kudos to all those bucket moms/dads out there

[Il softball fan]

DD is 15 years old, almost 16 years old, playing first year 16U. DD used to dabble in pitching back during the 10u, and 12U years. Was never really dedicated to being a pitcher. (catcher is her first love) She would fill in and pitch when needed, but not real often. She only took a few session of actual lessons. Other than that it was just messing around on our own. First year 14U she did not pitch at all. Then she had spinal fusion surgery, and was not allowed to do anything athletic for a year.

Back to playing August of this year. At tryouts one of the coaches remembered her from her 12U years and was like," hey you pitched against us one game..lets have you warm up and pitch during tryouts." So she did.....coach approached me after practice and said DD had the fastest clocked speeds of anyone at tryouts and he wants her. We ended up going to a different team, but it made DD decide she wanted to start pitching again. So, here I am sitting here typing with a sore hand from catching.....Amazing the difference between catching her at 12 years old, and catching at almost 16. I put on a leather golf glove on my catching hand under the glove, and it STILL hurt like hell lol.

So, sorry so long winded, but kudos to all those bucket sitters, sitting around with sore hands, sore shins, sore backs from being the target for all those pitchers that love to bring the heat!!!!

 

[BobInMadison]

I am the worst bucket dad in the planet.
First DD 3 told me she wouldn't let me catch her without a (pitching) mask. She got upset after hitting me in the face, fortunately warming up.
Then she wouldn't let me catch her at all. She was still 12U then.
So, I got her a net.

It really makes me appreciate the guys who can actually catch their DDs.

 

[Il softball fan]

A friend of DDs who has been pitching since they were little, and throws much harder. Her dad catches her with no mask, or pads of any kind. His DD is also much more accurate since she has been pitching all along. MY DD on the other hand, I never really know where the ball is going when she winds up. In addition to the sore hand, I took one off of the top of the foot, and she broke the bucket with a low pitch last night.

 

[ANNASDAD]

Catching my DD is absolutely one of my favorite things I get to do, I really love it ! Not that it doesn't come with a little pain now and then. This past Summer I finally stepped up and bought myself a good mitt ! Hey Bob, my DD is 14 now and has been going to the same pitching coach since she was 9, I have seen a LOT of moms and dads sitting on buckets in those 5 years. And a LOT of them had no business catching ! I seen blood, big shin knots, heard loud cussing, and seen girls cry when they hurt their parents. Those must be sweet kind hearted girls, every girl I've ever coached including my own DD thinks it's the funniest thing in the world to hit a coach ! I haven't pitched BP in close to 2 years without a screen, I swear they think I have a bullseye on me !

 

[stickpile39]

I can relate to this topic. Two DD pitchers, both pitching since 10U now 14 and 12. As they get faster and faster and my reflexes get slower and slower it's an accident waiting to happen. But I like living on the edge! Wouldn't trade this time for anything!

 

[KCPRK]

I loved catching DD. I just cant do it anymore. The risk of injury is so real she holds back.

I miss it but I cant hold her back. Shes 15

 

[JAD]

As my DD has gotten bigger, stronger, faster, I have gotten older, fatter, slower, and blinder.....it is a bad combination and sooner or later my "pride" is going to catch up with me. I have a full set of used catchers gear I bought off Ebay, I have just been too stubborn and hard headed to wear it. There have been several shots to the shins that made me wish I had on shin guards, but I still get a kick out of watching buckets dads in full catchers gear for their 10 year old DD throwing 40 MPH....

 

[BobInMadison]

I must note, that when my DD 3 fired me as a bucket dad, to a big extent that was out of love. Sure, there was the embarrassment of a bucket dad who couldn't catch her very well, and who had a tendency to jump out of the way of those scary balls (once I got tagged when I jumped INTO a ball she threw way inside. That was good for quite a few laughs on her part).

But, realize she had a very real fear of injuring her father, and a very strong desire NOT to injure her father.

So, even though I argued with her at the time, I couldn't get angry. She was right.

 

[Il softball fan]

Although DD doesn't wear it much any more she still has her fielders facemask in the bag. I think I will start wearing it for bucket time. I want to keep my teeth where they are.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I will be 62 on the 18th of this month. I have worn shin guards and a Gameface for 10 years. But, here is the key I think - sit down low. I use a gardening bench. If you need a chair with a back on it, use it. No one cares.

What I would really like is to be able to protect the top of my head. I get smacked twice a year by a ball that hits the fence and then, me. Catcher's head gear is too heavy and hot for me.