I had a 10u girl who was on the number 1 cheer squad in the country. She was an exceptional athlete and her mom let me know the schedule and would text me when she would make practice or not. I had no issues dealing with it, because she always came prepared to play and practice as much as she could. But it was known that cheer was her priority as it should have been. Softball was something she just loved. I was happy to have her when I did.
GAAAHHHH!!!! Daddy Ball!!1!
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I had a 10u girl who was on the number 1 cheer squad in the country. She was an exceptional athlete and her mom let me know the schedule and would text me when she would make practice or not. I had no issues dealing with it, because she always came prepared to play and practice as much as she could. But it was known that cheer was her priority as it should have been. Softball was something she just loved. I was happy to have her when I did.
- Jul 16, 2018
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I thank you for the reply!
In our specific case - The coach absolutely had the Practice/Competition times prior to us accepting and after the fall season I had sent an email to reiterate the schedule as well. Its to the point where she is thinking about not playing softball anymore which is not ideal. We were on a B team this past year. and id like to keep her in a competitive environment but it looks like the cost of doing so might be to much (ie choosing to quit one or the other)
- Jun 8, 2016
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If your DD is that good of a player she shouldn't have a hard time finding a team which would work with her schedule and be unbiased with regards to playing time. Heck, there are some teams (granted not really at the 10U/12U level) where kids just show up for games, in particular the bigger name orgs.
My experience (for the most part) is that people talk a big game about wanting multi-sport athletes, the importance of not specializing too early, etc..., but when push comes to shove, they want the child at THEIR practice and THEIR games. And the year-round nature of softball, in particular (including TB + school ball) is such that conflicts are unavoidable. Wish I knew the answer. Would love DD to play a second sport, but she's already had to give up basketball for softball.
First of all, welcome to DFP!
I'm going to play devil's advocate here...
(Coach perspective) At practices, my players will be learning new skills, which will often include offensive and defensive team plays (bunt defense, 1st and 3rd situations, etc.). If a player is not able to attend team practice because of participation in another sport, this means that I either need to re-teach the lesson when they show up (rather than teaching something new, thus delaying progress), or they are lagging behind their teammates in their development. It also means that I have to adjust how I'm coaching a game to adapt to that player's lack of knowledge. As a good an athlete as they may be, it's a team sport, and they need to know what they are doing on the field. When I pick my primary starting IF, I'm going to pick players that I know will be there consistently. Getting them working together as a cohesive unit is important, and that takes time. Earning a spot isn't just about being a better athlete than the other girl, but about being the best fit for the team in that position. Talented natural athletes are exciting. Part-time commitments are not.
(Parent perspective) My DD is dedicated to her team. She shows up for every practice, works hard on learning the lessons being taught by her coaches, and does extra work outside of practice trying to earn a starting spot on the field. Her teammate, however, splits her time between softball and another sport, and often doesn't show up to practices. At games, my DD is sharing innings with the other girl. Sometimes, it costs the team when the other girl doesn't know what she's supposed to be doing on the field. In the long run, I know my DD's extra work will pay off, and she will be an undeniable choice for the coaches. In the meantime, she's missing reps and opportunities to someone who isn't nearly as dedicated to the team. It's frustrating. I'm pretty sure we will be looking for a new team next season.
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It really depends.
If ASM wants his kid on the very best SB travel team but wants Cheer to be #1 priority, there are probably going to be issues for many of the reasons Eric points out above.
If on the other hand he's just looking for a reasonably competitive B team he shouldn't have too much trouble working it out with a coach as Pattar suggests above.
It might be a good idea to talk parents on a prospective team and ask what their experiences have been in addition to talking to the coach.
- Jul 16, 2018
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First of all, welcome to DFP!
I'm going to play devil's advocate here...
(Coach perspective) At practices, my players will be learning new skills, which will often include offensive and defensive team plays (bunt defense, 1st and 3rd situations, etc.). If a player is not able to attend team practice because of participation in another sport, this means that I either need to re-teach the lesson when they show up (rather than teaching something new, thus delaying progress), or they are lagging behind their teammates in their development. It also means that I have to adjust how I'm coaching a game to adapt to that player's lack of knowledge. As a good an athlete as they may be, it's a team sport, and they need to know what they are doing on the field. When I pick my primary starting IF, I'm going to pick players that I know will be there consistently. Getting them working together as a cohesive unit is important, and that takes time. Earning a spot isn't just about being a better athlete than the other girl, but about being the best fit for the team in that position. Talented natural athletes are exciting. Part-time commitments are not.
(Parent perspective) My DD is dedicated to her team. She shows up for every practice, works hard on learning the lessons being taught by her coaches, and does extra work outside of practice trying to earn a starting spot on the field. Her teammate, however, splits her time between softball and another sport, and often doesn't show up to practices. At games, my DD is sharing innings with the other girl. Sometimes, it costs the team when the other girl doesn't know what she's supposed to be doing on the field. In the long run, I know my DD's extra work will pay off, and she will be an undeniable choice for the coaches. In the meantime, she's missing reps and opportunities to someone who isn't nearly as dedicated to the team. It's frustrating. I'm pretty sure we will be looking for a new team next season.
No worries on Devils Advocacy and thank you for the welcome! I definitely look at it from the coaches standpoint and I agree with the aspect of "I need you here at practice if you want to play more" I have a 17 yr old playing baseball. But never once in his coming up have I ever had to deal with a team simply stating "You cant play other sports" especially at the 10 U age. When the coach initially told us that other girls would get PT first I even told him that I understood and we would work on the side to get her up to speed which we did. Our issue wasnt necessarily playing time but it was the how the PT went. Even after getting a schedule change and busting rear in practice it was simply splitting innings in RF. Which leads us to another issue that the guy (while a really good person) simply didnt know what he was doing.
- Jul 16, 2018
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To be truthful I just want my daughter to be able to enjoy two things that she really enjoys doing. Shes only 10 so being on the very best travel SB is cool and all but at the same time its only 10u softball A solid B team would be ideal but I've contemplated contacting some of the better C teams in my area to see what we can do. In my area numbers are low and I've seen a good lack of quality coaching. (Again another story)
Thank you all for the replies. Please keep them coming!
If the coach is clueless, there's not a lot you can do about that - LOL.
There are valid arguments to be made on both sides of the fence on this issue. I know you want your DD to be able to play, and not be "relegated" to a part-time OF (the importance of OF will start changing very soon). My point in playing the devil's advocate arguments was to illustrate that there are a lot of factors involved. Many (MANY!) parents can't see past their own kid, and are blind to the bigger picture about the team as a whole. That said, sometimes the right answer is finding another team.
I hear you. The right situation is out there for you. Unfortunately it may take a bit of searching to find it. 10U coaches run the gambit from reasonably sane to absolutely cray-cray.
