Pitching videos: Hillhouse, Parker or other recs

[Sparky Guy]

Anybody heard of JF? Multiple letters in multiple sports for multiple years in HS and she is far from being the only one.

As I said, there are some who can do it. The majority can't. You must remember that things have changed since JF was in HS.

The entire recruiting process and mindset has changed over the last few years with college coaches looking at younger players. The players are forced to adjust to the coaches actions. That's why there's so many more "showcases" than in the past. There is a glut of unqualified "Gold" teams now because the college coaches are migrating towards the Gold teams. The ASA was forced to move the pitching distance back to 43' in "A" because the college coaches all but abandoned the "A" nationals last year in favor of the Gold tournament. Tournaments now advertise pitching at 43' to attract the college coaches. The coup de gras was the NCAA cutting the recruiting calendar on the coaches. This has also limited the number of times a player can be seen.

People are getting more creative with ways to help their players stick out. Players are training year round with better instruction to get the edge they need.

Things are MUCH, MUCH different than they were just 4 short years ago. You're comparing this year's orange to the old orange. They are not the same anymore.

[DonnieS]

Anybody heard of JF? Multiple letters in multiple sports for multiple years in HS and she is far from being the only one.

As I said, there are some who can do it. The majority can't. You must remember that things have changed since JF was in HS.

They are not the same anymore.

The dangerous thing about "JF did it" or "LF did it" is to me, there aren't many JFs or LFs out there, unfortunately, not a lot of realistic parents either but thats another story.

On my travel team, there are 10 out of 14 who play softball only, my two dds are 2 of the 4 that are multiple sports kids. And those 4 kids that play multiple sports, the other sports are school only, none travel or select.

[jofus]

That's how mine is Donnie, she plays softball from around April to October, but still does skill workouts and pitching practices year round, and also plays volleyball for her school team. She did track and field in 6th grade, but not last year (7th), it conflicted with softball a little too much.

I have to think that coaches would look favorably on a girl that has played one or 2 other sports while also playing 100 +/- games of softball a year, not to mention other activities (clubs, charities, whatever).

I read an article a few years ago about kids today getting injured more often for this very reason, that is, they don't play 3 or 4 sports now, but concentrate on only one, so their full physical development isn't as sound as kids 20 years ago. He may have had no clue what he was talking about, but it makes sense to me...

[DonnieS]

, but concentrate on only one, so their full physical development isn't as sound as kids 20 years ago. He may have had no clue what he was talking about, but it makes sense to me...

I have total respect for anything Sparky Guy can share with guys like you and me, but I am going to lean toward the multi-sports side for this kid. Could be his kid is one of those super-stars that has a physique that stays healthy and they do all the right things to keep her strong.

My kid is a bit of a freak on the working out side, this is her overall physical training - my frustration is that she wants to put so much extra time in sports that are not going anywhere (for her). And just about the time I am about to deliver a 'sermon on the mount' dissertation to her about maintaining her focus, she comes running in - "Dad, lets go pitch" and then does a couple of sessions on the windmill, before I get the bucket out.

The sad thing right now is she is trying so hard to inspire the other kids on the volleyball team to dig down deep and fight hard to make the playoffs - and a lot of the kids on the volleyball team are only there because they cant play softball, they cant run track, and they never started in basketball. She is so used to her travel softball teammates working their butts off to get better and to win games that she thinks its that way in high school sports. Her vball coach calls her to come do some extra work and away she goes.

[Sparky Guy]

I have total respect for anything Sparky Guy can share with guys like you and me, but I am going to lean toward the multi-sports side for this kid. Could be his kid is one of those super-stars that has a physique that stays healthy and they do all the right things to keep her strong.

My daughter was by no means a stellar or natural athlete. She had to work hard to get results. As for workouts. They were softball specific. Being a pitcher she worked the legs a lot, running, some lifting, and aerobics. The thing that made it possible to last all the way through was her mechanics. She is a leap and drag pitcher with sound, safe fundamentals. Throughout her years of playing ball the only injury she suffered was a severe sprain of an ankle when she stepped on a base wrong during practice. The coach was using her for base running during infield ground balls. Needless to say the coach ceased doing that with the pitchers.

At the end of her senior year in college her arm was starting to give her some pain from overuse. Had to do lots of therapy and treatments on it. She got no real help from the other pitchers on the staff and pitched about 85% of the innings on a fair hitting team. Of her 9 losses last season 6 were by 1 run with many of them going extra frames.

By my guestimation she has thrown somewhere about 750,000 - 850,000 pitches throughout her career with drills, practice, team practices, and games.