Tryout Help

Exactly what team did your daughter like best? That is usually the answer.

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She is struggling with this...she is only 9 and not mentally mature enough to understand all the pieces in play.

If she was allowed to choose...she would stay on original team and it would be fine if she wasn't playing enough....she follows a few of the girls around like puppies.

She likes idea of one team that offered her a spot and coach told us she would be able to play multiple positions.

She does NOT want to be hunting for another team at end of this season so she has zero interest in the younger 10U team at this time.


I agree with above poster who say these independent teams rarely last. Not sure why this guy thinks he is different than the 2 previous guys that coached different teams put together in our area.

Thanks for input

TBH, I would rather my daughter play on a team that would give her playing time at multiple positions. The younger you can get them to try out different spots and learn how to play those spots, the better. Being able to play multiple positions will almost guarantee you playing time on any team in the future.

Cyder517 said:

I wouldn't get too caught up in 1st/2nd yr team because more often than not teams are mixed AND when you are at tourneys a 1st yr team plays 2nd yr teams ... I would let her play on the younger 10u team, gain confidence and skills, then move her up to 12u with the original team.

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^^^^^^^ Took me a while of reading this board to figure out that officially, there's no such thing as a 7U / 9U / 11U / etc. teams. And as is mentioned, there's apparently few "A" teams. So while you'll see reference to "1st year 10U", "2nd year 10U", etc., it usually translates to 2nd year plays "B-level" tournaments, 1st year plays "C-level" tournaments. But from what I hear, seeding is all at the whim of the tournament director, so if only 3 "C" team register, and there's 11 "B" teams, your 1st-year C's may end up playing the 2nd-year B's.

If you really like the organization, play on their 1st year team - especially if she's only 9, she may not even be the oldest on the team.

If you're set on playing with older girls, then go with the team you did the private workout with. I see the 2hr travel time limit as a "+" in terms of cost and family dynamics (I know it would in my case!). If you've already been offered a spot, chances are she'll get more playing, and as was already mentioned - that's the key. No 9 YO should be sitting a disproportionate amount of time at that level. Pinch-running is only exposing her to 1/4 (if that) of the game. Reps are key - not only for skill-building, but confidence-building as well.

I see your delimma very clearly as we are in almost the exact same situation. One difference is she was ready to leave her team because of playing time. We are looking for a team that she can grow with and hopefully stay with for a while. Consistency is high on her priority list. Coaching is high on mine. We are still looking and have attended a few tryouts that she did well in. After the last team, I am really looking for her to build her confidence, so if we don't get on our 2 primary choices, we are probably going to play fall ball with a local league. She will get to play a lot with less pressure and we will reassess after that.

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