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Let her figure it out. The fact that she's enjoying the game again without the overhead of getting recruited should tell you something. Ask her why she doesn't want to play in college. Some girls are afraid of the process. Others don't get the early nibbles of others and back off to protect themselves from what they view as embarrassment. And some simply know they want to go another path.
As an 18U coach myself, though, ask her to be very honest with her coaches and travel teammates if she decides to stay on. Some of my favorite players, and players that enjoyed their final run most of all, were girls that decided NOT to try to play in college but loved the game and team and played the string out to the final out. At the same time, some girls/families that we've been closest to and did the most for had no problem working through the winter to get ready for high school ball their senior and then quitting right before the summer season, leaving us short.
I'm big on letting girls find their own paths. I'm also big on honoring commitments -- in both directions.
Interestingly, since she told me that she wasn't going to play college ball, she seems to be enjoying softball a lot more. Maybe she will play the rest of her HS years, and have fun with it. She seemed truly happy the other day after practice.
Recently, DD 3 dropped what she thought was a bombshell on me, except I had known it for a long, long time.
DD 3 told me she most likely won't play college ball. At that point she was feeling so burned out she was considering quitting softball.
This didn't surprise me at all. DD 3 loves softball, but she isn't obsessed with softball. (Her brother is a college rower, and to call him obsessed would be an understatement. He eats, sleeps and breathes rowing). I could tell she didn't have anywhere near the level of commitment her brother has.
Her options at this point:
Quit softball
Play softball, but realize she won't ever play college ball. That may mean going back to a B level team, or else staying with her A organization in a non-showcase team. (Where she is now).
Play softball but quit pitching. She seems to be of two minds about it. Sometimes she really enjoys it, other times she hates it.
My take on it?
I asked all of my kids to at least try some sports in middle school and high school. See if they like it.
My goal was for the kids to have some fun, and get some exercise.
DD 3 over the years has tried ballet (fun, but not obsessed), swimming (meh), soccer (hated the game, loved the coaches and teammates), volleyball (fun, but not as much fun as softball), track (great at it, but same season as softball) and cross country (OK, but too much work for too little enjoyment). And softball, which she loves, and is good at.
Thinking of herself as a possible future college player was just way too much stress for her. Softball is a game. It should be fun. If she plays at a level that IS fun for her, and gets some exercise, then isn't she doing what I wanted her to do in the first place? She doesn't need to try to live out someone else's expectations. That's not fun at all.
Interestingly, since she told me that she wasn't going to play college ball, she seems to be enjoying softball a lot more. Maybe she will play the rest of her HS years, and have fun with it. She seemed truly happy the other day after practice.