To join showcase team or not?

[tonya_leigh73]

Here is a huge dilemma giving me terrible stress and I need some outside opinions. My daughter plays with a group of hometown girls who's she's played with since she began at 7yrs old. They are all now 13-15yrs old and play on their HS travel team together. They love each other like sisters; the team is truly like small family. They are young 13-15yr olds playing 18U and are doing exceptionally well. A few weeks ago at a tournament, the Umpire behind the plate noticed my daughter and was apparently impressed with her pitching and hitting. This umpire called the tournament director to watch, who then called state director of this national organization. The state director called me stating that we need to really consider placing her on their state rated showcase tournament club team and now is the time to do it. I had done some researching, and this team is the very best in our area. Ten of the showcase teams' current players have signed or verballed to D1, and the others are D2 and below. Every single player on their highest level team is committed! They have an extensive record of over 10yrs. All the area stud players play on this showcase club team as well. This director definitely has the connections we need. Cost, travel, and time are not the dilemma. The problem is the loyalty we feel to the HS travel team. We live in a very small town. If we take their 1 and only pitcher away, they have nothing. The team would most likely disintegrate. This team’s goal is to win a state high school title together. We feel we have a great sense of obligation to the community. Is it enough if we stay with the HS travel team and do “On Deck”, “Scout”, and other showcase camps, or do we really need to get on a high profile showcase team? Our goal for our daughter is to have an array of options for playing college ball. (She was recently asked twice to verbal by the local NAIA and at the junior college which we are not ready to commit to). Daughter plans to play HS, where she is expected to start varsity as 8th grader this spring, and go to college camps she has interest in. The sacrifice she would have to make is giving up her HS travel team & letting her community/friends/family down or sacrificing the chance of the proven showcase team and possibly her future offers. Which sacrifice would you chose?

 

[quincy]

TB should not interfere with the HS season.

If a Team is running during the HS season is not a Team DD would be on.

I am hoping you are mistaken.

 

[29dad]

TB should not interfere with the HS season.

If a Team is running during the HS season is not a Team DD would be on.

I am hoping you are mistaken.

Not mistaken. The OP is from Iowa, and Iowa's high school season is IN THE SUMMER. Positively goofy but that is how they do it, which makes the decision so difficult.

 

[29dad]

Tonya - how old is your dd? You mentioned a range of 13-15, but that's a huge difference. I mean if your dd is 13 I don't think another year of high school will hurt her chances of being recruited, but if she's 15, I think you need to get her in those showcases and big tournaments as soon as possible. Obviously that's just my opinion.

Sorry that Iowa forces you to make this decision!

 

[MNDad]

If you DD has college aspirations it's a no brainer to get her on a quality club program. Local community programs don't play the competitive schedule and few have the training for her to significantly improve. Most of us here have at one time played for their community teams and after our DD's left their teams still went on. Her former team will be disappointed, but they'll get over it. Trust me, if your DD is at the level you describe, they don't expect that she'll be around long anyway. They'll still go on after you leave and your DD will be in a better position to play at the next level.

Also, whatever you do, don't even consider committing to an NAIA or JC at her age. She has lots of time to explore her options and those spots will be open until her senior year if that's the route she chooses.

 

[InsidePitch]

Is she blowing the doors off the HS kids she is facing? Does she have any idea where she'd like to play? If not, I would seriously consider staying where you are. If she figures this out you can start by playing fall ball and go from there.

