- Jun 8, 2016
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Makes sense. I cannot get a read on girls/women. I tried once and failed miserably. Now I just nod my head in agreement for everything..
Advice on pitching against a former team/teammates
- Thread starter Jdeesso
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My DD loves striking out her old teammates. Some of them she likes, some she does not like. Doesn't change the approach. She knows how to pitch to most of them because of playing with them before.
Note that former teammates that pitch will also want to go after your DD while batting. My kid has been hit a lot by former teammate pitchers and by pitchers on teams former teammates play for. Doesn't change the at-bat approach either, but she should probably be aware.
Note that former teammates that pitch will also want to go after your DD while batting. My kid has been hit a lot by former teammate pitchers and by pitchers on teams former teammates play for. Doesn't change the at-bat approach either, but she should probably be aware.
- Jan 22, 2011
- 1,635
- 113
Being slightly nervous is normal, and probably better than not being nervous. Like Sweet Lou said if she knows the tendencies of some of the hitters, might be helpful to give the coach a scouting report before the day of the game.
Enjoy. Now she is getting closer to Middle School and High School ball, she will be playing more and more games with various combinations of playing with or against club teammates in HS, HS teammates in club, and former teammates both in HS and club. In HS and 14u, sometimes 16u, its fun to take pictures with former teammates.
My DD also amps it up when going against players she knows. As I've related before, when she was 11 I had the pocket radar on her when pitching against a team she knew one player on. Batter before that player her FB/Drop was 51/52. The batter she knew her FB/Drop was 54. Next batter her FB/Drop was back at 51/52. Same thing every time she faced that batter that game.
Enjoy. Now she is getting closer to Middle School and High School ball, she will be playing more and more games with various combinations of playing with or against club teammates in HS, HS teammates in club, and former teammates both in HS and club. In HS and 14u, sometimes 16u, its fun to take pictures with former teammates.
My DD also amps it up when going against players she knows. As I've related before, when she was 11 I had the pocket radar on her when pitching against a team she knew one player on. Batter before that player her FB/Drop was 51/52. The batter she knew her FB/Drop was 54. Next batter her FB/Drop was back at 51/52. Same thing every time she faced that batter that game.
- May 20, 2015
- 1,125
- 113
hit the first one right in the @$$
Kidding......I kid
Kidding......I kid
Top_Notch
Screwball
- Dec 18, 2014
- 522
- 63
Your daughter sounds like my daughter. She has had to face her old team numerous times over the years, in pool play and in bracket play (and sometimes the final!). Had to face them at Nationals (ugh!) but she did win that one. She started with her original team at 8U and switched at 12U. She has won most of the games, but also has lost some heartbreakers including errors in the last inning to give up the win. She has cried all night after a loss and also celebrated beating her old team including striking out the coach's kid. Now she sees these kids in high school varsity games regularly.
Have her use what she knows to her advantage. My daughter has been able to exploit the weaknesses of her former teammates because she knew them so well. She knew who cast her hands, who couldn't hit high/outside pitching, who couldn't hit the change and used it to her advantage.
I can only recall one game where the coach sat my daughter when playing her old team. He knew what it meant to her. (1st year 16U) He pitched our other ace, loaded the lineup, and beat them. My daughter cheered and pitched the next bracket game.
It's never easy. But I will say it gets easier as they get older. At 16U they play the game and talk after. We are good friends with the parents and it's nice to see that as the kids have aged everyone roots for everyone and it's more about worrying about recruiting and getting to college. But that'll be small solace to a 12year old facing her old team.
Have her use what she knows to her advantage. My daughter has been able to exploit the weaknesses of her former teammates because she knew them so well. She knew who cast her hands, who couldn't hit high/outside pitching, who couldn't hit the change and used it to her advantage.
I can only recall one game where the coach sat my daughter when playing her old team. He knew what it meant to her. (1st year 16U) He pitched our other ace, loaded the lineup, and beat them. My daughter cheered and pitched the next bracket game.
It's never easy. But I will say it gets easier as they get older. At 16U they play the game and talk after. We are good friends with the parents and it's nice to see that as the kids have aged everyone roots for everyone and it's more about worrying about recruiting and getting to college. But that'll be small solace to a 12year old facing her old team.
I'll go against the grain a bit on this one.
If I were you, I'd have a quick discussion with the coach on this. Lots of girls have an issue pitching against their old team. Especially if they're young, and especially if there's any bad blood around why she left the old team. It can be detrimental to the pitcher in some circumstances, and of course can easily be avoided by using a different pitcher that game.
It's something she'll certainly face in time, but it's perfectly acceptable if she's not ready yet. You as parent along with the coach should be able to determine if she's up for it or not. And it's perfectly fine if she's not. It'll happen again soon enough.
If I were you, I'd have a quick discussion with the coach on this. Lots of girls have an issue pitching against their old team. Especially if they're young, and especially if there's any bad blood around why she left the old team. It can be detrimental to the pitcher in some circumstances, and of course can easily be avoided by using a different pitcher that game.
It's something she'll certainly face in time, but it's perfectly acceptable if she's not ready yet. You as parent along with the coach should be able to determine if she's up for it or not. And it's perfectly fine if she's not. It'll happen again soon enough.
Update - turned out my DD did get a chance to pitch to her old team this weekend in a relief role in bracket play.
Leading up to the weekend she wanted a chance to pitch against them but woke up Sunday with a little less confidence. All things considered (flu all week with no practice except for a half hour throwing to me Saturday) she did well against them and worked hard.
Needless to say, we were proud of her and her old teammates, coaches and parents were happy to see her and joke with her with afterwards. We left on good terms, thankfully.
One of her old coaches was really impressed with her progress since last Fall and said she looked amazing, which was probably one of the nicest things we could’ve heard.
Just another building block for her and in the long run she will be better off.
Thanks all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Leading up to the weekend she wanted a chance to pitch against them but woke up Sunday with a little less confidence. All things considered (flu all week with no practice except for a half hour throwing to me Saturday) she did well against them and worked hard.
Needless to say, we were proud of her and her old teammates, coaches and parents were happy to see her and joke with her with afterwards. We left on good terms, thankfully.
One of her old coaches was really impressed with her progress since last Fall and said she looked amazing, which was probably one of the nicest things we could’ve heard.
Just another building block for her and in the long run she will be better off.
Thanks all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
my daughter never liked playing against friends. i can tell you she is more than motivated though if it means sticking it to her old coach though
