Team Decision (Try Outs Dilemma)

All,

I need your help. My 11yo (03) kid started softball last summer (rec league). She loved and worked really hard during the summer and made a B league select team. This team has decent coaches but 70% of the kids do not practice outside of the game. She also pitches and gets 50% of the pitching time with this team, has the best batting average and OBP. We go to a batting and a pitching coach weekly as well as practices at home regularly. Her current team gets creamed, mostly, because of routine defensive errors, and their offense is abysmal.
We tried out for a team closer to home (made the team) a B select league that is good coaches she would get 30% pitching time, but only 25 games and 5 tournaments. She has been ask to try out for an top notch A ball team, but she would not get any mound time, but play her infield position that she likes. They would play a 60-70 game spring schedule with some travel and finish the season with a national tournament.


What would you do?

V/r,
Carla

Guiding light: what does your DD want to do?

DD wants to play for the A team, but she wants to pitch too. She asked me what could we do, I said let me think about it.

Life lesson. Choose one thing, sacrifice the other. My DD had to make that choice recently: pitching lessons or free time.

If it was me, I'd encourage trying out for the A team and continuing with the PC. Come spring, show the coaches I can pitch and ask for some circle time. But I'm a newb, and my DD isn't travel-ready.

Circle time is really critical to a pitchers development at this age. If she really wants to be a pitcher, and just started this summer then she needs circle time this fall if she wants to pitch on a decent team in spring. I would say that the first year of 12s is really the single most important year in a pitchers development. A lot of girls get converted to other positions at this age because they don't have the speed (have to get it at least up to 45) control (you can't walk more than a couple a game) or the temperament (you have to keep your cool when you start to get hammered).

We live in a world of trade-offs. She's still young. If pitching is important, go where she can maximize her pitching time. That may mean she isn't on as good a team.

Carla_IL said:

DD wants to play for the A team, but she wants to pitch too. She asked me what could we do, I said let me think about it.

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I agree with JJ, if she wants to pitch, I'd make sure she played for a team that gave her that opportunity. If she is really good, or becomes really good, she'll still have time to play for the top notch A programs.

I would not consider the A Team simply because the coach at the beginning of the year already is willing to say my DD cant pitch. Would never play for a coach who flat out denies any player the opportunity to earn a spot. I say find another A team if you can. or go get circle time on another team.

Although not a hard-and-fast rule, I am a general proponent of kids playing on the best team they can where they're also getting substantial playing time.

Because she's so young in the game, I think innings in the circle are critical, but at the same time, she also needs to be in a place where she's getting good coaching.

I strongly agree with Bucket Pinata's opposition to coaches who declare what a player will or won't be after a 20-minute evaluation. Are they really good coaches if they won't give a kid an opportunity to compete for a spot? But, if the stronger team has much better coaches AND she will be in the lineup and on the field a majority of the innings, you might suggest she join them and get circle time guest pitching for other teams on her off weekends.

I wouldn't have her pitch for a team with no defense. She will end up throwing many more pitches than necessary.