mental aspect of pitching

Question
how can i get my son to settle down on the mound?

he has a good fastball for 9 yrs. of age, but has some trouble with his control.  once he throws a few bad pitches he gets easily rattled and begins to throw even worse.  right now his coaches have him throwing at a little more than half the velocity of what he can throw just to get strikes out of him and he is still blowing by batters.  but mentally when he starts getting behind on the count pressures out.  any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

scott  

Answer
Scott,
What you have here is a minor problem which could develop into a larger issue if left untended, so I appreciate your question.  Your son is 9 and apparently has a great arm (something that can't be taught), but he's getting upset about throwing balls and strikes.  What your son may need is a good discussion about controlling one's emotions in order to control one's body.  He also needs to understand that all things (unlike his arm strength) do not come naturally.  It's hard to be a good pitcher and it takes time and a lot of work to perfect the craft.  It looks easy to throw the ball over the plate, but it's a whole different story when he's in a pressure packed situation with his peers, coaches, and parents looking on.  Nobody has ice in his veins when he's 9.  I know I didn't.

Let's start with the reality of the situation.  He's 9 years old.  I know this doesn't register with a 9 year old, but he needs to be reminded to relax.  Nothing that he does when he's 9 is going to get him drafted.  He has plenty of time to develop and hone his skills.  Remind him that baseball is a "game of failure".  The best hitters strike out and the best pitchers get hit.  It's part of the game.    

Secondly and almost more importantly, you need to hold him responsible to his apparent desires.  If he really is upset about not performing well, he must practice and develop his skills.  How does he practice?  I know 9 year olds don't really throw bullpens, but does he goof around at practice?  Does he take pitching seriously?  Practice does not make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.  If he goofs around at practice, he has no right to get upset when he doesn't perform.       

I don't know how bad his emotions get or if he displays  them on the field, but that could become a big turn off to scouts, coaches, and even teammates if it is in fact going on.  Nip this at the bud as it will undoubtedly transfer to other parts of his life as he matures.  If he can handle failure and obstacles with a level headed approach on the baseball field, he will probably follow suit in his other endeavors.   

I hope this helps, Scott.  If you have any additional questions or if I didn't answer this one completely, please don't hesitate to write me back.  Good luck.

Donovan