Advice needed

DD is going to have to switch teams as her team has imploded after fall ball. Question one how hard is it going to be to find a team for spring? Question 2 she turned down one of the three teams she tried out for in fall because they had three catchers and I was worried she wouldn't get enough plate time (my mistake). She has played against this team a couple of times in the fall and did pretty well, and I think they are still looking for players. Is it bad form to go back and see if they are interested. Finally in words of wisdom or caution would be appreciated. Oh the basics she is 11 late may birthday played 12u c, this fall was her first in travel ball (competitive). I don't think she is quite ready for b level, maybe as a hitter but not as a catcher. Thanks for any help.

I don't know what area you are from, and what the usual team pattern is, but in So Cal, August and January tend to be the "open tryout" seasons. That said, many teams are constantly looking for players to fill weak spots in their roster throughout the year, and few teams will say no to a good bat.

Does the team you declined before still have 3 catchers? If a concern about lack of playing time was an issue before, why isn't it now? If the team has compelling reason to attract your interest, there's no harm going back to them later. You tried something else, and it wasn't the right fit. No big deal.

Improving skills as a catcher takes hard work and lots of reps, but are skills that can be brought up to a competent level fairly quickly. What are you doing to help your DD get better behind the plate?

There are several variables involved in your questions. Let's break this down a bit.

1) How hard is it going to be to find a team? That depends a lot on the travel ball landscape in your region and the ability level of your DD. Generally speaking, the more talented the player, the more teams will be willing to add her to their team. In our particular region, this varies tremendously by age. We don't have many 10u teams in our area. 12u and 14u teams are plentiful and opportunities would still be available. Less options are available at 16u or 18u.

2) Turned down team but they are still looking for players -- Much of this would depend on how well the coaches know your DD and their personal attributes as well. As a coach myself, if you contacted me and explained the situation (completely honest situation), and we still had a position available, I would still be willing to discuss this. I personally would not hold that against you or your DD. However, I do know some coaches that wouldn't even talk to you after you turned them down. Depends on the person. Always a good plan to never burn bridges, because you never know when a situation like this may occur.

3) 12u/travel ball readiness -- I agree with EricF regarding those items. One key component to improving as a player is choosing the proper team/coach. However, it is my personal opinion that what the player does outside of practice is even more important than what they do at practice. Meaning... private hitting coach, private catching coach, clinics, parents or friends working with her, etc. There are a number of options, but don't rely completely on the team and coaches for your DDs progress as a player.

They only show two catchers on their roster now, and trying not to be too biased DD was better than both, but one is the coaches DD.

She does weekly catching lessons, I work with her to reinforce what she learned in the lessons and what I see in games and in practice over the weekends. I am trying to take advantage of every catching camp or clinic that happens in the area. I'm also trying to learn as much as possible to be a resource for her and also trying to keep it fun.

I definitely don't rely on the team to improve her skills as a catcher, out experience though limited show very little practice time if any is given to catchers.

SMS90 said:

They only show two catchers on their roster now, and trying not to be too biased DD was better than both, but one is the coaches DD.

She does weekly catching lessons, I work with her to reinforce what she learned in the lessons and what I see in games and in practice over the weekends. I am trying to take advantage of every catching camp or clinic that happens in the area. I'm also trying to learn as much as possible to be a resource for her and also trying to keep it fun.

I definitely don't rely on the team to improve her skills as a catcher, out experience though limited show very little practice time if any is given to catchers.

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Generally speaking, it's really hard to take over a #1 spot from a coach's DD. If your DD is okay being a #2, and is pretty confident that she will get a fair shot, maybe it's worth it, if the team has other compelling reasons to be there (good coaching, appropriate level of competition, etc.).

Are you familiar with NECC?...The Catching Camp. One of the BEST things you can do to help your DD is to educate yourself. NECC's video is the place to start. It's the best money you will spend on her game.

Also, Jen Schroeder's Facebook page has a lot of good information for young catchers (a few things I don't completely agree with, but lots of other good stuff).

In general, most teams carry only two catchers and in my experience if you are not #1 or #2, you will have a long season of frustration.

Rocketech1 said:

In general, most teams carry only two catchers and in my experience if you are not #1 or #2, you will have a long season of frustration.

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We found that we like to have 3 catchers (12U TB). #1 and #2 get a large majority of the time behind the plate, but an injury can leave you in a tough spot if you don't have someone else that is ready to step in and help carry the load.

My dd does not catch but she does pitch. Pitchers and Catchers seem to get an extra nod. I would say go ahead and do your thing. Here in SoCal travel ball teams are popping up everywhere. Not sure what kind of luxury you have with jumping ship if the team doesn't work out. Just see to it that she gets plenty of good play time and improving is always a plus. Invest at least 3 months into the team and reevaluate then. If its still a good fit, then awesome.

Question one how hard is it going to be to find a team for spring?

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You worry too much.

At your DD's age, kids and parents change their minds all the time. There will be openings, especially for catching. Start beating the bushes and call around. You can probably find a couple of opportunities in no time.

Is it bad form to go back and see if they are interested.

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No. Anyone who has been involved in softball for more than 2 weeks isn't going to be shocked by kids moving around. It happens all the time.

If the team she was on still existed and you were jumping ship, it might be a problem. But, that isn't the situation.

You worry too much.

Oh the basics she is 11 late may birthday played 12u c, this fall was her first in travel ball (competitive). I don't think she is quite ready for b level, maybe as a hitter but not as a catcher.

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Did I mention that you worry too much?

Your DD is going to physically change quite a bit in the next two years. She will get bigger and stronger, and then she'll be ready.

If a kid is reasonably talented finding a new team is pretty easy. Finding the right team might be a little tougher. When we switched between fall and spring we picked up with a couple of teams before we decided. It helps to see how they act in games, and how the girls mesh. I wouldn't worry about the letters too much. Look at where the teams are playing. There's a ton of overlap with A/B/C, depending on how teams ID themselves (which is VERY subjective) and what tournaments they're playing.