95% practice. Playing time in games is overrated by most parents. I can only go by my experience as a parent of 12 years in this sport and a coach for about 6. Parents love games... kids do too. But the real gains are made far away from competition. Games reveal the work done in practice. But...
I'd love to share my DD's story but to keep it short when she was 12 years old they never let her pitch. Would tell her "we'll get ya in soon" Soon never happened. That dismissiveness built a fire in her that could never be extinguished.
Tonight her team sits at 15-1 and takes on the #1...
All depends on if your DD is getting better every day. I've seen so many teams where playing time is spread out evenly but kids don't get better. And other teams where some kids never play but get so much better because in spite of everything you hear and come to believe kids don't get better...
Seeing some traditionally strong teams struggle (Cajuns, UCLA, and some others). Pitching has really become watered down. Very few teams have strong pitchers 1 through 4. Could make for an interesting season and tournament.
When the player's pitching skills far outweigh their hitting skills it happens naturally. Most top level pitchers move to 18U teams at 15-16. They can compete as a pitcher but are now facing very highly skilled pitchers. That creates a mismatch. They can still hit in HS but usually travel is...