To jump teams or not?

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Jul 3, 2014
49
8
Inland Empire
The past couple of weeks I've been pondering having my daughter leave her current team. Granted, she just started with this team, but the expectations we had of this team aren't becoming a reality. It's a TB team built up of basically an all star team that just jumped up to the next age group. Granted, they were a good team at the lower age (8U), but now it's a totally different ball game(10U). There's basically 5 older girls (my daughter is one of the 5), who are very experienced in this division, yet they are not utilized where they should be. Don't want to say there's a favoritism towards the younger girls, well ok yeah there is... A few parents are pretty frustrated with this whole program. It seems that the older girls are not getting the instruction/coaching they need to be successful. Honestly, it feels like a first year 10U rec team, not a TB team... We feel that we are paying monthly dues to play rec, not travel! I was contacted by a friend whom I coached all stars with in the past and he had invited my daughter to workout with his team. Whoah! Totally different atmosphere, level of intensity in practice, a very organized and structured practice, and also the manager had his S%&T together when I had a one on one conversation in discussing their team/program. I was very impressed. He stated he doesn't want to "steal" my daughter from her current team, but he said the door is open if we want to make the jump.
The dilemma I have is that we've committed to the team she's currently on, but I can see this going nowhere...and I feel that we're wasting our dues... My daughter was totally digging the team she worked out with and there are a few of her friends on the team as well... Obviously we want what's best for our kids, but i'm kind of unsure what to do....Sorry for the long rant...
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
He stated he doesn't want to "steal" my daughter from her current team, but he said the door is open if we want to make the jump.

Well, that's a load of crap. :D Of course he wants to steal her. He invites her to his practice, he says she's welcome to join. If that's not stealing, what is it?

I'm not saying ''stealing'' is wrong. I'm too sleepy to sort out the right and wrong of it. Sometimes I think TB coaches and private coaches should just operate in the free market system and actively recruit at all times without apology, and people should just accept that's the way it is. Work harder to keep your players and clients satisfied. I just think it's funny that the coach said that. What exactly would ''stealing'' a player be? And how is that different than what he's doing.

And finally, yes, that's a tough situation. Sorry for the tangent. It's a dilemma.
 
Last edited:
Jan 7, 2014
972
0
Western New York
You need to find out if they've taken out insurance and issued NSA/ASA/USSSA registration numbers yet. In out area, the "softball season runs from 9/1 to 8/31 and once a registration # is issued for a player, the team\coach holding your DD's number is under no obligation to release her once they are signed. This is a sort of "protection" to keep the recruiting whores at bay. This may or may not be an issue in your area. Simply ask your current head coach if they are insured and does he have his daughter's ASA/NSA/USSSA registration number. If he looks at you with a tilted head like a confused canine, the answer is no.

Some other thoughts...
The team you are potentially looking at - are all the girls age appropriate? Are they all 2nd year 10U's?

Do you foresee any potential conflicts with your DD's preferred position(s) and any of the coaches DD's? Do any of these potential conflicts exist now?

Will your DD's playing time be effected? Will she play more/less/same on new team?

CP
 
Jul 3, 2014
49
8
Inland Empire
Hey CP, thanks for the great info regarding registration #. I haven't even thought of that. Is that something we as parents are supposed to sign off on? I've never heard anything about this outside of rec ball.

The team we're potentially looking at are 90% 2nd year 10U. My daughter actually played all stars with them last year, so she knows the majority of them. In regards to playing time, she'd get quite a bit. She's a middle infielder, but she's come into her own at 3rd base the past few months and she's really staring like playing the corner, The potential team is looking for infielders. In regards to her team now...yeah she's in left field. The girls they have rotating into 2nd and 3rd are very green and don't even understand the position. The team she is currently on is a "learning" team according to her current coach. Yes, all the girls, including my daughter can and need to learn something about the game/positions, but to what expense? I don't want to be paying dues to go out and get smoked every game they play! Granted, we only played a couple friendlies so far, but the outcomes haven't been too impressive.

She's not the stud on the team, but she's definitely in the top 5 in terms of skill, but it seems that her current team is holding back some of the better skilled players. The practices are geared to getting the lesser skilled girls up to speed...not expanding the skills of the better ones. I don't know...lots of thoughts and ideas going through my head. Part of me just wants to throw the towel in and go with it...but one of the things that got me was that after our last friendly, my daughter got into the truck and looked me in the eye and said I don't want to play on this team. She's never done that...yeah I've gotten the "don't wan to go to practice" or "don't want to go hit in the backyard" but never I don't wan't to play on this team....
 

JJsqueeze

Dad, Husband....legend
Jul 5, 2013
5,436
38
safe in an undisclosed location
Don't sweat that registration stuff. it is so early in the season you most likely have not been registered and it is easy to explain away if it ever comes up later in the season. Since you are in SoCal, you will most likely be playing TCS anyway during the season and they only have roster restrictions within a single tournament, My girls have played up/guested/ and one left a team mid season and no one has ever said boo.

BUT-don't fall into the trap of feeling like you have to find the most competitive team for a 10 year old girl to develop. Find the best fit to her and your family and she will be far happier.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
What it comes down to is what is best for your DD's SB goals and how to effectively spend your hard earned money to achieve them. Sounds to me as if you already know what you need and want to do but you're here looking for affirmation. Nobody will know the entire circumstances except you and your family so there will always be someone out there that will criticize whichever decision you make. Do what feels right for you, your family and your DD's SB goals and forget everything else.
 
He stated he doesn't want to "steal" my daughter from her current team, but he said the door is open if we want to make the jump.
What a jerk. There is no way in hell I'd let my DD play for a guy like this. Poachers are the lowest form of life in the fastpitch world.

And, to be honest, shame on you for thinking this about someone who says the above:

and also the manager had his S%&T together when I had a one on one conversation in discussing their team/program. I was very impressed.
 
Last edited:
Oct 2, 2012
242
18
on the Field
The way I see it is that you need to do what's right for YOUR daughter. In our neck of the woods, players flip teams all the time. I've been told, on more than one occasion, one thing by a coach and once we arrive and commit, we find out the situation is totally different. I just want the truth up front.

If you were told up front that your current team goals were to get the younger players up to speed during this Fall season, I would say you probably need to stay at least through the Fall. However, if it is not what you were told, I would have no problems jumping ship. The grass is not always greener, but sometimes the stress level is much less. Good Luck!
 

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