Is there a place for tiny girls in softball 12u and beyond?

[krazykat]

Let's be realistic. Size does matter as you progress through the age groups. My DD was a 5' 4" 120lb all state catcher in high school. She was told she was too small to be a catcher at her D3 college. Coach never checked out her skills. Look at the girls on Florida, LSU, etc. and tell me size doesn't matter. However, there is a place for smaller girls at the highest levels of softball. It is absolutely critical to match your DD's physical talents to the right positions and hitting styles. If your daughter is small and quick, teach her to play outfield and be a slapper. If she's big and powerful, play corners and develop the "launch" swing.

 

[radness]

Let's be realistic. Size does matter as you progress through the age groups. My DD was a 5' 4" 120lb all state catcher in high school. She was told she was too small to be a catcher at her D3 college. Coach never checked out her skills. Look at the girls on Florida, LSU, etc. and tell me size doesn't matter. However, there is a place for smaller girls at the highest levels of softball. It is absolutely critical to match your DD's physical talents to the right positions and hitting styles. If your daughter is small and quick, teach her to play outfield and be a slapper. If she's big and powerful, play corners and develop the "launch" swing.

Size may matter to some coaches.
Not all tho.
As evidence by all the sizes that DO play at all levels.

 

[Hawk_]

During practices I have my girls tell me "what is your advantage?" For my smaller girls it's "I have a small strike zone and I'm fast."
So figure out what makes her different and is that an advantage. My suggestion, drag bunts and slaps are her new best friend. Use the speed and strike zone to take advantage of who she is.
The great thing about softball is I have a girl who is 5'10 12u player, also one that is 4'9. They have different advantages.... but they both are players.

 

[ANNASDAD]

Before we committed to a D2 school, there was one specific D1 school that we (I) were interested in. They invited DD to a small invite camp only, she had a fantastic camp, and I mean really good!

The coach came and found me and we had a nice 10 minute conversation, she said she wouldn't pursue my DD any longer, she said it was about her size only, not about her talents! Her belief is that bigger / stronger girls are fresher and stronger at the end of a grueling season! I get that, and it was obvious by looking at 6 or 8 of her girls working that camp, very big girls!

She wished us luck and actually was one of three different coaches that pushed us in the direction that we took, this was in the 10th grade. She committed in the Summer before going into the 11th grade.

You have to know what coaches like.....this particular coach likes big girls, nothing wrong with that, it is what it is!

 

[Shelia B]

I have 3 DDs. Their heights are 5’3, 5’1 and 5’2. They usually are some of the smallest girls on their teams. They make up for their small size in speed and contact. All 3 are very fast and the 5’1 dd is a slap hitter. The other 2 are very good contact hitters and all 3 of them have been the leadoff hitter for their teams. Being small in softball can be challenging but it also opens up so many opportunities that the taller and slower girls don’t have. You can go for the slap hitting route like my 5’1 DD did or you can go for the contact route. Not everyone needs to be a power hitter. Sometimes you need those small fast girls to get on base and score.

 

[radness]

Story of Dot Richardson playing basketball.

About 3 or 4 years ago recently after Dot Richardson was asked to coach and build the facilities at Liberty University,
( she told that wonderful story and...)
She told of this story of how when she was younger liked softball and basketball
and wanted to play both.
She commented that there was a person, like a coach at a younger age,
someone that told her
'you're too short to play basketball'.
Guess what
it's a little known fact amongst her tremendous accomplishments,
Dot Richardson...
while she did play softball at UCLA, and the Olympics, she was also a two-sport athlete!! AND went on to play for the UCLA Bruins basketball team!!!

UCLA's Title IX 40: Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Dot Richardson - UCLA

UCLA Athletics continues its celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Title IX with a series of profiles of UCLA's Title IX 40. This group of 40 Bruin women we...

uclabruins.com

Dreams are goals we make come true!

 

[schwabach]

Kylie Bass - Georgia pitcher, 5'0.
Carlie Wallace, Auburn catcher 5'2

 

[Strike2]

There's a lot of growing to do between 12 and 18. Perhaps not so much vertically will happen, but your DD will undoubtedly get stronger. Size does matter for some things, but it often doesn't come with speed. If your DD is fast, strength can be developed, and there's definitely a place in the game for that. As others have mentioned, figure out what what she can do and the advantages she brings. A slapper who can eat a bunch of pitches and then draw a walk is one frustrating thing to deal with.

While someone five feet nothing probably won't be playing 1B, there's three OF positions where speed, judgement, and a good arm are the only things that matter. Most hate that RF position at 12U, but it's where many games are won and lost in HS and beyond. I know a smaller kid on a good Div 1 college team who plays right, bats last, and can barely get it out of the IF. It's a rare game where she doesn't leave a mark on the other team.

 

[Rambler34]

DD has always been small, but now the girls are hitting puberty her small size is becoming more apparent. DD is 4'7" and 80lbs at 11.5 years old. Growth charts say she might hit 5'2" full grown. She has always been the smallest on the team, but the size disparity just keeps getting larger as we move up in age. DD often can beat everyone on the team at self-weight based exercises like pull ups, planks, etc. She is often the fastest on the team as well. When it comes to hitting and throwing, her size really hurts her. She has good throwing mechanics, but just doesn't have the muscle mass to really put some zip on the ball. Same goes with hitting. A really good hit for her will just get it over the infieders while her peers are able to get the ball at least halfway into the outfielder and some almost to the fence. Is there a place for tiny girls in softball or should I start having her train as a horse jockey? I hear horses make softball look cheap, LOL!

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There are plenty of opportunities for smaller kids. My DD has gone through the same thing as her as well as several of her freinds. We were told early on to look at rosters of schools she may be interested in and see the type of player they have. Some schools will not touch a kid thats not 5'6". DD ended up about 5'2" and had multiple mid majors looking at her before she committed to a Top 10 JUCO. DD let her lack of size motivate her for years as she watched herself get overlooked. Nothing like seeing the OF pulled up right before she hits one about 215.

All your DD needs to worry about is what she can control and that is her grades and her work ethic. If she manages those two things they will take care of everything else and she will have opportunities.

 

[Orange Socks]

A few years ago, we went to watch UH vs USF, and I was surprised at two things. First thing that caught my attention was Sara Nevins. She was 6' and was bringing the heat. The second thing that caught my attention was the 3rd baseman. She was 4'10"!!! She was starter at 3rd for much of her collegiate career and she played on the Puerto Rican National Team. I actually talked to her mom in the stands. Height does not matter for most positions except maybe 1B and sometimes catcher. My DD is 5'10" and can reach some of the riseballs that a shorter catcher cannot get to.

https://gousfbulls.com/sports/softball/roster/monica-santos/5604