Who has a daughter that plays softball?

Larry, That is a question older then time itself?
What make's a Girl tick??

I don't have any daughter's.

But I do love to watch FP softball.

So I have no advice for you.
But good luck anyway.
EH

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I LOVE HER so much.

Larry - what a wonderful post and you are singing to the choir btw. My daughter played fast pitch for the first time last year at age 12. I believe she was able to hit better at the higher speeds than the slower ones. At the lower levels, fast pitch balls come into the hitting zone just at about the right time for some girls.

What makes them tick? In some aspects, my daughter wants the same attention in sports my son has gotten and she is doing a wonderful job achieving it. She also played volleyball this year and she really caught my eye for her abilities

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So I have no advice for you.
But good luck anyway.
EH

EH - so, so right on

Larry, I have an 11yr old daughter that plays softball and I think she only plays because she has plenty of friends on the team and I really don't have a problem with it.

She isn't the most athletic girl out there but she's not bad. She doesn't like to practice that much and winning doesn't seem that important.When the girls are in the dugout they talk about everything but softball!

The funny thing is, she used to have one of the ugliest swings I have ever seen, I'm talking Charles Barkley golf swing territory. I tried everything I have ever read on this site, books , videos, and nothing worked. She felt like quiting she was so depressed. As a last grasp at fixing her swing, before we left for a game I grabbed the hitting stick and reluctantly said "there's a saying "throw your hands at the ball"". So she did. Her first at bat she hit the ball over the left fielders head for a double (she should have had a home run but like I said she's not the most athletic kid). Ever since then she has been one of the best hitters in their league.

Kind of makes me laugh when I read the technical jargon over on the hitting threads.

Every kid is different and sometime we make it way too technical.

larrythompson,

I have two daughters who play fast pitch softball. One is 13 and the other is 11, and they both have been playing competitively since they were 9. They are both as competitive as their older brothers and are just as athletic. Because they "grew up" at a baseball field, they understand the game. They know the game very well.

Good luck to you if you are just getting into the world of girls softball. You will need it. I have found the girls softball world to be WAY more intense than baseball. Last year, my 10-year-old's team played 98 games--from April to the beginning of August. Girls tournaments typically play 4-6 games games on a Saturday--and then if you go deep in the tournament, you play another 5 or 6 on Sunday...that's 12 games in 2 days....They can do that because the underhand pitching is not stressful on the body...The position players are the ones who have throwing injuries.

If you think that parents of boys are competitive...just wait. The girls' parents are WAAAAAAYYYYYYY more out of control--it gets UGLY. I mean U-G-L-Y. It is so political and so corrupt. At least some of the teams in the Chicagoland area are. The nonsense that goes on here is totally stressful and unbelievably ridiculous.

Why do we do it? Why are we still involved? Because my daughters love it. It is rewarding for them to play hard, and get dirty, and scrape their knees when they lay out for a line drive. They love the competition and they absolutely love to make the plays--major league plays. Their games are more suspenseful than boys baseball because the girls don't rely on power--their games are filled with small ball and speed and strategy. They love the "league of their own."

By the way, there is no crying in softball, either!

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have a 9 year old daughter who plays softball

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Oh yea, she also likes her nails to be pretty!

You are making me smile! Sounds like your daughter is right on track at becoming quite an athlete!
IMO, with girls ( I have two boys 18, 16 and a younger daughter, almost 13 ),..alot of sports in the beginning were indeed about socialization, acceptance from friends/family ( especially if they have older siblings or brothers who played sports ), and the excitement of the game. Color and cuteness of the uniform, along with sparkly nail polish, were also quite an important factor in the beginning!
Then,..somewhere down the road, just recently things began to shift and change. Perhaps a little maturity began to sit in as she started growing up. Hormones and moods began to take over with force.

Winning became the focus,... ability became the focus, strategy became the focus. This is what was making her tick.


Suddenly tears formed when there was a loss. ( Early on there really wasnt an emphasis about winning. It was about the fun of being with friends! Win or lose,...la di la di dahhhhh,..lets all just get together, jump around, chit chat, and play! )
To be honest, it kinda hit us right out of the blue. I didnt see it coming.
At first I tried to tell her she was being too emotional as I wiped up the tears and tried to defuse the anger after a loss,...& then I realized that this was it!

This was a cornerstone.

She had suddenly graduated from little girl who origionally had been there to play because of friends, to crossing over to become an true athlete.
No longer just the cute little girl with color coordinated uniform and hair bows, handing out team snacks, and organizing team sleepovers.
This was intensity, focus, drive, & determination all wrapped up in one.
It was about ability, agressiveness, and competition.
Whoa Nelly,... how did THAT happen? We werent looking for it. It left my head spinning. It left her brothers heads spinning even more! Talk about roll reversal. Ever seen a big brother root on his baby sister? Ever seen a big brothers reaction when his baby sister hits a 3 pointer? Saaaaweeeet to see I must admit as I get misty eyed. They were as shocked as I was.

