DD2 just completed her first year of travel and is entering her second year of 12u. Towards the end of the last season, she told us that she wanted to tryout for other teams. I thought it was just a phase she was going through and maybe she was a bit tired of her teammates at that point after spending almost every spare moment with them for the past 11 months, and that once she's had some time away she'd be refreshed and ready to get back with her friends. Besides, she had an almost ideal situation on her team: she was constantly in contention for #1 pitcher innings, played her second favorite position when she wasn't pitching, and was among the top 3 batters on her team, almost always batting 3, 4, or 5. The head coach really liked her and she really liked her teammates. Sure, the team lost far more often than they won, and most of her teammates failed to progress as much as she did over the course of the year, but we were happy and appreciated the experience she was getting and the families got along very well. That should be good, right?
Well, something happened along the way. In late June, she picked-up with a team for a week-long tournament, and this team was on a whole different level. She was no longer the big fish in the little pond. Most of that team was 2nd-year 12's and she looked like a little girl among women with them. They practiced and played with a different level of focus and determination than she was accustomed to. The whole time leading up to this tournament I was constantly having the "don't be upset if you don't play, remember, you're just a pick-up player, be ready to play at a moment's notice, but also remain positive even if you don't play" conversation with her. Well, we get out there, and after a semi-rough first day, she saw far more playing time than I expected, either in the circle or as DP. She played at a level I hadn't seen out of her, ever.
When we returned, I was excited to see her carry it over to her team. Instead, she returned to being the player she was before. She'd have her moments, but wouldn't sustain that level of focus and intensity. As the season came to a close, she repeated her desire to tryout with other teams. So we took her to a few tryouts, and part of me was hoping she wouldn't get an offer anywhere else. Instead, she got offered spots on every team she tried out for. Even then, I didn't think she'd ever leave. She didn't even want to tryout for travel in the first place, and I thought that she was very comfortable where she was at and when the reality of leaving her comfort zone hit, she would prefer to remain where she was. Boy was I wrong.
The day after her second callback with a team, she came to DW and me with tears in her eyes and told us she decided she felt she needed to move on to this other team. She said she was crying because she was going to miss her teammates, but that she felt that she needed to go to a team where she would have to work to get playing time, and that she really liked the level that this other team played at.
I didn't know what to say or how to respond. She, at 11 years old, was brave enough to make the decision that I didn't want to make. She surprised us with the maturity and thought she put into this decision. I pushed back a little, but she held firm in her decision, all the while fighting back the tears and the pain she was feeling of leaving her teammates behind.
I'm so proud of her.
Well, something happened along the way. In late June, she picked-up with a team for a week-long tournament, and this team was on a whole different level. She was no longer the big fish in the little pond. Most of that team was 2nd-year 12's and she looked like a little girl among women with them. They practiced and played with a different level of focus and determination than she was accustomed to. The whole time leading up to this tournament I was constantly having the "don't be upset if you don't play, remember, you're just a pick-up player, be ready to play at a moment's notice, but also remain positive even if you don't play" conversation with her. Well, we get out there, and after a semi-rough first day, she saw far more playing time than I expected, either in the circle or as DP. She played at a level I hadn't seen out of her, ever.
When we returned, I was excited to see her carry it over to her team. Instead, she returned to being the player she was before. She'd have her moments, but wouldn't sustain that level of focus and intensity. As the season came to a close, she repeated her desire to tryout with other teams. So we took her to a few tryouts, and part of me was hoping she wouldn't get an offer anywhere else. Instead, she got offered spots on every team she tried out for. Even then, I didn't think she'd ever leave. She didn't even want to tryout for travel in the first place, and I thought that she was very comfortable where she was at and when the reality of leaving her comfort zone hit, she would prefer to remain where she was. Boy was I wrong.
The day after her second callback with a team, she came to DW and me with tears in her eyes and told us she decided she felt she needed to move on to this other team. She said she was crying because she was going to miss her teammates, but that she felt that she needed to go to a team where she would have to work to get playing time, and that she really liked the level that this other team played at.
I didn't know what to say or how to respond. She, at 11 years old, was brave enough to make the decision that I didn't want to make. She surprised us with the maturity and thought she put into this decision. I pushed back a little, but she held firm in her decision, all the while fighting back the tears and the pain she was feeling of leaving her teammates behind.
I'm so proud of her.
