Getting ready for Girls Softball 2006

Well as some of you know I have been either coaching or managing my daughters fastpitch softball team for 4-5 years now. I enjoy it very much, and I guess I am pretty good at it. (at least that's what they tell me).
It's been a pleasure to coach with Erin (my daughter) as the lead pitcher on the team. The reason being, you can always count on her in a pinch! This is very important when you the father and the manager because of the competitiveness now-a-days. When I talk about cometativeness I am not necessarily referring to the girls on the team.... It's the parents!! These girls are 12 years and under. It gets pretty bad out there sometimes. I have never really had any major problem's I let shit roll off my back pretty good and I guess I am kind of intimidating with my size and all. My way of letting the girls make the correct decision helps also. A few times the team would be loosing because the pitcher was walking in a lot of runs. I would go out to the mound and call the team in and say something like "look girls your given them the runs what should we do?" Some would know what I wanted but I needed them to say it and they usually did. "Put Erin in and let her pitch us out of this inning!!!" I would ask if we all agreed and then I would put her in and she would almost always pitch strike after strike after strike and pull us out!! This made it easy for me. I didn't have to here the parents say "it's just because it's his daughter that's why she plays so much!!" Or "that's why he pulled my daughter out so his could play". I try to keep it fair and give everyone who wants to play the playing time.
It has always made me proud ..The fact that I could make the decision as the manager to put Erin in and know she would get the job done and also being her father makes it even more rewarding!!!
I have heard horror stories about parents getting into fights and just acting like plain ass's out on the fields in front of their kids!!! I have seen grown men act like babies at an umps bad call!! You have to understand that the umps will make a bad call....You have to understand that you can challange it up to a point but you need to know when to draw the line..... I have seen fathers yell at their kids and treat them like shit out on the field and this bothers me because after all it's just a game, to have fun and teach the kids about sportsmanship and teamwork!!!
Recently we have been getting Erin private lessons at a place near us. Apparently she needs a lot of work.. According to this coach. What he is doing is going back to the basics and teaching her the stuff she should have been learning along time ago. It's kind of difficult for her (she is sooo freakin shy) But she is making progress fast... He is teacher her things like "pronation" the way the hand turns when you deliver a pitch the correct way. This guy really knows his shit!!! He pitches on a fast pitch team so he is teaching something he knows and understand from experience. Since September Erin has increased the speed of her pitch from 40 mph to 45!!! He is giving us all kinds of drills to work on at home and it's helping her understand about the different types of pitches and curves and risers and sinkers!!
I like the coach, we have the same type of thought process. The belief around here is that your daughter won't get onto the High School Team if she doesn't do travel ball and play 108 games during the summer!!! This to me is assinign!!!! A typical weekend is Friday night practise and then drive out somewhere far away stay the night in a hotel and then Saturday 2-3 games. If you win your gonna play 2-3 more on Sunday!! Then home and then practice all week till maybe a Wednesday game and then the next weekend same thing... If you do the math from May till August there are 17 weekends. 108 divided by 17 equals 6 games a week! That's a lot more than even the Pro's play!! Anyhow the coach seeks a lot in Erin and is working very hard with her as well as I am. He agrees with me in the aspect that the parents are ruining the girls with pushing them so hard for this sport. As far them making the High School Team He agrees with me when I say that if they have the talent it will be seen on the field and at the try outs. At that point it doesn't matter how many games you played the summer before.
Gabby is Erin's friend and she is the catcher. She does great!! and between her and Erin it's a winning combanation!! I really can't wait to see what they look like this year. We also have two deaf girsl on the team and I am going to work really hard with them this year. I want them to feel like part of the team and I know I can do that. I will have to take them to the side and work with them on hand signals. They now a few already but I want them to get a better understanding of the whole game.
I have some people pushing us to go on the travel team with them and I don't want her to and neither does Erin. The guy pushing for this team is telling me that all the talent is leaving the league this summer. Hey my first thought was great Erin's team will surely be the best!! That's exactly what the pitching coach said..."Your right on track Bill, You have the right idea, keep her where she will be the best" So that's what I am doing and we will see what will happen. I am going to manage, Uncle Toe Knee (Idobeastool) will be coach, as well as Gabby the catcher's uncle Mark. This will all start up in April and the practice starts in May with the first games at the end of May. I will keep you more informed and have more information as the season draws nearer.