Am I the only one??

[SandlotMom]

I have a 12 year old that loves softball and soccer. Well....all sports, really. She plays volleyball and basketball as an afterschool sport. Softball and soccer are her "main" sports and she plays comp for both and, as a coach, I encourage my players to play multiple sports or be involved in multiple activities (not necessarily at the same time but throughout the year). I've coached softball for many years. When I was in playing in college, I coached during the summer. I coached 2 years of college and I have coached since my daughters decided to play. I know the game well. I also come from a very different perspective than what is happening in the softball world. I do believe that, especially wtih 12U and below, seasons should end no later than the beginning of July to mid-July so that families can go on vacations and spend time together OUTSIDE of softball before their next sport or school starts. I grew up with the idea that our "vacations" were where we played softball and maybe a day or two after and that is not what I would like for my daughters to believe. Nowadays, I'm concerned that softball seasons are as long....if not longer....than MLB seasons (January - October/November).

Unfortunately, I cannot keep players on my team because my season is not "long enough" even though we go at least 6 months. Parents and players feel they have to go year round so they don't "get behind" and because I am not that....they leave. As a result, I end up getting players that are cut from all other teams. Don't get me wrong....I love coaching and teaching and absolutely love developing all athletes but I also need to think about my daughter and where she is going.

I'm saddened that youth sports has gone to this. I've called organizations and they said that is fine that she plays soccer in the Fall but expects her to play until October/November and miss soccer for softball tournaments. Nope...not going to do that. That is why I stop in July. I truly, truly, truly, wish softball and all youth sports had a very defined season. Then maybe....just maybe....some of these issues in youth sports may not be as bad.

 

[1696]

I expect your post was rhetorical and not seeking a pragmatic answer. I respect your point of view. My daughters played soccer, softball and basketball from ages 6 to 11. At 12s they chose to play fastpitch year round. In our area, they received the best coaching. In combination with more reps, more games, in a year or so good-to-great athletes will have an advantage over most other players. So good for you and your girls if you can find programs to support multi-sport athletes and meet your expectations. My girls wanted to play at the highest levels and compete for college scholarships. I don't know of a program that helps girls reach these goals that doesn't train and compete year-round.

 

[CMMom1740]

No, you're not the only one. As I type this, I'm having to make decisions regarding summer camp for DD next year. If we play June and more than half of July for TB this year, that leaves exactly ONE week for her to go to camp. The signup is tomorrow at 7:00 AM online (yes, on September 12), and the sessions all fill immediately. If I don't manage to get her registered for that one session, she's SOL. Public school here in GA starts the first week of August. The USSSA and USFA World Series run from July 16-23. That's not much of a summer.

DD also loves basketball and played for an AAU tournament team last spring. The team ultimately decided to continue playing in June, but we couldn't do that b/c of conflicts with softball. She's going to have to choose b/c it's just not feasible to do both. She can do church-league basketball in the winter, but it stinks that she can't pursue both.

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

I take it you don't live in California

 

[SandlotMom]

I am in California.

 

[nanotech14]

What is the other sport you speak of? If that's the way you want to do it, then do it that way. But other people feel different. My dd would play softball all year round if it wasn't for the rotten snow. She plays in some indoor leagues and some tournaments , but not enough to make her happy. I myself wish, that other sport with the ball, the goal and using your feet would be banned from the world.

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

I am in California.

Then you should already be accustomed to this??? Just the way it is.

 

[SandlotMom]

Then you should already be accustomed to this??? Just the way it is.

Which is why I'm saying it's unfortunate.

 

[SandlotMom]

No, you're not the only one. As I type this, I'm having to make decisions regarding summer camp for DD next year. If we play June and more than half of July for TB this year, that leaves exactly ONE week for her to go to camp. The signup is tomorrow at 7:00 AM online (yes, on September 12), and the sessions all fill immediately. If I don't manage to get her registered for that one session, she's SOL. Public school here in GA starts the first week of August. The USSSA and USFA World Series run from July 16-23. That's not much of a summer.

DD also loves basketball and played for an AAU tournament team last spring. The team ultimately decided to continue playing in June, but we couldn't do that b/c of conflicts with softball. She's going to have to choose b/c it's just not feasible to do both. She can do church-league basketball in the winter, but it stinks that she can't pursue both.

It's hard enough that she has chosen not to play basketball outside of afterschool sports because she is already committed to soccer and softball. I would not make her choose to stop playing either of them because she has a very good chance at playing both in high school.

 

[Rambler34]

My DD plays everything she can. She has played travel ball for 5 years and now that she has hit middle school and school sports have started it has piled up. This past summer she had both volleyball and basketball workouts and camps for the school on top of her normal travel ball schedule and lessons. This past summer was absolutely crazy. Her seasons do end but they all run together.

We had not taken a family vacation outside of our softball trips in five years. Finally skipped a couple of days of school and took advantage of the long weekend last week to go on a cruise. We have been at this so long it is almost amazing to me how much fun it was just to get away from everything and all of us take a break.