Softball-do kids really do private coaching?

[Anonymous]

For pitching it’s important to get the right technique early so bad habits don’t start leading to injuries. Otherwise I’d just go outside and play catch/hit some balls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd say do highly technical lessons at a young age so the kid can learn/repeat them. Get a solid foundation of fundamentals. Avoid having to re-learn or undo poor mechanics at 12 or 13 years old that have been practiced all the time.

But weekly or biweekly lessons is almost certainly not necessary. I know parent led travel teams get knocked on here all the time, but paid Coaches w/ associated facilities are always offering more lessons, weight training, etc. They make their money on the come-back. Which, hey, I get -- they gotta earn a living too.

Competing and failing in sports (in public for spectators to see) is a great life skill. I found it more valuable than my fancy pants undergrad or my JD.

You know, I know a couple of kids (not identifying the exact age) whose parents are attempting this, and I'd say their swing and throwing technique looks no better than anyone else about their age. Worse than some kids even. You can get a kid a lesson, but you can't make them follow through.

Pitching I think is truly different in this case and I can pretty much always tell the kids who started off with a solid foundation in either major pitching style (hello elbow or internal rotation) compared to the kids who just learned from a coach who barely knew anything at practice.