Sons and Daughters, Baseball and Ballet

[Megunticook]

I wonder if motherhood could be considered a career? Because that is what my four daughters are aspiring to acheive.

Being a Mom is the most important "career" there is. Pains me to see a woman dismissed or pitied because she's "just a stay at home mom." What job in the world is more valuable than that?

At the same time, if a woman decides she wants to play baseball, or become a firefighter, or a corporate CEO, or even President of the U.S.A., I say more power to her, have at it. Doesn't offend me in the least.

[clayadams]

There are absolutely zero issues with a woman choosing to be a stay at home mom. My wife is and I'm proud of her. The PROBLEM is that men are rarely men anymore. So let me ask you Trado, when one of your daughters' husbands leaves her and her kids (statistics certainly lean towards it happening), what have you done to train her in order to take on the world? Or have you successfully trained them to be nothing but mindless slaves to men, only taught to "obey". Personally, my daughter will be taught to take care of herself. Baseball is a wonderful life lesson. Softball may be in her future some day, maybe not. For now, she loves playing baseball, she's pretty dang good at it, so I'm happy to help her be her best at whatever she chooses.

[tg643]

I would agree that 7th grade is about right. My 8th grade daughter is starting that transition this spring. About 2 months ago she decided she wanted to try out for the high school softball team and made varsity so we are just beginning the process of juggling both sports this week. Fortunately the high school softball season ends about the same time that league play begins in baseball. I suspect that this may be her last year in baseball, which is kind of sad after all these years, but it is probably time. I do think she is capable of making our high school's freshman B team next year based on her size and skill level as well as the likely pool of boys trying out. In this regard, she's 5' 10" and doesn't swing or throw like the vast majority of the softball players I've seen. That came from a lot of hard work on her part to develop her skills using information taught to her from a variety of sources including what I have learned reading this forum. Nevertheless, she knows she doesn't have a chance of making the sophomore team after that so my feeling is that her transition to softball will be complete next year. Our community does have a high school in-house rec baseball league so maybe she will continue there but her competitive baseball days are probably coming to an end.

There has been a transition the past few years with softball hitters from linear to rotational. It's been aided by the college and 18U Gold ASA pitching distance beong moved back three feet to 43 feet. My daughter is six years removcd from high school. I don't know the current high school pitching distance.

My daughter hit left and was fast. Some people told me I should make her a slapper. Not knowing better I taught her rotational and how to bunt. It had her ahead of the pack.

It is important to learn the quick release of a softball player versus a baseball throw. The game is fast given it's on a small field.

[Jake Patterson]

If we can't stay on topic I'll shut the thread down. I feel both sides are at such a different point WRT to the subject that further discussion is fruitless.

[Cannonball]

First to Bama Yankee, I understand your daughter wants to play baseball but to be honest, I'd have her make the move to softball if you think softball is something that might be in her future. If she has as much talent as I think she might have, find a good travel ball team and allow her the opportunity to develop friendships that will last a lifetime. My daughter is playing college softball. She was blessed to get on a great travel ball team where she has those friendships. In fact, last night when she went back to college, one of her travel ball teammates was waiting at her college apartment to spend the night. My daughter would never change any of that.

tradosaurus, I hope and pray that your daughters meet men who treat them right. My family makes it no secret that we are strong in our faith. I sometimes think that positions such as you support are based upon at least a portion of that belief system. Still, that does not mean that a woman's place in the home is to be a servant to the man. When you speak of roles, both the man and woman have so many roles that I don't think there is a "traditional" place in the home anymore. My wife and I will celebrate our 29th anniversary the 23rd of this month. We are a partnership. We have also raised our daughter to stand up for herself. When she eventually gets married, I am sure that she will look for a Christian man who treats her as an equal and not subservient.

Per you statment about athletic abilities. At 13 or 14, my daughter could have started on our freshman baseball team. She was better than at least 2 or 3 starters. I know that because she attending every baseball clinic I gave until after her 14 birthday. After that, she went to softball clinics. She could hit balls off our varsity field fence at 14. She threw better than most of the boys. She hit with wood most of her life and hit baseballs in practice instead of softballs off of a ATEC Rookie machine set up at 35 feet. At 14, she was 5'8" tall and could box squat 175 lbs. She squatted 185 as a freshman and now squats 200+. In the weight room, she can put many of the boys to shame. Sure by the time the boys were sophomores they passed her up. I won't disagree that by her senior year, those boys were better at every phase of baseball. Still, none of them could hit her when she pitched and believe me, they tried. The age the OP is dealing with is in that area where the boys are just beginning to develop and pass the girls. I know that there are many who would argue that the Baylor team that just won the National Championship could not beat a boy's high school varsity basketball team. I'm betting that there are several boy's varsity basketball teams in this country that they could beat. JMHO!

[clayadams]

I just wanted to post a quick little tid bit from "my world". For many years I was a motorcycle road racer. It's male dominated just like every top tier sport. There are a few female road racers, but they never make it to the top... until now. Last month the first female in the history of road racing won at Daytona, one of the biggest races in the US.

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/...?article=47601

Now, I know what some of you are thinking... this is nothing like a "physical" sport like baseball. Make no mistake, this has zero comparison with racing of the 4-wheeled variety. Motorcycle racers are some of the most fit athletes on the planet. Any pro racer's routine would put any pro baseball player's routine to absolute shame. I'm not joking and I'm not exaggerating. The amount of physical exhaustion you go through to throw a 400lb motorcycle around for 30+ minutes is insane. I liken it to sprinting as hard as you can, while stopping to dead lift 200lbs, throw it down and sprint again. The only break you get is while going down the straights. Every muscle in your body changes what the motorcycle does. I remember one time while racing in the GA heat (it was 94 degrees that day and 70% humidity) and as I pulled into my pit at race end, I fell over and passed out from exhaustion. Anyhow, I just wanted to post this up for the OP and everyone else to show that females are capable of some amazing things when given the chance. Elena is a pro rider, meaning she gets paid to race. I've been watching her since she was 12 and I'll fully admit, she'd hand me my tail on my best of days. I also know that she's one of the most polite, well mannered, women I've ever had the chance to meet.

[johnlanza]

Maybe it's just me, but I think this thread has just derailed....


Edited with the following:
Just thought I'd mention that my comment above was not in response to clayadams comments.
I think the post that prompted me to write my comment may have been deleted by a moderator...

[BamaYankee]

Maybe it's just me, but I think this thread has just derailed....

Yep. I appreciate your insights and encouragements. I think I am most happy that she is developing an interest in the game of baseball. If she feels confident enough in the fall to try it, then great. If she just wants to go see our minor league team play with her dad then that is pretty cool, too.