7th grade,..that was our turning point. There are try outs and there are cuts. No more of the you-pay-you-play.
Nothing fun about that.
Origional friendships get tested deeply when one girl makes it and the other does not.
There are still tears ( allowed or not, now just saved for the long car rides home ), and there is a degree of excitement that makes me go nutty myself. Girls at this age still scream and they scream loud. Parents go wild and the intensity skyrockets. For example just compare the noise level between the two: Boys baseball game, girls softball game.
I rest my case!
Its quite intense,...something tweeks at my brain when I see my beautiful long, curly haired daughter out there doing mens push ups and leading the run around the court or field. My boys did it yes,...but to watch my daughter,..now thats a whole new world. She sweats,...and I mean sweats!!! It drips down her face. Since when??? She's beautiful and she's aggressive. I ask again,..since when???
I now buy her Gatorade by the gallon too. Her cleats, volleyball shoes, basketball high tops cost the same as the boys! Cha ching!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$
Sooo ho hum,...long gone are the Barbie and Brat fashion mall days,...she now asks for certain sports camps during the inbetween seasons and looks up clinics for the upcoming summer. Color cordinated socks and uniform are still a focus, just not a primary one.
To answer your question, to the best of my ability based on our experiences so far,...you just have to be ready to roll with it when it happens,..when you suddenly see what is making her tick, you have to be ready to adjust and shift gears fast dad!!
My advice is to be ready. I wasnt.

It happened almost overnight and now I am sitting in the middle of it all trying to be as supportive as possible and trying to to let go a little at a time, so she can become the woman that she is meant to be.
I'd be lying if I didnt say its hard. I am trying to remember take in every moment, every emotion, one at a time.

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I LOVE HER so much

I know what you mean.......nothing stronger than the love for our children. Perhaps that is the true definition of intesity.

good insite here from several who have been thru it & I'll echo some and add some

what makes girls tick is MUCH different from boys - sucessfull girls coaches seem more laid back in their style - they can still be demanding, but in a different subtle way

my daughter is a college soph now ... she played competitivly until jr high (14U) as a p/c/3b/of - she was pretty good (ok, very good), fundamentals learned from Dad's practices, Mom's drills (Mom pitched in college), and 1000s of reps in neighborhood (boy) pick up games. she could easily have made an age appropriate boys team.

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playbaseball says: The girls' parents are WAAAAAAYYYYYYY more out of control--it gets UGLY...It is so political

Agree totaly - - even before we played nationl level comp this was the case - in 10U local league play most parents were absolutly convinced that their daughter's college future hinged on EVERY at bat, fielding chance, or inning played. sitting a few innings occasionaly was NOT an option for an "annointed star" and would be considered an insult to the entire family, including ancestors . . . . the INTENSITY INCREASED when we began national comp play.
Parents were selecting colleges & had already projected the hs varsity line-up from our 12U roster - - I was shunned and ridiculed when I (tactfully?) pointed out that hs rosters normally had srs, jrs, a few soph, & rarely a freshman. (& we have jv AND fresh teams)

my daughter made alot of great friends while playing, but gave it up after jr high explaining . .
she didn't mind at all the pressure or competition - she had other interests she could pursue, AND the game had become life or death to some of her friends & their parents ... to the point that some team parents actually hoped for injuries to anyone perceived to be ahead of their daughter on the hs depth chart.

she had 4 good yrs running cross country ... heck, in cc the opposing team AND parents cheer you on . . . what a difference

Both my daughters 23 & 26 played FB until 16-17. The oldest plays beer ball and can still throw a strike from deep center field.
I watched them long before my son started to play.

As most of you know, I have a daughter "BB" who plays. She played 12U ball this past summer and then 14U ball in the fall. She will play a tournament in January in Pekin, Illinois for a 16U team and then in February at that same location for a 14U team. She is becoming more and more intense about the game. She wears a softball shirt to sleep each night and generally wears one to school each day. Her room is nothing but softball.

(I tried to post a picture of her but it didn't allow it for some reason.)

BB's Pic

She played 106 games this year counting the Diamond Demons who are her main team who went 46-11 on the year. Well, I could go on and on. This past weekend, she hit 800 balls in 3 days off an ATEC pitching machine that was set at 60 mph at 38 feet. Like I said, she is all about softball. BTW, Just_Learning's daughter also plays on that team.

I have a daughter who plays softball as well. She loves it.

I have seen girls who just want to play because of there friends and I have seen extremly competitive girls as well. My daughter will get her legs all messed up and does not care. She loves the sport!

Your daughter may in time get more competive with it, sometimes it just takes some time.

It's nice to see you care so much about her!

I have an 11 year old daughter who plays 12U tournament fast pitch..

It's tough to say what makes her tick, maybe there's a combination of things...

I know my daughter enjoys playing with her friends, but I don't think that's her number one motivator.

She loves the competition of tournament level - it really challenges her... She's told me on numerous occassions that she'll play with whomever to get a chance to compete with a tournmanet team...

My kids get a lot of my attention by playing baseball/softball because I spend a lot of time with them one on one - practicing...

My daughter has been to soooo many of her older brothers practices and games over the years that maybe she just feels it's her chance for everyone to drive 2 hours together, each way, to play a tournament! To spend the night in a hotel and eat out for a tournament ON HER BEHALF... It's tough being a middle kid...

My little daughter is soooo cool!

Yesterday we pitched a bull pen, she worked on her fastball location, her change up and her drop... She then proceeded upstairs, grabbed a snack, put her little brother "in his place" and then sat down at the TV to KNIT!

For my daughter I believe she plays for:

Competition/Attention/Friendships

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My little daughter is soooo cool!

I agree! and it sounds like she's quite a woman in progress who already has her multi tasking skills down to a science!!!

Way to go girlfriend, ( as my pre-teen age daughter would say )...making the female population proud!!!

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It's tough being a middle kid...

Ohhh I so agree!! My middle gets at my heart strings all the time.

Fun story,..thanks for sharing!