After the rec season, we decided to try some TB.. My daughter found a team that had lost thier pitcher and had 4 tourneys left. It was the coaches 1st season travel c team and their winning record wasn't pretty, but we wanted to get our feet wet... We were at practice 1-2 hours early and every time and/or stayed late to practice.. My dd earned a chance to pitch and was 2nd base or ss... But at the last tourney my dd the coach was really hateful... Dd made an out on 2nd and he yelled at her "you don't have to touch the bag".. So the next play she tags the runner to get an out, but could have also made a double play... but she did get the 1 out(she has made double plays in the past)..All at the same time the coaches start yelling at her about how she could have made a double play and she shouldn't chase a runner down for a tag.. They screamed and embarrassed her for doing what they told her to do! Then he pulls her after she was rattled and made an error.. They never put her back... So, in the outfield she did a great job, none of the balls that came her way went past her... We won that game... So the rest of the tourney dd was outfield doing a great job. He even told her he wanted to warm her up pitching for the last game and did not(put her outfield/last bat).. We lost the next 3 games to send us home.. At the coach speech the coach was rude saying he was going to play another tourney but we wouldnt have enough players. That some of our players were probably going bac to rec ball because they found out they are t ready for travel ball,and he was going to have try outs, and we had some add on players Chasing down players and he wasn't going to have that rec ball crap happening.. and that he was going to be finding him some 12 year olds because he was going to have him a b team come fall.and some other comments that I can't remember.. He was just a jerk.. All that hard work my daughter put in and he basically aimed his whole speech at putting her down while looking at her.. Now she doesn't really want to play..she was really working hard and was pummeled.. I'm not sure how to fix her confidence.. She has another team that really wants her to play..I just don't know what to do next... Thank you for any advice...
Discouraged after my dd was so dedicated..
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- Jan 24, 2011
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Try the other team. What will it hurt? This just wasn't the best fit for you DD.
He is an inexperienced coach and I will leave out the word that I was going to use to describe him. He is not going to find very many experience 12 yos. Let him try. He needs to learn the game, himself. I am so sorry that this happened to your DD.
A pat on the back would have helped her and then, make a note to myself to practice when to tag the runner and when to go to the bag.
A pat on the back would have helped her and then, make a note to myself to practice when to tag the runner and when to go to the bag.
- Jun 24, 2013
- 1,057
- 36
She is going to let a jerk stop her from playing SB?
If possible watch a few games, with your DD, of the new Team before you join. A practice or two also but that didn’t seem to be the problem.
If she wants to play you will be able to find something that fits her, you just need to do a little research and not jump on the first perceived opportunity.
There are a lot of great coaches and teams out there, you just need to be careful. There is usually a not good reason a Team is looking for players.
If possible watch a few games, with your DD, of the new Team before you join. A practice or two also but that didn’t seem to be the problem.
If she wants to play you will be able to find something that fits her, you just need to do a little research and not jump on the first perceived opportunity.
There are a lot of great coaches and teams out there, you just need to be careful. There is usually a not good reason a Team is looking for players.
If she liked the concept of travel ball, I.E. mostly year round, 2 or more practices a week, losing weekends to play then I would search out another team to play for. Some coaches are better than others at situation like this. I would suggest actually going to a tourney you are not in and watch teams play and see how the coaches react.
I was thinking, if she is coming from rec ball and really wants to play travel. Sign her up for some lessons, if you can find anyone reputable. That would help feed her desire to play, again. Or, if you could set up a hitting station in the garage and buy a bucket of balls, for her.
Take a vacation to Tucson and we will play some ball. I guarantee, that there will be no yelling.
Take a vacation to Tucson and we will play some ball. I guarantee, that there will be no yelling.
- Jun 24, 2013
- 1,057
- 36
What ball game are you going to play? It can not be SB without yelling so it must be some other game.
Don't let a month or two experience with a bad coach bring her down...just let her know that it is not a reflection on her but on the coach and that as long as she does her best and puts forth a good effort that is all you expect from her.
On a side note, I have to admit it is SUPER frustrating that girls just don't seem to catch on to the game as fast as boys (yes this is a generalization). I just can't put my finger on it but I have seen girls that have been playing since they were 5 yrs old do the same thing at 12U and even a few at 14U unsure of whether it is a force or tag play or where to throw the ball. Many just don't seem to have the "what am I going to do if the ball comes to me mentality" much less taking it the extra step of what if it's a line drive, pop up, slow roller or hot shot, runner goes, one runner goes the other stays...no matter how much I try I can't seem to gets this through to most of the the girls, granted this is rec but most of these girls could play travel if they wanted (we have gone to TB tourneys and beat TB teams).
Anyway Good Luck and don't give up just because of one bad experience
On a side note, I have to admit it is SUPER frustrating that girls just don't seem to catch on to the game as fast as boys (yes this is a generalization). I just can't put my finger on it but I have seen girls that have been playing since they were 5 yrs old do the same thing at 12U and even a few at 14U unsure of whether it is a force or tag play or where to throw the ball. Many just don't seem to have the "what am I going to do if the ball comes to me mentality" much less taking it the extra step of what if it's a line drive, pop up, slow roller or hot shot, runner goes, one runner goes the other stays...no matter how much I try I can't seem to gets this through to most of the the girls, granted this is rec but most of these girls could play travel if they wanted (we have gone to TB tourneys and beat TB teams).
Anyway Good Luck and don't give up just because of one bad experience
I've come to believe that the biggest problem in travel ball are the coaches who ruin the enthusiasm and love of the game of their players. Too many idiots are coaching, IMO. I know that there are several outstanding coaches that keep the game fun. But I really worry that there are a lot of kids who could've been really good players who stopped having fun and decided to do something else because of coaches who cared more about the game than the girls who play it.
