Stupid Things Coaches Say (But Shouldn’t)

[Rolling Hard]

Lol ducks with guns...

Why do you think it didn't work to have the pitcher call her own pitchees? Was her own pitching mechanics off (missing locations) or her thinking strategy off? Or did you just pick up on the signals?

She just wasn't very good and either was her team. Was it a weak coach or a strong willed teenager? or a combination of both? I don't know.

 

[_MIA_]

She just wasn't very good and either was her team.

So in other words it wouldn't have mattered if Jennifer Rocha was calling the pitches..

 

[PJR202]

solution!




Saying 'Just throw strikes' particularly when you know she is trying to throw three different type of pitches and one is more efficient but you're giving her the opportunity to select what she's throwing and the catcher doesn't know what's going on is a recipe for disaster.

Think of it this way,
if you have already said before she gets out on the field 'let's throw strikes you have a defense behind you, no need to throw around batters'.
But then you keep saying it over and over 'just throw strikes' while she's out on the field can come across as maybe you think she didn't listen to you.
*Do you think she's not listening to you before she steps out on the field?
Going to say she probably heard you say that already and understands what that means.
However by not calling pitches YOU are allowing her to throw stuff that may not be the best choice to get a strike
(as you already commented knowing this).
So actually she should yell back at you
'Just Call Pitches'

*By calling pitches YOU/COACH helps to control what you hope to happen in the game.
In this way you will be able to recognize whether she is hitting locations with whatever pitches you're asking her to throw.. and hopefully your pitch calling can help make a difference in the strategy as she moves forward to learn how and when to throw around batters or throw for strikes.

If I hadn't made it clear enough in my other posts...in our situation there are no pitches to call. We're improving by leaps and bounds in all aspects, but the pitching isn't there yet. There is no reason to call pitches when there is only one pitch that works.

If a pitcher thinks she's worked on her spins enough and wants to try some, go for it. But if it's not working, I tell her to get it over the plate and let the defense have a chance. It's that simple. We can't play defense on a walked batter. Walk about 3 batters in a row and your experiment is over.

DFP is a fishbowl consisting of a lot of travel coaches and parents that mostly play at a high level. The team/player situations individuals here describe are a foreign concept to me. Those people and I live in two different worlds. With the exception of member coachJD's team (if I recall correctly) and Pattar's daughter's school team, I've never seen a member here describe a situation similar to ours. Many folks here have lost touch with what it's like to be clawing their way up from the softball bottom with 12 players. And I think the folks out there in the position of our program just aren't as softball-crazy as I am so they aren't on places like DFP. I come here to learn, share a little of what I know, and make comments about putting a cold bat in my armpit to warm it up. I have a literal thread dedicated to sharing our struggles and all the work we've put into rebuilding.

Telling a pitcher who is capable of a fastball in the zone to "Just throw strikes. Throw it up the middle and give the defense a chance" is a very valid thing to do. In my world, at least, and there are many out there in the same situation. My god, there's a team in our district that even WE destroy. It's not even fun winning a game like that, though. But for us, we have to win more than 2-3 games a season or softball will have no appeal for new kids coming along.

For fun, here's how a conversation between one of our players would have gone in February 2022.

"Wanna play softball? It starts in a couple weeks and we only have 9 players right now."

"Maybe. You guys any good?"

"Not really. Last year we went 1-13, and everyone but two teams beat the piss out of us. A lot of girls cried. One of them cried and ran out of the room when she didn't get her first choice of jersey number, then quit early in the season because she was told she was starting in LF where she was relatively competent, instead of playing catcher where she was completely INcompetent. Another girl cussed out the coach and quit before she was removed."

"Ok. Volleyball it is."

 

[_MIA_]

. With the exception of member coachJD's team (if I recall correctly) and Pattar's daughter's school team, I've never seen a member here describe a situation similar to ours.

Glad I can be of assistance..