 

[JJS]

Here is a huge dilemma giving me terrible stress and I need some outside opinions. My daughter plays with a group of hometown girls who's she's played with since she began at 7yrs old. They are all now 13-15yrs old and play on their HS travel team together. They love each other like sisters; the team is truly like small family. They are young 13-15yr olds playing 18U and are doing exceptionally well. A few weeks ago at a tournament, the Umpire behind the plate noticed my daughter and was apparently impressed with her pitching and hitting. This umpire called the tournament director to watch, who then called state director of this national organization. The state director called me stating that we need to really consider placing her on their state rated showcase tournament club team and now is the time to do it. I had done some researching, and this team is the very best in our area. Ten of the showcase teams' current players have signed or verballed to D1, and the others are D2 and below. Every single player on their highest level team is committed! They have an extensive record of over 10yrs. All the area stud players play on this showcase club team as well. This director definitely has the connections we need. Cost, travel, and time are not the dilemma. The problem is the loyalty we feel to the HS travel team. We live in a very small town. If we take their 1 and only pitcher away, they have nothing. The team would most likely disintegrate. This team’s goal is to win a state high school title together. We feel we have a great sense of obligation to the community. Is it enough if we stay with the HS travel team and do “On Deck”, “Scout”, and other showcase camps, or do we really need to get on a high profile showcase team? Our goal for our daughter is to have an array of options for playing college ball. (She was recently asked twice to verbal by the local NAIA and at the junior college which we are not ready to commit to). Daughter plans to play HS, where she is expected to start varsity as 8th grader this spring, and go to college camps she has interest in. The sacrifice she would have to make is giving up her HS travel team & letting her community/friends/family down or sacrificing the chance of the proven showcase team and possibly her future offers. Which sacrifice would you chose?

I know the team you are speaking of. They play in some of the biggest tournaments and their coach is the regional director for PGF. If this is correct then I would do whatever it takes to get her on that team. We play them a couple times a year, and they are the real deal.

On a side note, your daughter shouldn't feel like she is letting the town down. Your town should be embracing that their school team has given her the opportunity to help further her chances of playing by getting her noticed by a very good showcase organization. Anything less from members of the school and town would make me wonder why I had a feeling of commitment towards them in the first place. In the end is it more important to her to be remembered as an all state player in high school or to take a shot at becoming an all American in college?

 

[Westwind]

This is why Iowa needs to change this, just like they did with 6 on 6 basketball. That worked out just fine.

I will play Devils advocate. If a goal of playing on an exposure team is to get noticed, it sounds like that is already happening. If your dd's current team is capable of making a deep run at an A level national tournament and has a good chance of a hs state championship, she might be fine where she is at if that is what she really wants to do.

Big picture though, you go where your daughter gets the best coaching and plays against the best competition. This is probably not an opportunity to pass up. Good luck
with the decision and I hope it works out either way.

 

[chinamigarden]

You say your dd is in 8th grade right now, so she must be 13. Consider the social aspect of what you are considering. Your 13 year old will be playing with for all intents and purposes full grown women. She might be able to deal with the physical aspect, but is she ready for the maturity and the social aspect? Is she (are you) prepared to sit in a dugout and listen to older girls talk about sex (with boyfriends or each other) drinking, ... and other 17-18 year old issues? Is she ready for the older girls who might not like her, or resent her taking a spot? This is a big deal to consider, the older teams that attract the best usually have less patience for mom and dad hanging around the dugout monitoring whats going on, is your dd prepared for this?

If she was already in HS I might have a different opinion, but if she is still in Middle School give it a year or so before you put her in with older kids

 

[JJS]

You say your dd is in 8th grade right now, so she must be 13. Consider the social aspect of what you are considering. Your 13 year old will be playing with for all intents and purposes full grown women. She might be able to deal with the physical aspect, but is she ready for the maturity and the social aspect? Is she (are you) prepared to sit in a dugout and listen to older girls talk about sex (with boyfriends or each other) drinking, ... and other 17-18 year old issues? Is she ready for the older girls who might not like her, or resent her taking a spot? This is a big deal to consider, the older teams that attract the best usually have less patience for mom and dad hanging around the dugout monitoring whats going on, is your dd prepared for this?

If she was already in HS I might have a different opinion, but if she is still in Middle School give it a year or so before you put her in with older kids

I read it as she is 13 years old, and is now playing against 18u competition. I think the move to a showcase might be their 14U or 16U teams