Softball pitching is not something that a player can just step in and do and requires learning a specific skill set with regular coaching and practice beyond standard games and practices to be successful (warning to parents: it will involve your time and patience as well!) and it is important for your daughter to understand that if interested.  That said, it can be a very rewarding experience for your daughter and the league encourages you to consider it as the more quality pitchers in the league the better, and game opportunities will be provided in the fall and spring to those interested in making the commitment. The league will do what it can to support our pitchers, however, Managers themselves are not “pitching coaches” and don’t have the responsibility (or time) to develop pitchers alone. 

The quality of gameplay very much revolves around the pitcher. Pitchers that consistently throw the ball around the strike zone move the game along quicker which leads to more engaged players in the field, and let’s be honest, it leads to more engaged parents/fans as well. When pitcher’s are throwing balls near the strike zone there is a much higher likelihood that batters will put balls into play which allows for fielders to work on fielding.  This is all critical to creating a fun environment for everyone.It is also important for batters to see pitches that are around the strike zone, giving them the opportunity to get a hit, and also the opportunity to “make a decision” while in the batter’s box. This decision making is very important to player development.  As such, when a pitcher is unable to throw a ball near the strike zone the batter’s development is hindered.

Top 10U, 12U, high school, or even college players all started off having no idea how to pitch and probably did everything mechanically wrong the first time they tried pitching.  As a parent you will likely get frustrated along the way AND THAT IS NORMAL.  Your player will have ups, downs and plateaus.  Remember to make the experience enjoyable and focus on the positives.  Confidence is a huge part of pitching and nervousness is NORMAL.  

It’s not uncommon for a young pitcher to throw 30% strikes in the backyard and then get into a game situation and throw zero strikes. It is all part of the process and the nerves will calm down with experience, practice and positive encouragement.

At 8U, typically it takes 20-30 hours of practice with specific instruction along the way (clinics or private lessons) to begin throwing strikes with consistency.  At young ages the focus should be on mechanics and not velocity or counting the number of strikeouts.  Well tuned mechanics will lead to success on the mound given time. 15-20 minutes of practice per day is more effective than one 2 hour session. 

There are regular free pitching clinics paid for by the league, and are outstanding, and a good chance for you and your daughter to try it out before making a bigger commitment.  Players that are already committed and working on their pitching skills typically attend as well. Each player attending MUST have a catcher.  Given the importance of a parent in a pitcher’s development IT IS REQUIRED that a parent attend and catch for their daughter so that they too can learn and become their daughter’s instructor. If the parent is not able to catch then they must supply a friend or family member that is capable of catching, retrieving and returning a ball efficiently to maximize the time spent by the player and the pitching instructors.

See your Private Lessons page for local, private instructors.

While clinics are a wonderful way to introduce and try pitching, they are designed for this purpose of covering the basics of pitching mechanics, and are not designed for the important 1:1 attention required for a pitcher to progress from beginner to consistently pitching the ball around the strike zone and eventually throwing at a high strike rate. After a few clinics, we strongly encourage dedicated players, and their parents who are critical in their development, to contact a pitching coach to set up private lessons. This will also avoid any confusion as pitching coaches all have a unique style in how they teach the craft. Experienced pitchers are welcome to attend clinics as a way to get in work among friends, but the real work should be done during 1:1 lessons, and of course in the backyard and fields before and after games and practices.

Given the importance of pitching, the SDYS Managers are encouraged to:

• Develop multiple pitchers per team provided there is player interest and dedication
• Focus on providing innings to players that are working at the craft. All pitchers start at novices, so this doesn't mean they need to be an expert pitcher, but this means the player is doing some or all of the following:
  • Attending pitching clinics with their parents who will be serving as their pitching guide along the way
  • Receiving private lesson training
  • Spending time with their parents at the field before practice and games working on their craft
  • Getting in pitching sessions while at home