Secondary sport for a pitcher

[LEsoftballdad]

My daughter is a second year 16U pitcher with high aspirations to play in college. As she enters 11th grade, she is playing Field Hockey this fall. She plays for a national team with seven tournaments this fall, so the coach has been told she will be at softball when there's a conflict. She's not a starter, so the coach is okay with her missing a few Saturday practices.

Here's my question to the DFP world. Between academics, five days of field hockey practice and games, and softball, do you think there is enough time to get her work in for pitching? For any other position player, I'd say it's okay, but for a pitcher, I'm not sure. If the consensus is that she should focus on softball, I'll have her drop field hockey before the season starts.

 

[Towny9]

Let her play FH if she enjoys it. One day (in the not so distant future) she won’t have any more sports to play and she will be working for a living like the rest of us. Are there any other softball players on the team? If so, could they play catch right after practice every so often just to keep the feel?

 

[radness]

My daughter is a second year 16U pitcher with high aspirations to play in college. As she enters 11th grade, she is playing Field Hockey this fall. She plays for a national team with seven tournaments this fall, so the coach has been told she will be at softball when there's a conflict. She's not a starter, so the coach is okay with her missing a few Saturday practices.

Here's my question to the DFP world. Between academics, five days of field hockey practice and games, and softball, do you think there is enough time to get her work in for pitching? For any other position player, I'd say it's okay, but for a pitcher, I'm not sure. If the consensus is that she should focus on softball, I'll have her drop field hockey before the season starts.

If anything it will be a good lesson in time management.
That and her body's health will let her know if it's do'able.

How many years has she played field hockey?

...did notice you didn't ask dfp if there will be enough time for her academics...sb parents little fun there.

 

[quincy]

If she has a choice I would put fall SB pitching on the backburner. Taking a little break in pitching once a year is a good idea.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

If anything it will be a good lesson in time management.
That and her body's health will let her know if it's do'able.

How many years has she played field hockey?

...did notice you didn't ask dfp if there will be enough time for her academics...sb parents little fun there.

No, I mentioned academics. As crazy a softball dad as I am, academics always comes first.

 

[Tango]

My DD is 16U junior also. She has always played VB until this year (her choice). We sat down and made a schedule to practice that includes TB practice, hitting lessons, workouts, pitching lessons, and conditioning. We discussed that she needs to be working the same amount of time that she would be if playing VB or get a job. LOL

Until this year she threw four times a week on top of VB. A few times only three if sore or a test or life. It was actually harder on me arranging each week to catch her around her schedule. She is able to drive now and has catchers at school.

 

[radness]

No, I mentioned academics. As crazy a softball dad as I am, academics always comes first.

Lol but you asked if there would be enough time for pitching LOL LOL


How long has she been playing field hockey?
Did she play last season?

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Lol but you asked if there would be enough time for pitching LOL LOL


How long has she been playing field hockey?
Did she play last season?

She played one season of MS in the fall of 2019, and one season of JV in the late winter/early spring of 2021. COVID forced the cancellation of fall 2020 sports, so they moved them all to late winter/early spring in 2021. She didn't play last year because she thought her travel schedule was too hectic.

My thinking is that pitching requires more time than the other positions, but what the heck do I know? I know it's good for conditioning.

 

[radness]

She played one season of MS in the fall of 2019, and one season of JV in the late winter/early spring of 2021. COVID forced the cancellation of fall 2020 sports, so they moved them all to late winter/early spring in 2021. She didn't play last year because she thought her travel schedule was too hectic.

My thinking is that pitching requires more time than the other positions, but what the heck do I know? I know it's good for conditioning.

Looks like she has some experience to draw from.
How did playing field hockey affect her pitching and training in the past?

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Looks like she has some experience to draw from.
How did playing field hockey affect her pitching and training in the past?

She hurt her back in March of 2021 and made me concerned she'd miss time when softball started, but she went to a great PT who got her back on the field quickly. Truthfully, it makes it tough to get to lessons on a regular basis because practices are from 5-7 weekdays. Her trainer is 30 minutes away, so the earliest we can do now is 8:00 PM.