All the daddy/mommy ball chatter comes to a new reality when you play on a team without a coaches kid on it,...
Only to find favoritism can be everywhere!
And recognizing~
Playing time is really competing to earn the spot or
"Trying to get as good as you can until every tryout you go to offers you a spot."
Til finally
"The best teams in your area approach you offerng a spot with no tryout!"
Team scenario's are life lessons!
Focus on your softball goals!
75% playing time is a good goal at minimum.
50% primary position
25% secondary
So, so true. You'll hear a lot of people talk about "daddy ball" and we have to be on a team without a parent coach. They simply don't realize or haven't experienced that almost every coach has favorites. It's simply human nature. A coach will soon recognize there are players that make them look good, that make them feel good. There are kids with dispositions that make the coach want to show up to practice more. Kids that just put a smile on their face. Those kids will get preferential treatment. And with some coaches, it's just the same as "daddy ball".
No doubt that a parent coach will probably favor a particular kid more than a non-parent coach. For sure.
My advice? It's the same I give my girls regardless of what team they're on, what sport it is, etc. Hustle, be positive, be helpful, be attentive. Talk to the coach, tell them how you love the game. In essence, become on of their favorites by doing things right. And if you work hard, try hard and care about the game, good things will eventually come.
Does your DD get to play? Does she get to bat? Does she play the positions she's interested in learning? Are you working on those positions outside of regular practice? Does the coach know you're working on those positions outside of practice?
My DD and I almost always show up to practice early and work out on the field (or next to the field if it's taken). Coach arrives and sees us already there working hard. Coaches love that crap. We do it mostly out of love for the game and me wanting time with my DD. But icing on the cake that it shows coach we're ballers.
We've never personally left a team. But in the 3 years we've done travel ball, there's one truth I know: There is a team out there for every girl. Every time a girl I know leaves a team they find a new one. So if it's so bad your DD is starting to not love the game, find a new team.