Improvement = Practice, Patience & Persistance

IMPROVEMENT = PRACTICE PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE

BY LOU GAREIS & DARLENE GAREIS TRUESDALE

A YOUNG PITCHER MAY LEARN THE BASIC FUNDAMENTALS VERY FAST. A GOOD ATHLETE CAN BE THROWING WITH REASONABLE CONTROL AFTER A FEW LESSONS WITH A RESPECTABLE PITCHING COACH. HOWEVER, THROWING WITH YOUR PITCHING COACH IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THROWING IN AN ACTUAL GAME. IN A GAME YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE COUNT, HOW MANY OUTS, HOW MANY RUNNERS ARE ON BASE AND THEN A BATTER WHO IS TRYING TO HIT A LINE DRIVE BACK AT YOU. THIS IS NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT YOUR COACH, WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE GIVING YOU SIGNALS FROM THE DUGOUT AND A PARENT SITTING DIRECTLY BEHIND THE BACKSTOP AND REACTING TO EVERY BALL YOU THROW LIKE IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD.

I HAVE HAD YOUNG PITCHERS WHO THROW EXCELLENT AT THEIR PITCHING LESSONS AND CANNOT COME NEAR THE PLATE IN A GAME. BACK AT THE PITCHING LESSON SHE THROWS STRIKES AND THROWS THEM 10 MPH FASTER THAN AT A GAME. THIS IS NORMAL AND SOMETIMES IT WILL TAKE YEARS TO HAVE THIS YOUNG PITCHER THROWING IN A GAME AS GOOD AS SHE THROWS WITHOUT PRESSURE. I HAVE SEEN MANY POTENTIALLY GOOD PITCHERS AND THEIR PARENTS QUIT PITCHING BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PERSISTENCE TO PRACTICE AND THE PATIENCE TO WORK THROUGH THIS PERIOD.