My daughter has regressed in college

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Jul 27, 2015
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Her college had an early fall season. So she came in and started pitching in games right away. She did great. Her first two games were against a low-level D1 team. 6 perfect innings with 14ks. She was clearly one of the top pitchers on the team.

The fall season ended, then they started one on one pitching. The coach did not, and has not, broken down her pitching to change it. The coach just has a much different way of practicing. As an aside, they don't work on speed at all.

So my daughter is home now for Christmas break. She is 2-3 mph slower. Her change-up is much improved (thanks to the coach), but every other pitch has regressed so much that she would not even start on a 16u B team as this point. She has no control at all (which has been her greatest asset) and no speed.

She thinks if she can get her speed back, everything else will be fixed. I think she is probably right. We are going to see her old pitching coach tomorrow. And then we have to hope she can get it together in the next month before the season starts.

I had expected to come back throwing 2-3 mph faster then when she left and be better in every way.
 
May 27, 2013
2,353
113
Just a couple of quick questions - did she get any sort of break from pitching at all since her spring HS season? Has her workouts in the weight room ramped up recently? Can you see an obvious change in her mechanics?
 
Jun 27, 2021
418
63
Her college had an early fall season. So she came in and started pitching in games right away. She did great. Her first two games were against a low-level D1 team. 6 perfect innings with 14ks. She was clearly one of the top pitchers on the team.

The fall season ended, then they started one on one pitching. The coach did not, and has not, broken down her pitching to change it. The coach just has a much different way of practicing. As an aside, they don't work on speed at all.

So my daughter is home now for Christmas break. She is 2-3 mph slower. Her change-up is much improved (thanks to the coach), but every other pitch has regressed so much that she would not even start on a 16u B team as this point. She has no control at all (which has been her greatest asset) and no speed.

She thinks if she can get her speed back, everything else will be fixed. I think she is probably right. We are going to see her old pitching coach tomorrow. And then we have to hope she can get it together in the next month before the season starts.

I had expected to come back throwing 2-3 mph faster then when she left and be better in every way.
Things to consider
What changed in her routine (outside of not working on speed)
Is she throwing more or less
Has she taken something out of her routine that helped with speed
Is she hurt, something nagging or creeping up
Overall health - weight/muscle up or down
Mental side of time management and school
How often does she talk with her PC at school and does her Coach allow for feedback from her PC at home?

Just things to think about, I'm sure once she gets in with her PC at home things will be adjusted.
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
It is a big advantage to have technology. A radar guns and video are huge tools and should be used all the time. When she normally and consistently throw 63 mph and Thursdays bullpen she cant hit 59 mph, something is wrong. Something has changed. Something is out of sequence. Something needs fixing. Video comparisons with a trained eye from when she hit 64 mph 2 weeks ago will probably show where the problem lies. Use the technology. Most pro athletes use it. Pitchers, hitters, golfers, tennis players, track and field, quarterbacks, etc.
 
Mar 10, 2020
734
63
Her college had an early fall season. So she came in and started pitching in games right away. She did great. Her first two games were against a low-level D1 team. 6 perfect innings with 14ks. She was clearly one of the top pitchers on the team.

The fall season ended, then they started one on one pitching. The coach did not, and has not, broken down her pitching to change it. The coach just has a much different way of practicing. As an aside, they don't work on speed at all.

So my daughter is home now for Christmas break. She is 2-3 mph slower. Her change-up is much improved (thanks to the coach), but every other pitch has regressed so much that she would not even start on a 16u B team as this point. She has no control at all (which has been her greatest asset) and no speed.

She thinks if she can get her speed back, everything else will be fixed. I think she is probably right. We are going to see her old pitching coach tomorrow. And then we have to hope she can get it together in the next month before the season starts.

