Walks in 8U/ 10U Games

[quincy]

Most of the kids on my team learned to swing at the kid pitching, because I would come in and strike them out (I stink at pitching)

I am not allowed to pitch anymore, even in practice, I hit to many batters. My DD is the only one that let's me pitch to her.


Thanks for all the responses.

I am conflicted about what rules our League should use and based on the different feedback I am not alone.

I know I could move my DD to a travel team to resolve some of these Issues but I already think that the rec league is too competitive; I would probably implode if she was on a travel team.

My DD pitching in games at 8U gave her invaluable pitching experience that is impossible to duplicate in practice. On the other hand because of the overall quality of pitching in the League the rest of her game has suffered.

If I had my choice I think I would have all coach or machine pitch at 8U, which would have hurt my DD pitching, but she would have not have developed some of the bad habits she currently has in the other parts of her game.

I think I would like some combination of girl/ coach pitch at 10U. Hopefully come spring I will change my mind and pitching will improve.

The organization we belong to has a bunch of Teams at different age groups and ability levels. Travel Teams, A Teams, B Teams, etc. for the different age groups.

Part of a girl’s signup fee for spring includes a winter training program at a local sports complex. It is not an optional fee, you need to pay for it whether you take advantage of it or not.

For some reason they cover everything but pitching, not sure why but our organization want nothing to do with it.

As far as I can tell the League we belong to does not give a hoot, all the individual organizations fend for themselves.



Different topic but it came up a few times above.

I expect my DD’s Managers and coaches to help her work as a Team. It is mine and her responsibility to get her hitting, pitching, catching, throwing, etc.

Two hour and ½ Team practices a week, if we are lucky, does not give the coaches time to work extensively with individual girls. Show them what to do and work on sure, actually make it happen is the individual family’s job.

 

[fastpitch]

My dd played in a 10u league that had 6 balls for a walk instead of 4. It reduced the number of walks significantly. I thought it worked well for that particular league.

 

[Coach Al]

OK, I'll put my 2 cents in now. IMHO 8u should be either coach pitch or machine pitch. I just feel that the majority of kids, boys or girls, just are not ready to pitch at that age. Is that to say you don't teach them to pitch at practice? No, I would have anyone who wants to learn how to pitch either come early or after practice. When it comes to 10u rec league, LET THE GIRLS PITCH!!! You can modify the rules to limit walks, but do not let the coach come in to pitch. Too many players use it as a crutch. In our baseball 10u we have a rule that allows a max of 3 walks an inning. After that, they pitch to the batter until he K's, gets HBP or hits the ball.

 

[amanda_cake]

Al--in your 10U baseball, the only things I'd worry about would be kids swinging at bad pitches because they aren't see anything good to hit at. Since they've got to stand there until they hit, K, or get hit they aren't going to be very patient. Does it take the pitchers a long time to get the kid out or let him get a hit when they are struggling?

 

[SoCalASABlue]

If an 8U pitcher is being taught proper mechanics rather than "throw it as hard as you can, you can learn control later", there's no reason a coach should have to come in and pitch. Proper mechanics will result in control AND velocity (not my words, read Cheri Kempf's books). And I agree that at 10U it has to be the girls pitching. Walks are part of the game. The coach isn't going to come in and pitch during All-Stars (at least I hope not) so the girls that truly have that "pitcher's mentality" will need those opportunities to work themselves out of jams. IMHO.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

We have a winner! ASA blue is right. Teach the girls to pitch. Of course it is easy for me to say that it isn't hard to do, but it is time consuming. The girls are learning nothing about softball with these watered down games. I would rather they be at soccer and just playing catch at home, until they are able to play the game.

I don't know if any of you remember, but when my DD was in 2nd grade, I took every girl that wanted to and we practiced. We were not in a league. The girls had t-shirts and I made it fun. We just learned to catch and throw and hit. Then, the next year, I put my dd in baseball. By 4th grade, she went to softball, but some of the girls were still pretty weak with their skills.

 

[WinThemAll]

We are talking about recreational league right?

At 8U, for many kids (parents), this is an introduction to softball. The majority of kids (parents) just want to show up and have some fun. Learn the very basic fundamentals and get some ice cream after the game.

They have no concept of what it really takes to be competitive and many do not care.

I ran a rec league for almost 10 years.

In 8U it was machine pitch. I tried to limit each roster to 12 players (11 on defense) everyone batted up to 12 an inning. Five pitches (including foul balls), no walks, no steals (runner leaves base when ball crosses plate). no hit-by-pitch, no infield fly, one base on an over throw. Six innings or 1 hour 15 min time limit. 10-12 game season. There were about six-eight practices before the season began and then usually not any during the season. There was a draft to pick teams after a clinic for the players.

No end of the year tournament. No all-stars. (We did do an all-star game a couple of times. Each coach sent 3-4 players to the game – no practices).

I ran a pitching practice once a week open to anyone in the league who wanted to learn how to pitch (8-11 year olds) that started the week that practices began until a week or two into the season. I also did one in the fall.

If a kid was well ahead of the others, we would move them up to 10s.

Games typically finished on time, went six innings and were fun. It let the parent coaches learn the basics of the game without the stress of having a pitcher.

At 8U if you or your kid wanted more competition go play travel ball at 10U. There are a variety of travel ball teams at different levels (some play a few local tournaments, while others will travel all around the state).

At 10s it was kid pitch, no walks (four balls coached pitched). Games were slow and barley go the full six. End of year tournament, All-star game. Some coaches and parents get a little too competitive. The pitchers (parents) just don't understand how much practice it takes to be able to pitch even in rec league.

Rec league is what it is. People who want more or a better game need to go play 10U competitive travel ball.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

I am so tired of the "rec parents are neanderthals, they don't understand, travel ball is where it's at, blah blah blah..." God bless us neanderthals who keep rec softball alive...because where would travel ball teams get their players if not from our girls moving out of rec ball? Or is there some travel ball minor leagues somewhere that is being kept a secret from us great unwashed?

You are correct, however, in that if a league consistently gives teams to mediocre coaches who can't teach fundamentals, then mediocre players with an occasional gem IN SPITE OF the coaching is what you'll get.

 

[Coach Al]

Amen Blue! Amen!

 

[New Coach]

Our league works like this:
8u Machine pitch, 5 pitchs, no walks, 5runs/inning max

10u Pitcher can walk three batters, after ball four on next batter, with bases loaded, coach pitch. coach inherites strikes, cannot walk a batter. End result is a run cannot be walked in. Pitcher is limited to 15 outs in a two game set. 5 run limit per inning. No stealing home.