Most TB coaches do not care where you are from, as long as your DD shows up for tournaments. I know the New Jersey Intensity had several players from FL, TX, OK who would just travel to tournaments. If you want to move to find better competition for your DD knock yourself out, but that is a HUGE expense and commitment by the entire family considering she could decide she does not want to play, or finds another sport she likes better, next week.
Moving for kids sports
- Thread starter Ksphenom
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Most TB coaches do not care where you are from, as long as your DD shows up for tournaments. I know the New Jersey Intensity had several players from FL, TX, OK who would just travel to tournaments. If you want to move to find better competition for your DD knock yourself out, but that is a HUGE expense and commitment by the entire family considering she could decide she does not want to play, or finds another sport she likes better, next week.
Having three kids I don't think I could uproot them all and move just so that DD could be on a better team. If she were an only child and really wanted to do it then I would consider it. I had the unfortunate experience of changing schools 5 times between 5th grade & high school, and really would not want to put my kids through that. We decided to move to the town we live in now when DD was 4, knowing that we will not move out of the school district until all of our kids have graduated. Great schools, competitive athletics, close to work, not to big, not too small. I think if we would move for DD to play sports it would put quite a bit of pressure on her not only to perform, but at that point quiting or taking a break is not an option. That being said we are very fortunate in our area that we surrounded by very good teams for pretty much all sports.
- Aug 12, 2014
- 647
- 43
That's my DD's school as well. And it has really good softball coaches. Not that she is trying to play in college, she just wants to get better and have fun.
- Aug 12, 2014
- 647
- 43
It's not always about recruiting and scholarships. Sometimes it's just a really bad fit with the coach, and the sport is important enough to the kid to find a better fit. We have school choice in Colorado, so you don't need to move to change schools. My DD is not a star player (she's never played TB even) but the softball team did factor in to her choice of HS.
If my DD was an elite gymnast or something like that where you need to move to be near the very best coaching in the country, I would consider moving. I hate hearing stories about families who are living in separate cities because Dad or Mom can't leave a job in City A, so the other parent moves with the elite athlete child. But, that's not really an issue in softball. There are several boys who attended DD's school who are currently attending boarding school in Florida for baseball. It costs in the neighborhood of $75K/year! But that school only includes bankable sports (e.g., for girls, really only golf/tennis/basketball).
HS softball does not matter in recruiting, so if my DD had a conflict with the HS coaching staff she would have just played volleyball (GA plays HS softball in the Fall, in the Spring she would have just run track). We would never have considered moving and spending thousands if not 10s of thousands of dollars just to find a HS softball program my DD liked. Get your DD on a good TB ball and make HS an afterthought.
My next door neighbors moved in about 8 years ago so their daughter could be closer to the gym as she was an elite gymnast. They only moved 15 miles. She was home schooled from 4th grade on and finished a year or two early. She is now a soph competing at the U of Arizona. Dad is crazy smart and is a professor at a well known medical research college-Director of Mass Spectrometry Proteomics (whatever that is!)
HA - My DD is starting to make a decision about where to go to HS next year. She has narrowed it down to 2 schools. Both of which have successful softball programs - but who also have a reputation of having very difficult SB coaches. I have already told her I would be more than fine if she decided to play VB in HS instead of SB (CO also plays HS softball in the fall). Both schools are good academically with one maybe having a slight academic advantage, but I really think DD would do fine at either school as she is extremely self motivated and loves pushing herself to do things others think are out of her reach.
I don't think we as a family would move for one child. I agree that a player gets better by playing with the best, but ultimately I don't think I could uproot my entire family to accommodate one child. We are making a sacrifice to drive quite far for her TB team and even that can take a toll. However, I would drive to a school that was not our "home" school (that is what we are planning to do next year).
Cannonball can speak to this better then me but in IL. there is no way you could do that.
Couple years ago they moved a girl's basketball team to 0 wins because of shading movimg, TB coach had his team playing for HS.
Do not know your rules but be careful .
Couple years ago they moved a girl's basketball team to 0 wins because of shading movimg, TB coach had his team playing for HS.
Do not know your rules but be careful .
My DD practiced/played TB 8 months a year, HS 3 months, and rested @ 1 month...a family would be much better off focusing on finding the best completion in TB vs. HS.