I had expected to come back throwing 2-3 mph faster then when she left and be better in every way.
Speed is not the dominating factor for most pitchers.
The coach knows this. Evidence of the coach helping develop her changeup. If she was successful in the fall why are you concerned now? Because you don't see her performance the way you want it is the reason. You would have to explain how they are practicing different if you think that is a factor to her performance. Being that the coach did not change her pitching mechanics this is about going to college and how to apply herself to a college routine. That routine can change throughout the season pending the schedule and time of year. It took our daughter a good three or four months just to get settled and comfortable in her new environment. That may play a role.
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,133
113
Dallas, Texas
1. It is not your problem. Your involvement in her softball career is over. It is between her and the coach. Let it go.
2. Fall ball in college is meaningless. It is a way for the coaches to see new players. She might have been pitching against the second string for all you know. Some players don't even go to the games.
3. She will easily gain the speed back when the season starts.
4. What you should be asking: How is her school going? What classes did she like? How is she spending her free time?
 

radness

Possibilities & Opportunities!
Dec 13, 2019
7,270
113
1. It is not your problem. Your involvement in her softball career is over. It is between her and the coach. Let it go.
2. Fall ball in college is meaningless. It is a way for the coaches to see new players. She might have been pitching against the second string for all you know. Some players don't even go to the games.
3. She will easily gain the speed back when the season starts.
4. What you should be asking: How is her school going? What classes did she like? How is she spending her free time?
Ohhh nice like the adding of perspective there @sluggers!
__________________
imo, to the topic of performance~
Better way to scrutinize technical performance would be to view videos past and current.

Pitching is a technical position there could be small nuances that have changed that she may have now become familiar with and it is comfortable.
That were actually different some months back.

Simply sometimes what people remember in a performance is not the actual thing that happened.

Agree it is up to the athletes to follow their own progression and development at this point.
 
Last edited:
May 27, 2013
2,353
113
With all due respect, if my dd came home from college and I noticed what Gator noticed my first concern would be possible injury. It wouldn’t be something I would just “let go.” My number one priority would be the health of my dd, then school, then softball.
 
Jul 27, 2015
235
43
Just a couple of quick questions - did she get any sort of break from pitching at all since her spring HS season? Has her workouts in the weight room ramped up recently? Can you see an obvious change in her mechanics?
Not bad questions. She actually had more breaks than usual in pitching. She was limited in her innings in the summer and early fall due to working with some injuries. She appears to be 100% now after working with the trainer all fall She definitely is doing more lifting now that she is better.

Her workouts in October and November with the coach were no more intense than she would have done last year.

We saw her pitching coach today. He did not see any issues with her mechanics.
 
Last edited:
Jul 27, 2015
235
43
Speed is not the dominating factor for most pitchers.
The coach knows this. Evidence of the coach helping develop her changeup. If she was successful in the fall why are you concerned now? Because you don't see her performance the way you want it is the reason. You would have to explain how they are practicing different if you think that is a factor to her performance. Being that the coach did not change her pitching mechanics this is about going to college and how to apply herself to a college routine. That routine can change throughout the season pending the schedule and time of year. It took our daughter a good three or four months just to get settled and comfortable in her new environment. That may play a role.

1. It is not your problem. Your involvement in her softball career is over. It is between her and the coach. Let it go.
2. Fall ball in college is meaningless. It is a way for the coaches to see new players. She might have been pitching against the second string for all you know. Some players don't even go to the games.
3. She will easily gain the speed back when the season starts.
4. What you should be asking: How is her school going? What classes did she like? How is she spending her free time?
Perhaps I did not state it well. I was contrasting a fall where she could hit her spots, throw for power and movement, and do well with now: where she can't hit spots or throw for power. Her movement is not great either. Whether the games were meaningless or not, there is a huge difference in the performance between then and now That is what has me concerned. I have caught, who knows, 20,000-30,000? pitches from her. I think I am able to tell when things are off. Things are off.

I disagree that my involvement is over. During the fall season, you bet I was not involved. She is home now for 6 weeks. I am going to try to help where I can.
 

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