Never, Ever, Ever Give up!

Last week I received a video from one of my college pitchers. She was jumping into the air, pumping her fist, and screaming as she celebrated reaching 68 miles per hour for the first time. They just happened to be shooting video when it happened. Reaching that speed is not the important part of the story. We have to go back to our first meeting.
In early June a kid came to me from the West Coast. She was one of the top recruits in the nation just a few years ago and was throwing mid-60’s with good movement and some pain in the shoulder, but never thought about it. As a college freshman the pain became more noticeable and eventually overwhelmed her. She had shoulder surgery. She returned to the mound this past spring, but her speed was stuck around 60 and she felt that she would never fully recover. Her spring season was a total nightmare and hopes of continuing to pitch on the D1 level were dim.
As a last resort she and her father flew to Roanoke, Virginia, in June and we identified an issue that many kids have, but the pitching world does not know exists. No doubt it was the original cause of the injury. It took quite an effort to help her understand and be able to overcome it. This kid is an amazing worker. She kept giving it all she had. When the video arrived last week, I jumped up and danced around the living room just like she did in the cage. This is why we do this. A kid is living her dream again, with speed she never imagined.
A few weeks ago we were working in a distant state when I met a young kid with tremendous desire, but form that was pretty rough. In talking with one of our Certified Instructors, I learned she was recovering from Guillian Barre Syndrome. From what I understand it wasn’t so long ago that she was completely paralyzed, but extensive therapy and a strong will allowed this kid to re-learn every skill, that we take for granted, from talking to walking. She is still learning body awareness so she could not feel the movements we wanted.
Suddenly a revelation! We took an entirely different approach to training her. Within two days we saw a kid, who most experts would say had no chance of getting back on the mound, pitching so well that I told the parents she could be among the best in her age group in a short time. The things I learned while working with her is helping kids across the nation who have never even heard of Guillian Barre Syndrome. Best of all, I got a great hug from this kid, and no matter what she does with softball, I saw her develop confidence that will help her face whatever new challenges come her way.
If you are a softball player with a dream, never give up. I can tell you of two other kids who came to us because their shoulders were so damaged that doctors said they would never pitch again, yet both are healthy and headed to college teams. How many stories would you like to hear about kids who came to us for the first time because they had not been able to return from torn ACL’s? Our roster is filled with kids whose pitching coaches told them they just didn’t “have it” but they are now pitching in college. Best of all, let me tell you about a great pitcher who will be going to school where she would have to win the starting job from perhaps the best pitcher in college softball. She will not accept her role as second and challenged me to help her become the very best.
If you have a dream, Winston Churchill, the great leader, once put it this way. “Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy”.
***Note: If you are a former college pitcher who would like to impact the lives of kids, contact us about our Certified Instructor program. Let us connect you with other people like you and see why they chose to join our exclusive group.