DD scared to get hit while batting

[tange51]

I hope your daughter bounces back. In U8 she would cry when she got up to bat. In a U12 All Star game she played against a pitcher and one dad very familiar with softball said, "I've never seen a 12 year old pitch that fast." Rumor has it that she had a D1 "offer" already.
My daughter struck out in her one at bat, and told me afterwards, "I wanted her to hit me, just so I could know what it felt like."

 

[Shawn]

It’s a challenge, you can’t be on time or take a good swing if your afraid of the ball. Because they wait to see if it’s going to hit them before offering at the pitch.

 

[Rambler34]

In a camp at a very young age DD was taught how to get hit by pitches. Not to get in front of them but rather how to lessen the impact when it can't be avoided. That isn't taught enough. They simply flipped plastic balls at them and showed them how to move or turn to avoid solid impact. She honestly rarely tries to avoid an inside pitch now unless its at her earhole.

 

[Eric F]

DD is a huge ball magnet...as in getting hit as much as the rest of the team combined. Fortunately, she seems very resistant to pain and injury. She's been smacked very hard on occasion, but just trots down to 1B as if nothing happened.

My DD is on of those girls, too. It's ridiculous how many times she's been hit. So far, 14 HBPs in 31 games this spring. Next most on her team is 6. She's always been one too get hit a lot, but in 14U (maybe 12U?), she embraced the HBP as part of her offensive game. On her current pace, she will shatter her old spring/summer record of 17. After yesterday's games she talked about her very subtle move to get one to graze her knee. It's become its own skill set.

As for the OP's issue, this is not at all uncommon. However, getting out of that mindset can be a real struggle, especially when facing the wild world of 10U pitching. Those hitters will wait to make the swing decision until after they've determined whether or not they might her hit. As pitching speeds increase, there simply isn't time to make the HBP decision, and still have enough time to execute a good swing. A successful hitter MUST adopt a mentality that EVERY pitch is one to hit, and go through the pre-launch movements required for a good swing, even before they've identified the location. Getting them to adopt that mentality shift is the challenge, and there's no easy way that I know of.

 

[TDS]

My DD is on of those girls, too. It's ridiculous how many times she's been hit. So far, 14 HBPs in 31 games this spring. Next most on her team is 6. She's always been one too get hit a lot, but in 14U (maybe 12U?), she embraced the HBP as part of her offensive game. On her current pace, she will shatter her old spring/summer record of 17. After yesterday's games she talked about her very subtle move to get one to graze her knee. It's become its own skill set.

As for the OP's issue, this is not at all uncommon. However, getting out of that mindset can be a real struggle, especially when facing the wild world of 10U pitching. Those hitters will wait to make the swing decision until after they've determined whether or not they might her hit. As pitching speeds increase, there simply isn't time to make the HBP decision, and still have enough time to execute a good swing. A successful hitter MUST adopt a mentality that EVERY pitch is one to hit, and go through the pre-launch movements required for a good swing, even before they've identified the location. Getting them to adopt that mentality shift is the challenge, and there's no easy way that I know of.

Becoming a hitter (driver of the ball) is a very vulnerable position.

 

[HunterMO]

Becoming a hitter (driver of the ball) is a very vulnerable position.

DD learned this one last week. She took a 45(ish)mph straight to the elbow. I told her it won't be the last time. She's ready for an elbow guard now though.

 

[Laphoneman]

Teach her to bunt tell her no more swinging only bunting. She will let you know when she is ready to hit away again.

 

[Shawn]

Tell her it’s ok to be scared. It does hurt, my shins hurt all the time from catching.

She has to embrace her fear, face it, in order for her to improve.

 

[Strike2]

DD learned this one last week. She took a 45(ish)mph straight to the elbow. I told her it won't be the last time. She's ready for an elbow guard now though.

Just wait 'till it's 60+...up and in on the helmet.

 

[BigSkyHi]

Maybe