Does My Daughter Have What it Takes?

Does my daughter have what it takes? I cannot tell you how many times I am asked this as a pitching coach, and my answer is always the same: how badly does she want it?

When I think back on my own career I cannot thank my parents enough for not asking this question. My first ever tournament ball try out I was told I was "behind" the other nine and ten year olds. The coach told me I needed ten thousand throws and catches by the season to catch up. So, my mom set up a schedule for me. If we did one hundred throws and catches a night I would be caught up. So every night we went under the street light and threw one hundred times until she could not catch me anymore. 

The negative responses to my ability did not stop there. I decided to try out for the best team in the state for my first year of 12U. One of the assistant coaches told my parents, "she is just not tournament material." As an eleven year old girl, of course my feelings were hurt. Softball was everything I loved, and I was being told by someone who knew a lot about the game that I did not have what it takes. Luckily, the head coach did not listen, and I made the team. I remember all that winter thinking about what that coach had said about me. Every time my dad and I went out to the batting cage I thought about it. By my second season I was the team's ace pitcher.

In both of these situations I could have believed what the coach, who knew a lot about softball, said and quit softball. What stopped me? I loved it. I really wanted it. I had a goal in my mind and I wanted it badly. 

So what is my suggestion for your daughter? Ask her how much she wants it. When someone: player, coach, parent says something negative about her help her use it. In my opinion, there is no better motivation.