- Aug 4, 2020
- 13
- 3
Hello Everyone. My DD is an 8th grader. Been playing ball since she was 6, travel teams from 10u until now. She was on a really good 12B team for 2 years, and now on a 14B team with a big organization. She has had really good training and we have spent 2 and a half years with the same batting coach. We are on week number 2 of 8th grade ball, we did not have a 7th grade year because of covid, and this team is stacked. They have 8 players that play on top or very competitive travel teams which is not common for middle school in this area. The softball IQ on these girls is crazy good. They all play for travel coaches that have taught the girls to run their own games defensively and be very aggressive.
So far it has not been a great start. DD is a third baseman, has great reaction speed, and has been trained to play up almost her whole time in travel ball. During tryouts the coach made a comment that "we have to fix that". During one of the first practices she was playing up, a ball went past her to short, short made the play and the coaches felt it should have been her ball. (She has played with the shortstop for multiple years in travel and the shortstop and her know how to work together).
Today, they were doing a batting drill. My daughter talked to the coach and said the drill was messing with her swing. And the coach's response was thousands of girls do this drill without issue. And a second comment was made to the girls that their batting coaches are not always right. Half of our girls see batting coaches with great reputations.
DD struggles a bit with adapting to change and does take a little longer to make adjustments some times. As parents we do not really like to get involved with coaching and feel it is up to her to talk to them. (Although based on the comments made so far I don't think the coaches are open to the discussions.) We have told her that this middle school season is only two months and a great chance for character building and playing with girls she has known for a long time but we know that the first time she misses an out from third because she is playing back she is going to be mad.
Any other parent or coaching advice for making it through the season? Or even just anyone who can commiserate with us? lol
So far it has not been a great start. DD is a third baseman, has great reaction speed, and has been trained to play up almost her whole time in travel ball. During tryouts the coach made a comment that "we have to fix that". During one of the first practices she was playing up, a ball went past her to short, short made the play and the coaches felt it should have been her ball. (She has played with the shortstop for multiple years in travel and the shortstop and her know how to work together).
Today, they were doing a batting drill. My daughter talked to the coach and said the drill was messing with her swing. And the coach's response was thousands of girls do this drill without issue. And a second comment was made to the girls that their batting coaches are not always right. Half of our girls see batting coaches with great reputations.
DD struggles a bit with adapting to change and does take a little longer to make adjustments some times. As parents we do not really like to get involved with coaching and feel it is up to her to talk to them. (Although based on the comments made so far I don't think the coaches are open to the discussions.) We have told her that this middle school season is only two months and a great chance for character building and playing with girls she has known for a long time but we know that the first time she misses an out from third because she is playing back she is going to be mad.
Any other parent or coaching advice for making it through the season? Or even just anyone who can commiserate with us? lol