How to tell a high school coach that she can't overuse my pitcher

[Nuwin]

I think it is very easy to get the answer to this, how many times a year do you see a P5 coach scout a HS game vs TB?

They want to see how you compete against the type of players you will play with at their level. HS can be very hit or miss in terms of competition.

One. The state championship game. Oh, and Jordy Bahl was there too.

My DD isn't old enough yet, and honestly I wouldn't recognize most anyway.

Just something that caught my eye that I wasn't necessarily expecting. Dunno how it fits with anything other than I need to stop viewing high school sports through the lens of football is my conclusion.

 

[uncdrew]

Going somewhat in a different direction... But yesterday was the first time I have paid any attention to college softball signings. I noticed on the social media posts for multiple schools, they list the travel team, NOT the high school.

So from a purely softball career standpoint... Just how important is high school? I understand value in friends and community. It was certainly a big deal to my small town team that made the state championship. But just trying to put leverage on the HS coach here. Diminishing their value might not be the right flex to get what you want, but I can be petty. HA!

Edit: The P5 schools anyway. Some of the smaller ones list hometown. Only one of our HS commits actually listed the high school name. All of our baseball commits listed the school.

I see very little value of HS ball on my DD's college prospects. They'll be quite interested in her travel team and her performance in their camps.

 

[angispeds]

High school means absolutely nothing in terms of recruitment. Coaches have said to us they like when girls play high school because it helps with learning the grind of daily practice lots of games in a row and managing school at the same time but they aren’t going to overlook a kid because they don’t play since there are many reasons kids don’t play. In my high school kids get a big dose of humble pie whether it’s a C level player that realizes 500 in C doesn’t equate to varsity anything, or an upper classman who loses a position to a talented freshman. We have kids committed in college that are on the bench because our program is so deep. Kids playing 3b that are top catchers but the team needed them more at 3b. It helps to understand team dynamics a bit more than travel.


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[Orange Socks]

Going somewhat in a different direction... But yesterday was the first time I have paid any attention to college softball signings. I noticed on the social media posts for multiple schools, they list the travel team, NOT the high school.

So from a purely softball career standpoint... Just how important is high school? I understand value in friends and community. It was certainly a big deal to my small town team that made the state championship. But just trying to put leverage on the HS coach here. Diminishing their value might not be the right flex to get what you want, but I can be petty. HA!

Edit: The P5 schools anyway. Some of the smaller ones list hometown. Only one of our HS commits actually listed the high school name. All of our baseball commits listed the school.

Most signings are done at the player's HS. Some TB teams do ORG signings-Hard to do if you have players scattered. I have seen HS and TB jerseys, Rec ball pics, and no pics at all. Some school districts do a district wide signing day for all schools in one place. We had to force DD's school to host a signing for 2 softball and 1 baseball player. Not a whole lot early signings at DD's school.

 

[Lance Steckler]

i've seen everything from all athletes, to football only, to specifically excluding D3 & NAIA committed athletes, to zero recognition that sports even exists.

And the next time i see a non-super local (like 30mins) college at any reg season high school softball game,,,,it will be the first time.

 

[Northball]

Having a coach who can throw actual semi-speedy windmill pitches would be like winning the lottery here. They did have one here a few years ago but she lasted through spring practice and about a third of the game season before there was a blowup and she quit. The players basically threatened to mutiny.

I really would like to get to the point that I can do it. I instruct pitching so surely I can get to walk-throughs under my own tutelage. I was getting it decently a couple years ago but took a shot to the hand that derailed me completely. Couldn't even carry a jug of milk for a few months. This has given me the resolve to get back to working on it..lol

When I started my pitching clinic for 3rd-6th graders, the HS coach was also there and learned along with them. She did her practice, and I also practiced what I taught, so when winter/spring practice rolls around and we're stuck in the cages, we have a couple of windmillers consistently throwing around 40 from 25-30 feet or so.
Learning throw windmill has helped me to understand what the students are going through. It's easy to tell a student to trust that the mechanics will eventually get them good pitches. The hardest part for me has actually been trusting the mechanics. It's like when Obi-Wan put the blinding helmet on Luke Skywalker and told him to trust his feelings to not get zapped in the behind.

 

[Northball]

Come to think of it, has anyone ever incorporated blindfolding a pitcher into their training to build consistency solely by feel? I might have to try it.

 

[Ken Krause]

Come to think of it, has anyone ever incorporated blindfolding a pitcher into their training to build consistency solely by feel? I might have to try it.

I know this is an old thread but since the subject came up, yes I have done that. It's pretty amazing what they can do when you take the visual element out of it. I've actually had kids improve their accuracy almost instantly because they're no longer trying to guide the ball.

Just be sure the catcher knows not the fire the ball back at the pitcher. I expect them to pitch blindfolded. I don't expect them to catch that way!

 

[4Martini]

My daughter’s coach has not blindfolded her- but does have her pitch with her eyes closed. Usually when she is overthinking something. It is impressive how well she can pitch without even looking.

 

[The Man In Blue]

Come to think of it, has anyone ever incorporated blindfolding a pitcher into their training to build consistency solely by feel? I might have to try it.

Training her to be an umpire?