3 Must-Haves to Make It at the Highest Level

Is it worth putting the time, money, and effort into pitching if your daughter won’t get much playing time? Sometimes parents ask me for honest evaluations of their daughters. Others want to know if I think they have the potential to play at a high level.

While I would never discourage a player from learning to pitch just because she won’t be going the Olympics, I do believe there are certain attributes a player must posses to play in college, for example.

Here are three must-haves I think pitchers need to play at the highest level.

1) She must want it.

She must want to be the best pitcher on her team, league, or state. This takes a competitive person, a coachable individual, and someone who is lucky enough to have role models. This might be an older sibling, parent, or a player on ESPN.

“Wanting it” has to do with a willingness to be led by coaches and persevere in the face of adversity. It doesn’t have to do with being born with good habits and self-control, however. It’s our job to show her how to execute this in real-life (see #2).

This skill is developed over the long-term. We don’t want to let other people or short-term circumstances throw her off track. Players make a big mistake by evaluating how much they “wants it” too frequently. For example, if she were to decide if she really wanted to play after every bad game, she’d be likely to quit sooner than later. Re-check her motivation after every season, not after every practice or game.

2) She needs a parent to catch for her.

Do you ever look in the stands at a championship game? Do you notice that the stands are very full of parents? Players don’t get to high levels without someone encouraging them, catching, coaching, and driving for hours. I know, the big fear is that you will push too hard or live life for your daughter. Know that pitching requires so many reps to develop mastery you’ll have to toe this fine line to get to the top. At Practice Pro we try to help you develop this relationship in a fun, positive way.

Push your daughter to stick to the goals she herself made through practicing for days, weeks, and years on end. Many are willing to pay money for lessons and go to games, but not many are willing to sit on a bucket and catch day after day, year after year.

3) Fast-twitch muscle fiber dominant.

To play at the highest level a pitcher must be fast-twitch muscle fiber dominant. Research shows people are essentially born with either a higher percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers or more slow-twitch fibers. Since pitching is an explosive movement which combines strength and quickness, top-level pitchers must have a high level of athleticism. Some people are more suited for this type of movement from birth. While she can train her fast-twitch muscle fibers to optimize existing explosiveness, slow-twitch muscle fibers cannot switch to fast-twitch. If you are slow-twitch dominant, the likelihood of throwing fast enough to play Division I ball is small.

How do you know if a pitcher is fast-twitch dominant? From a young age you can simply see how fast a player moves, especially in comparison to other players. She is usually a fast runner and throws quickly in spite of not having developed proper mechanics as a beginner.

Although these are must-haves, it absolutely not everything that’s required to be the best. They just signify potential. More importantly, just because a pitcher does not have these attributes or circumstances does not mean she should not be a pitcher.

Maybe her highest potential is a college Division III pitcher (not too shabby, I’d say), or an outstanding regional travel ball pitcher. Maybe her highest potential is leading her team to a league championship. Affording the opportunity for your daughters to reach her highest mental, physical, and emotional potential, no matter what it is, is our jobs as coaches. We must help her accomplish things she never thought possible. If we do this then we have all done our jobs, not matter what level she succeeds at.