when she started pitching against "real" batters. That...
DD was on a team for a couple of years that had 40+ kids try our for each season. How they handled "cuts" was cold but very efficient. There was a 3 day tryout. At the end of each day they posted a list of participants on a wall listing who was invited back for the next day of tryouts. The...