I've posted before.
dd#2 is a pitcher. from 10u-11u, she was on a 'hometown' team with her friends (I'll just call it C level/all star team) that played only a few local little league tournaments or so, and didn't practice much at all. Mid-way through 12u- she made the move to a B team with more and better/B level tournaments and practices in the winter. We stuck with them for 13u and were trying to decide what to do now for 14u, since something seemed off and we were wondering if she missed playing with her friends or what-- and the B team was nothing this year like last year (we felt duped) and...
Here's the thing... the C level team... my husband coached and we definitely had control and knew what we were getting. When we stuck with the B team after 12u we thought we knew exactly how the season would go... it was a great team- great coaches & they practiced year round religiously and they kept almost 100% of the girls from the previous season and...
it didn't turn out that way at all this season.
The team completely fell apart. Same girls. Same parents. Same coaches. But the coaches started 'phoning it in.' I think most of the girls too. They had ZERO in season practices this year. ZERO. One or two small position changes & everyone went crazy and started leaving.
It was insanity.
So when a 14uA team emailed her Monday morning after this weekend's tryout-- we signed up without knowing or asking any questions at all. If you've ever had a decision that "felt" right... this one just felt meant to be. {long story but puzzle pieces started falling into place all on the same day}.
The problem... we have no idea who else is on the team. We have no idea where they see our daughter playing- how they plan to use her. She couldn't make it during the time of the 14u tryout (she played in a tournament this weekend) and had to tryout with the 16u girls. We know the organization and the history and their record. We don't know the coach of her particular age group though. We have no idea what to expect at all!
Since she's a pitcher I guess we have some luxury to relax a little about how she'll be used (knowing a bit of history I'm sure she'll be p1 or p2)... but we know nothing else. It's complete craziness to me as I have to know and control everything all the time.
but we've had trouble being happy up until this point. and we've only ever known exactly what we were getting before we signed up. This time- we're taking the plunge pretty much without knowing anything. And oddly enough- we are very, very at peace and calm about this decision. It's creeping me out!
Ps- I know it bothers some when I say "we" but for us it DOES have to be a family decision. For whatever reason- she's there to show up and pitch. She's the performer and that's all she wants to be. She's tells us that all the time. She likes softball. She likes to play softball. She wants to play softball. If you ask her who she wants to play with or even if she wants to play in college- she says I don't care. Every time to every question. So- yes. The decisions in our house are by the parents. Every time. If no other 14 year olds are like her then ok. She is weird. For whatever reason. Lol.
dd#2 is a pitcher. from 10u-11u, she was on a 'hometown' team with her friends (I'll just call it C level/all star team) that played only a few local little league tournaments or so, and didn't practice much at all. Mid-way through 12u- she made the move to a B team with more and better/B level tournaments and practices in the winter. We stuck with them for 13u and were trying to decide what to do now for 14u, since something seemed off and we were wondering if she missed playing with her friends or what-- and the B team was nothing this year like last year (we felt duped) and...
Here's the thing... the C level team... my husband coached and we definitely had control and knew what we were getting. When we stuck with the B team after 12u we thought we knew exactly how the season would go... it was a great team- great coaches & they practiced year round religiously and they kept almost 100% of the girls from the previous season and...
it didn't turn out that way at all this season.
The team completely fell apart. Same girls. Same parents. Same coaches. But the coaches started 'phoning it in.' I think most of the girls too. They had ZERO in season practices this year. ZERO. One or two small position changes & everyone went crazy and started leaving.
It was insanity.
So when a 14uA team emailed her Monday morning after this weekend's tryout-- we signed up without knowing or asking any questions at all. If you've ever had a decision that "felt" right... this one just felt meant to be. {long story but puzzle pieces started falling into place all on the same day}.
The problem... we have no idea who else is on the team. We have no idea where they see our daughter playing- how they plan to use her. She couldn't make it during the time of the 14u tryout (she played in a tournament this weekend) and had to tryout with the 16u girls. We know the organization and the history and their record. We don't know the coach of her particular age group though. We have no idea what to expect at all!
Since she's a pitcher I guess we have some luxury to relax a little about how she'll be used (knowing a bit of history I'm sure she'll be p1 or p2)... but we know nothing else. It's complete craziness to me as I have to know and control everything all the time.
but we've had trouble being happy up until this point. and we've only ever known exactly what we were getting before we signed up. This time- we're taking the plunge pretty much without knowing anything. And oddly enough- we are very, very at peace and calm about this decision. It's creeping me out!
Ps- I know it bothers some when I say "we" but for us it DOES have to be a family decision. For whatever reason- she's there to show up and pitch. She's the performer and that's all she wants to be. She's tells us that all the time. She likes softball. She likes to play softball. She wants to play softball. If you ask her who she wants to play with or even if she wants to play in college- she says I don't care. Every time to every question. So- yes. The decisions in our house are by the parents. Every time. If no other 14 year olds are like her then ok. She is weird. For whatever reason. Lol.
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