Reality has sunk in for DD1

As said before, when there is a will there IS a way!!! Anything is possible at only 13! Whatever the dream, NEVER give up on it no matter what. Once you give up then you definitely have no shot.

Good luck and enjoy the journey to get where she wants to go. Many valuable lessons will be learned regardless of the outcome and that makes it all worthwhile IMHO.

S3

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” Henry Ford

Comocoach said:

DD started playing travel ball 11. Here's her progression over the last six years.

Two years at 12C.
One year at 14B.
One year at 16A.
Starting her third year at 18A.

She's made huge leaps in ability every year. Very little work done over the winter months until last winter.

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I played college for a couple of years and I didn't do anything baseball related in the winter until I was a sophomore in HS. Too busy playing basketball. I did, however, play ball all day long during the summer.

As long as your DD enjoys playing softball, she should play.

Anyone have the experience of a solid B level player becoming an A level player in their mid-teens?

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Sure. My DD.

She was above average at 13YOA, but not anywhere close to one of the top pitchers. She was on an A level 16U team at 13, but didn't pitch much.

She moved to a lower level 16U team, and pitched all the time. The defense wasn't very good, but she pitched. The coach was not a control freak, and let her and her catcher figure out the pitch calling. So, she learned "the pitching game".

She was 15YOA when she learned her drop. She developed control with the drop very fast. So, by 16YOA, she was one of the top pitchers in the area. Why wasn't she recruited? At that time, only about 50% of the colleges had softball...no softball in the Big10, the SEC, etc.

She played 2 years of Juco, and *really* learned how to play softball. Went to the juco world series twice, and then played two years of D1.

DD is 17 now and I still dont think she has hit her peak at all. Still getting better ever year. Regarding the D1 stuff, yeah you have to be a stud to be on one of the top 25-30 teams....mid to lower level D1's though, i think she would be suprised what the competitive D3 programs could throw at them. Just my thoughts

If she goes to an "A" club team, most likely they have practices all winter. DD's teams practiced 2x/week in the winter when she was in 12's and 14's, with another one optional.

Also check out the local batting cages, especially the lessor known ones. If you buy a package, you can sometimes negotiate a really good deal that'll get you through the winter.

If you have even a small area... you can do wonders with a bownet and a space heater.

[video]https://youtu.be/TBac8fZMkrM[/video]

One more winter suggestion, this is a great tool for developing the ability to see the ball and reflexes.
Personal Pitcher Pitching Machines for Baseball & Softball
In addition the winter, you can use it with a batting glove and catch pitches. Start from a batting stance and turn your body like you're swinging a bat, but reach out and catch it with your top hand. Don't need much room. When the weather gets nice, take it outside and hit with it.
DD #1 used this and was an excellent hitter. DD#2 won't use it because DD#1 used it.

Watching these Olympic games really gets me thinking about the work high level athletes put in. Wins, losses, failing on a big stage or rising to the challenge, it's all a part of the process and it surely isn't for everyone. As a parent I cringe with empathy and compassion when you see a routine, run or play go bad for these athletes knowing exactly how it feels to see my own kids struggle and fail at times but....they're out there giving it their all and that is what counts.

The winter months are long, cold and usually snowy out here. We're fortunate to have room in the garage to set up a net, a tee and a pitching mat to get those daily reps in. We have also been lucky to be with teams who have regular indoor workouts and practice sessions during the off season and basketball keeps my DDs in pretty good shape too. But, I wouldn't underestimate the benefits from reading and studying the game (raise that softball IQ) and the mental side when it's just not realistic to get the physical work done. Lot's of good material is available. Heads Up Baseball: Playing the Game One Pitch at a Time is a good read to start with.

In a recent Twitter discussion regarding the recently recruited 6th-grader, a number of top-level D1 players (current and former) commented about the level they were playing at 13 years old. There were a whole lot that were still playing rec ball at that age. Gwen Svekis (Sr. catcher from Oregon) commented that she didn't even make her middle school team until 8th grade.

As for girls moving from B to A ball in their teens, I see all the time. My DD's 14U TB team has a few girls that are new to TB from rec ball. They're doing just fine.

I can think of at least three girls I know that weren't that skilled a softball player until they were 13, 14, or 15, but they loved the game and were willing to work hard. Two played DIII and one was on a team that made it to Oklahoma City last May for the DIII World Series. The third won a USCAA national championship.

I know another who played 12u-C as a 2nd year, but played softball at a DI mid-major.