quote:
Originally posted by Coach May:
Texan my problem with limited curveball instruction is you can monitor it at practice but you cant monitor it any other time. Kids like to experiment and they will if they think its ok. Once you introduce it they will throw it warming up and playing around with the boys.
I understand where you are coming from. But the reality is that by 13YO, they are going to fool around with it. Period. It happens. You can't monitor them away from practice.
By that age, IMHO it is better to treat them like responsible young adults & teach them the proper way. And you let them know that in return for teaching them & working with them, their end of the bargain is to show responsibility and not abuse the privilige.
I can't think of a single 13YO kid - even including those who are not pitchers - that I haven't caught fooling around with the curve at some point. Heck, I know I did at that age & I wasn't a pitcher.
"Show me a guy who can't pitch inside and I'll show you a loser." Sandy Koufax