CHUCK U

Pitching has become a real problem…and it is OUR fault. Over the last couple of years I have had the opportunity to travel across the country and see some fantastic softball. One thing that has continued to stand out to me, especially in the last year or so is just how strong the hitting/playing is…and generally how average the pitching can be. I have seen teams with 9+ D1 commits, many being power 5 schools out in the field…and a pitcher throwing 55MPH with limited spin and movement. Don’t get me wrong, there are absolute studs out there and some up here in the Northeast…but the reality is, we have far more really strong players than we do pitchers. This seems to be a national problem, but it appears to be even more acute here in the Northeast, and especially in NH. Every day I see posts about programs needing pitchers across multiple teams at different age groups across their org. I see this from time to time in our own org. The travel ball haters will say “Oh that's because travel ball is watered down…blah blah blah” And yes, it is in some areas…but here is the reality. We have too many strong players and not enough pitchers right now in the softball community in New England. Are we going to turn away kids who love softball, want to play and put in the work, and deserve to get this opportunity? I would assume we all agree that answer is no…there really is only 1 answer that makes sense…we need more pitchers. Before we get to the solution, let’s talk about the actual problem. This may be an unpopular opinion…but it appears to me that WE are all the problem. We are applying strict mechanics far too early in development and stunting growth and also telling kids too quickly that they are just not a pitcher. Hopefully you can see that I am saying “WE” here…I have done it before, both things…and in hindsight I regret it. At younger ages like 10U we are so concerned about throwing strikes and winning games that we over teach mechanics to "just get the ball over the plate." And then when a kid can't figure it out, we tell them they are not a pitcher and limit or erase opportunities. I am not saying we need to put a kid on the mound and watch them walk 10 batters and hit 5…that isn't good for the kid, the team, or the game. I am also not saying that we shouldn’t provide some education about baseline mechanics, how to be on the mound, etc. BUT, what I am asking is why are forcing strict mechanics on a kid and stunting their growth by instructing them to “get it over the plate”? That kid when they are at 14U and above is the one who is topping out at 52MPH and ultimately is being told at that time “you are not a pitcher”…and at that time, with that progression…it is probably the right thing to say to that kid and that family. Another major obstacle is cost…being a pitcher is time consuming for a family and expensive. Don’t get me wrong, there are some FANTASTIC pitching instructors in our area who deserve every penny they get. But, it just doesn’t work for everyone and it is another aspect of why we lose so many potentially good or great pitchers. So what is the solution? LET ‘EM CHUCK! GSE in partnership with Elite Sports Academy is rolling out a new offering that we will call "Let ‘em Chuck Pitching Academy". We are looking to provide an environment where a kid can come and just throw. No forcing of robotic mechanics too early, no slowing it down to throw strikes…just a place where a kid can come and throw as hard as they can and figure it out. Our Academy will be run by pitching instructors who are there to help with some of the very basic elements of pitching mechanics, but are there really to help the player take their big misses and over time turn them into little misses…all while letting it rip. This approach is popular in some other areas of the country, so it isn't like I created this concept, but man…it just makes sense. If you can teach a kid proper mechanics over time while allowing them to throw as hard as they can, the upside potential exponentially increases. It also increases the pool of pitchers available for any organization in our area…and as we all can see on FB, they are a much needed commodity. Finally I will add, this isn’t a program being put on to recruit or hoard pitching talent…we have no interest in that. We are simply looking to solve a problem that all of us are facing. Let ‘em Chuck Pitching Academy is going to provide a place for young, developing pitchers to figure it out. It may take months, it may take years…BUT if this program can rejuvenate the population of pitchers in our area then we all win. To learn more about Let ‘em Chuck Pitching Academy please visit www.esa-nh.com Appreciate you taking the time to read, as always if you have any questions you can reach out to james@gs-elite.com.