Upper pitching limit

[mcrowder]

As to your first question, if a good umpire doesn't widen the strikezone at the younger ages, especially when NEITHER team can pitch, no one learns anything. I agree with the idea of widening the zone. It's important to get a handle on this early though, so as to not be constantly changing zones.

Regarding the players on travel teams and instructional teams at the same time, I'd recommend, as a parent, not to let your travel player play instructional unless it's to learn a new position. It will screw up your timing and your ability to judge the strikezone.

One rare example of a time the zone expanded greatly during a game. Where we are, the girls can pitch 6 innings in a week. Most teams have 3 girls that can pitch - so this is not a problem when you play 2 games a week per team. Once, due to rainouts, we had FOUR games in a week for 2 teams. During that 4th game, both had a few leftover innings to start the game, but it was a blowout anyway after 4 innings... something like 15-2 or somesuch. The losing team had to bring in a girl that had NEVER pitched, not even in practice. The timing of the game was such that this was likely the last inning. With the leading coach's permission, we basically told the girls that if they could reach the ball with their bat, it was a strike. I reminded them as they came to bat, and made the point on the very first pitch - cap-high and a foot outside. Very loud and demonstrative - STRIIIIIKE! They swung the bats. Zone got even bigger on 3-ball counts. Winning team threw in a girl that couldn't pitch as well for the bottom of the inning - they all took it in stride.