Hey, first post here, and looking for advice for my 9 year old - I guess you call 'em DD's - who is really starting to enjoy softball. She's played baseball/softball for the last 5 years (started as a 5 year old in boy's t-ball, then moved to softball as a 7 year old and is in her 3rd year, moving to the 9 & 10 year old - or 10U - traveling team this year), but this summer has been different. She's got practices on Tue. and Thu. at 10 a.m., and she has decided that every other day of the week we need to go out in the back yard and practice - playing catch, pitching and hitting - at 10 a.m. too. Plus, she wants me to find a camp for her to attend.
So, here's what I'm wondering:
1) What would be the best training aide to get for her? I've been thinking of a pitch back, or a screen that she can throw pitches into. We play catch, and I "catch" for her when she pitches, but my knees can't hold up to squatting anymore (I played catcher when I was young). Limited amounts of time, I'm fine, but she wants to keep going.
2) What kind of camp should I look for? I'm at a disadvantage in that it's already July, and a lot of the camps are already over here, but should I be looking at a pitching camp since she is one of the better pitchers on her team, or should I look for an all-around camp? The one camp I'm looking at now isn't until December.
3) Softball season lasts only another week (she's got one more tourneys next Thursday, then she's done). I love that she is fired-up about softball, but she has never stuck with any other sport. She's done basketball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, golf, etc. but none as long as she has done softball. I'd love for her to be a more rounded athlete. Any advice in this regard?
4) What type of training facility could be built in a basement? I know I mentioned well rounded, but I've got a lot of free space in my basement that she could use to practice pitching in the winter months. In that vein, is that getting towards overkill at age 9?
I should note that we live in cold weather country (northern Minnesota - and by northern Minny, I mean 4 hours north of the Twin Cities. In other words, really cold weather country!). We are lucky some years to have the snow melted in April, so indoor softball sonds like a good idea, at least in February/March and even April... I already got some advice from Cannonball, but anything else anyone can add would be great.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice you guys/gals can offer!
So, here's what I'm wondering:
1) What would be the best training aide to get for her? I've been thinking of a pitch back, or a screen that she can throw pitches into. We play catch, and I "catch" for her when she pitches, but my knees can't hold up to squatting anymore (I played catcher when I was young). Limited amounts of time, I'm fine, but she wants to keep going.
2) What kind of camp should I look for? I'm at a disadvantage in that it's already July, and a lot of the camps are already over here, but should I be looking at a pitching camp since she is one of the better pitchers on her team, or should I look for an all-around camp? The one camp I'm looking at now isn't until December.
3) Softball season lasts only another week (she's got one more tourneys next Thursday, then she's done). I love that she is fired-up about softball, but she has never stuck with any other sport. She's done basketball, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, golf, etc. but none as long as she has done softball. I'd love for her to be a more rounded athlete. Any advice in this regard?
4) What type of training facility could be built in a basement? I know I mentioned well rounded, but I've got a lot of free space in my basement that she could use to practice pitching in the winter months. In that vein, is that getting towards overkill at age 9?
I should note that we live in cold weather country (northern Minnesota - and by northern Minny, I mean 4 hours north of the Twin Cities. In other words, really cold weather country!). We are lucky some years to have the snow melted in April, so indoor softball sonds like a good idea, at least in February/March and even April... I already got some advice from Cannonball, but anything else anyone can add would be great.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice you guys/gals can offer!