General advice for softball parents of talented players

[Westwind]

I take notice when TB org heads talk about treating 15 year olds like they will be treated in the NCAA. I’m not saying they are automatically wrong. I’m saying -maybe- we should be building them up to peak while they are at what should be the true crescendo which should be college, right?

I do think a lot of our players are peaking at the wrong time.

I think it is an unintended consequence of the process of recruiting.

I think that the longer we can push back the process, the better.

I think the “new” recruiting rules are helping. Maybe not enough but it helps.

I think the new transfer rules will create opportunities for players to be recruited later in the process. I also think it will eventually cause changes in college coaching behaviors.

I think that the synergistic effects of those two rules being applied have not sorted themselves out yet.

 

[eagle6]

My DD is 2nd year 14u. She enjoys playing. Is fine with sitting some as long as everyone is as well. She enjoys playing because she is "playing". If a team has 2 catchers and picks up another catcher, that is wrong. If you have to pick someone up, pick up someone that fills a need. If you are picking up someone to play in front of my kid that has been with the team and working hard, we will probably have to walk. If DD is committed to the team, the team should be committed to her. If you put together a team, you win or lose with that team. I just do not believe in picking up unless it is a necessity.

 

[Strike2]

What if your kid was happy playing 50% of the time on one of the better TB in the country?

To be honest I don't really have an opinion on this at the moment since I haven't had the scenario
come up.

Yeah...part of it is up to me. I'm not only the bill payer, but also the travel coordinator, pilot, personal trainer, and skills / life coach.

IF she were "happy" with that 50% situation as a regular position player, I'd question her desire to play and why we're doing this. The point of all the preparation and practice is to to play, and if you have older kids, you probably realize that time is the biggest enemy. There are many, many great playing opportunities short of the better TB teams in the country. I'll choose the well coached and successful local team with long-time friends every time. I'd also tell her that she should be on a team that challenges her, but also values her as an individual and isn't to big for her to succeed. We all have our upper limits athletically, no matter how hard we work. In the end, it's just a kid's game.

 

[_MIA_]

Yeah...part of it is up to me. I'm not only the bill payer, but also the travel coordinator, personal trainer, and skills / life coach.

IF she were "happy" with that 50% situation as a regular position player, I'd question her desire to play and why we're doing this. The point of all the preparation and practice is to to play, and if you have older kids, you probably realize that time is the biggest enemy. There are many, many great playing opportunities short of the better TB teams in the country. I'll choose the well coached and successful local team with long-time friends every time. I'd also tell her that she should be on a team that challenges her, but also values her as an individual and isn't to big for her to succeed. We all have our upper limits athletically, no matter how hard we work. In the end, it's just a kid's game.

So ultimately it sounds like the team which your DD plays on is up to you and not her. Got it.

 

[SBmom8992]

Competition for playing time in travel ball will prepare them for college ball. There’s no college roster that has 4 infielders and 3 outfielders. Get on a team where playing time is based on performance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Strike2]

So ultimately it sounds like the team which your DD plays on is up to you and not her. Got it.

You're writing as if I denied my kid some great opportunity with high level travel ball.

Like every important decision my teenagers face, they have a significant say, but ultimately...yes...I'm the parent. They don't automatically get everything they might want. As my older kid recently admitted, Dad sometimes knows what he's talking about.

You seem to have trouble with this concept. Why?

 

[_MIA_]

Like every important decision my teenagers face, they have a significant say, but ultimately...yes...I'm the parent. They don't automatically get everything they might want.

You seem to have trouble with this concept. Why?

I have no problems understanding this concept (it isn't all that intellectually challenging) but just disagree with it. This isn't a situation where if they make a bad decision it will do irreparable damage to the rest of their life.

It is one thing if monetary concerns were an issue. In that case then yes the parent has to step in. Other than that if your kid wants to try out for one of these teams is told of the 50% situation and still wants to play for them then you have to let them follow their own path imo. Again I am not sure how I would feel about it but I do know that I would let my kid make their own "mistake" if I gave them my (negative) opinion of the situation and they still wanted to do it.

 

[Strike2]

I think the “new” recruiting rules are helping. Maybe not enough but it helps.

I think the new transfer rules will create opportunities for players to be recruited later in the process. I also think it will eventually cause changes in college coaching behaviors.

True. The recruiting rule changes will likely reverse or at least put a damper on the insanity of competitive ball at the younger age groups. The transfer rules will inevitably force a change in how many college coaches do business.

 

[uncdrew]

My DD is 2nd year 14u. She enjoys playing. Is fine with sitting some as long as everyone is as well. She enjoys playing because she is "playing". If a team has 2 catchers and picks up another catcher, that is wrong. If you have to pick someone up, pick up someone that fills a need. If you are picking up someone to play in front of my kid that has been with the team and working hard, we will probably have to walk. If DD is committed to the team, the team should be committed to her. If you put together a team, you win or lose with that team. I just do not believe in picking up unless it is a necessity.

Agreed.

Hard to know for sure what she'll think in 14U (as my DD is 10), but she would not want to be on a team where she sits in bracket games. Even if the team is the best around.

And I certainly would get little pleasure out of going to tournaments watching a team where my DD doesn't play.

 

[uncdrew]

So ultimately it sounds like the team which your DD plays on is up to you and not her. Got it.

If your daughter wanted to play on a team in California, would you let her?

If your daughter wanted to play for a coach you know is abusive and has issues, would you let her?

At some point yes, the decision is up to the parents. For every girl.