Softball Dad

My wife posted about being a softball mom, so its my turn to post impressions about being a softball dad. My daughter is in an 11 to 14 year old beginning softball league. Random observations:

This is a beginning league. I was afraid that my daughter would be among the worst players and get discouraged. But she's far from it.
I was disappointed when I heard that she wanted to play catcher. In adult softball, thats generally where they stick the worst player. But after seeing a couple of games, the catcher is the busiest player out there. The ball almost never gets hit to the outfield, so they're the ones who get bored and distracted.

My daughter mentioned that some of her teammates threw the ball funny. I told her that this is what is meant by the unfortunate phrase "throwing like a girl". It all depends on how you stand when you are getting ready to throw. Don't stand facing your target. Look at your target yes, but your body should be facing to the side. If you are right handed, standing on the pitcher's mound and you want to throw home, your body should be facing 3rd base. Then when you throw, your body and legs will be helping you. Since then, I've hear her utter the sentence "She throws like a girl". I guess I should have her modify it to "She throws incorrectly".

Girls can be very competitive. Just like boys. Some take it pretty seriously. And just like boys there are some who are just playing for fun, doing little songs and dances while playing outfield.

My daughter was very proud of getting her first base hit and scoring her first run.

You're never too young to question the umpire's judgement. My daughter said to me during her last game, "That umpire is biased. If they don't swing at a pitch, he automatically calls it a ball". I had to tell her to respect authority and not complain about it. Unfortunately, in this league, most of the pitches ARE balls, and there are many, many walks.

My wife gets much madder about a bad call by an umpire than I do! But only the ones that go against her team.