The Role of Parents in Hitter Development In-Season
Capturing data from game results and using the insights to personalize training is a requirement for hitters looking to develop in-season. This is why we built Plate Intelligence — an at bat tracking tool designed to help hitters understand exactly how they’re getting out, and what to do about it. But here’s the catch: for Plate Intelligence to work best, hitters need quality video of their at bats. This is where parents have a critical role to play.
As a parent, you have the power to transform your child’s development simply by recording their at bats. Not just the big hits — every single pitch. Because in baseball and softball, failure holds the key to future progress. Without video, those learning moments can vanish. With video, every moment is captured and can be analyzed, broken down, and turned into a personalized development plan that a player can actually use.
Taking video isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. It’s the key that unlocks Plate Intelligence and gives your athlete the information they need to improve faster, work smarter, and build confidence at the plate.
Pelotero Co-Founder Bobby Tewksbary explains why serious baseball players need to have video of their at bats
This has nothing to do with capturing highlights. For a developing hitter, understanding why they got out is everything. Baseball and softball are games of failure, and the best players are the ones who learn from it the fastest. That means your child needs to be analyzing their at bats — all of them, not just the ones with highlight-reel moments.
Without video, recall can be difficult. There will be insights missing. There will be some guessing. With video, there is a record of every moment. Every insight can be captured.
Pelotero CEO Bennett Fisher has been using Plate Intelligence with his 13 year old son Robby, and insists that his taking video of the at bats has been essential.
“With so many activities going on it’s sometimes hard to do at bat logging directly following a game when recall is at its best. Having a video of the at bat allows the player to do it when they have time without sacrificing quality... Without it, all context is lost.”
For parents, taking video is the best way to support a dedicated athlete. It’s about preserving the learning opportunities. It’s about growth.
The Right Way to Take Video
You do not need a fancy camera for this. Chances are, the camera on your smart phone is good enough to do the job.. Here’s the best way to do it:
Frame: Make sure you capture the pitcher, the plate, and your player’s full body.
Duration: Start recording a few seconds before the at bat begins and stop only after they’ve left the batter’s box.
Storage: Save and label the clips by date and opponent (we recommend Dropbox or Google Drive) — this makes it easier to track progress over time.
The ideal angle would be in front or behind home plate so that you can see the pitch locations most clearly. But capturing from the third/first base-line or even the outfield can be effective too as long as everything you need is in the frame. Watching how the catcher catches the ball can give you a lot of context about location, even from the side.
Ideal angle for video capture from ACCN broadcast (Hitter - Ben Rounds)
Example of effective video capture from a parent - Notice how the pitcher, hitter, and catcher are all in the frame (Hitter - Robby Fisher)
The same Robby Fisher at bat displayed on his Pelotero dashboard after being logged with the Plate intelligence tool
This is What Hard Work Looks Like
Your player wants to get better. They’re willing to put in the effort. But if they’re working hard without knowing what to work on, they’re spinning their wheels.
Gathering game data — especially video — helps guide that work. It turns blind effort into targeted development. It gives them direction. And it gives you, the parent, a way to truly help.
This is the future of player development. And it starts with you.
