New parent to 8u TB player - apprehensive mom

Wow, first time I have seen everyone in agreement on this board. OP, maybe now you can reevaluate and relax a little. Don't overreact, she is only 7 and a lot of years ahead of you. Since you are new, maybe you don't understand yet how small the softball community is. If you overreact and become one of "those" parents, your dd will not be invited to join the better teams because of your behavior. Just telling you in case you didn't know.


It is not unreasonable for you to expect the coach to do what he says. The coach should not promise anyone anything except the opportunity to win a position and the opportunity to get better. If he is doing something contrary to what he told you, then explain as a coach and mentor to your 7 year old dd, he needs to do what he says. Sound like he his new too.

kygirl said:

We just want to give her every opportunity and if you think I'm overreacting because she's 7 - don't bother replying.

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By moving her around, she is being given every opportunity. I get it. You have a vested interest, but so does everyone else out there. Moving her to another team is going to send the worst message-we don't get what we want, then we leave. I don't think you want that.

At the end of the day, kids who are pushed way to hard at the early ages are burnt out by 12 to 14 and I don't think you want that either. You have to put your ego aside and think about what your daughter wants. It is a hard pill to swallow and I did it severall times this season. The kids don't see or feel the drama we all(including my husband and myself) conjure up in our head that really isn't there. At this age she should be having fun, making friends, leaning how to work together etc.

Remember there is no "I" in team.

GG

I think the OP is going to be leaving us after her first post........ LOL

My DD, who just turned 8 end of August, will tell you her favorite positions are: OF, Pitcher, Catcher, 1st..... followed closely by all the others-- and she is a southpaw.

Not an over-reaction to ask the question but like others have said at 7 it is best to learn multiple positions.

Now if coach is playing favorites with girls it might be a troublesome sign long term that this team may not be for you down the road but right now as long as she's getting playing time in games and good coaching in practice no need to worry about her position.

Kygirl, don't be scared off by these answers. You are not wrong for asking. Great site here. Keep on reading!

Easton33 said:

Wow, first time I have seen everyone in agreement on this board...

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Shocking, isn't it? Hopefully, the OP will return and relax her position.

At 7, the best thing you can do is to learn and practice throwing, fielding, and hitting with good mechanics. Those fundamentals will more than adequately prepare you to play 7 of the 9 field positions.

I wouldn't complain as long as she's playing, but for next season I'd find a team with a coach who doesn't say one thing and do another.

I realize your DD is only 7 ... but I will change it up a little bit for you.

There are players in softball who insist on playing a certain position. That is fine in and of itself, if they truly are the best at that position, is where they belong, and gives the team the best chance to win.

Ask some of these same "position only" players, do you want to win playing a "lesser" position? or do you want to lose and get to play the position you want?

Surprisingly, many will choose to only play their favorite position ... lose ... and usually blame someone else.

Others, like us, choose to play any position the coaches want, focusing on the absolute best team we can make. We choose to win. Believe me, being a winner, on a championship team, is like magic in a bottle. The best feeling in the world. Once you find it, you will do just about anything to find it again.

How does this affect college recruiting? First, you need the talent, work ethic, body dimensions, to be recruited. Then it probably does not make a difference. The "selfish" players get recruited right along with the "team" players.

On a personal note, I get a great deal of enjoyment winning, and beating players who demand to only play their favorite position. And these individual players are probably better than mine. I walk by with a big fat smile on my face. They know, and I am too polite to say anything.

Sure she is only 7. Eventually you will come to realize what I am saying. Play RF and win championships ... or play SS, and never win (only an example).

You will have to decide (theoritically). Winning usually requires some level of sacrificing "wants" by everyone on the team to get there.

We just moved our DD to a travel ball club and her old team was very accomodating to her. She got to play 2nd and SS all the time and would even be ahead of older 10's on our 10u team. Not because of favortism, but because...DD was that good. On our new team she is the one that is now "stuck" in the outfield. Frankly, I was pissed off for the first few weeks and I got the lovely job of coaching the OF's, lol.

What I realized is that OF and multiple positions is a good thing at this age. At 7, your child has no idea of what's a good position or not, it's all in the heads of parents who create expectations that their child will pick up whether negative or positive. I know firsthand, I'm still getting used to it. It's better than having a coach who plays your DD left bench...