The Call That Stunned Me

It all began when a dad wanted to bring his daughter halfway across the country to work with me. After watching some video, I was very reluctant. She was tall and strong, but stuck at speeds which were unacceptable for a high school junior. Her mechanics were very poor. I felt it would be excruciating for her to change at this point in her life. They were undaunted. They insisted on coming.
Then he surprised me by asking if his daughter could call and ask some questions in preparation for the visit? Sure, but it probably wouldn’t be helpful.
Then came the call. On the other end was a very bright, inquisitive young lady with a thousand questions. She had done impressive research. She threw out questions in rapid succession.
“Why have I always been taught this way when everything I see among elite pitchers is different?”
“If I go in the directions I have always been taught, it seems to prevent my core from being powerful and makes my shoulders so tight”.
“How can I better engage the hips if my instructor wants my arms to move in this way?”
I was working in my barn when she called and within minutes I was so impressed that I sat down on a hay bale to enjoy this conversation. This young lady is, without question, the brightest, most inquisitive pitcher I have ever met at any age. In the past she had challenged many things she was taught and she had offered alternative ideas. Every time she was shot down. She was begging for permission, from someone, to trust her own instincts, to utilize her body in ways that felt natural, and to develop power in ways that would come easily to her.
It was so refreshing to speak with a pitcher who “got it”. Sadly, she was held back by those who do not. Before long she began finishing my sentences. If I explained a concept, she pointed to videos she had studied with great pitchers who had that exact movement pattern. As we talked about the core and the firing sequences of various muscles, she already recognized the pattern, asking if I could help her incorporate it.
I asked if she did a certain drill that many people do without even knowing why. She does it, but only because everyone insists it will make her better. She went on to say she disliked it because she sensed problems it could create in her motion. Exactly. Throw it out. This kid is thinking far beyond her years. She was absolutely correct is dozens of ways, but was being subdued by people who never thought for themselves.
Now, we are counting the days until she gets here. She still faces a daunting task, but if she is willing to push herself, we will become partners in her goals and dreams.
Why do so many people discourage pitchers from thinking for themselves, prevent them from trying innovative things, and stop them from trusting their own instincts? Soon the pitcher is robotic, jerky, discouraged, has no body awareness and no idea how to make adjustments for herself.
The best thing that ever happened to us was that our older daughter was bright, inquisitive, innovative, focused on feeling the right things, and that we trusted those feelings. We never had an instructor, no videos, and did not surf the internet for ideas. During this process she taught me more than I taught her, though we always competed with one another to find better ways to do things. Today I have the utmost respect for her.
When a kid comes in the door with that kind of mind, you can bet she has my attention immediately. Listen to your daughter. Allow her to feel, experience, innovate, and try things nobody else would suggest. You might be surprised. We were. She might do more than just exceed your expectations on the field. There is a good chance you will watch her mature into the kind of adult who makes wonderful choices in every aspect of her life. Am I proud of the things our daughter accomplished? Yes, but more than that, I am in awe of the person she has become, the mother she is today, and the hard part for any father to admit…the husband she chose.
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