How does your TB team feel about players playing pickup for other teams?

This week, dd11 was asked by a team in another state to guest play as catcher in a tournament in an organization we don’t play in. One of her teachers is related to that team’s coach. DD’s team has nothing going on this weekend (no tournaments even scheduled for two more weeks but that’s a different story). Dd really wanted to play, but I thought I should clear it with her TB coaches, though. They said the TB organization discourages it. HC’s rationale is that if she’s injured, then they’ll be out a player. (To me, if they’re worried about injuries, they should be more concerned about basketball than playing for another team. My kids have more basketball-related injuries than softball/baseball/football/track put together.)

Anyway, I was wondering what your TB teams’ philosophies were. Dd was very honored by the request and needed the playing time because her team hasn’t played a game since November. She’s still disgruntled, lol.


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I know coaches on both sides of the fence on this one. Some are concerned about injuries, as you have stated. Some are afraid that the player will like the other team better and leave (very common in my area). Personally I have no issue with it. DD has guest played several times, and as a coach, I have no issue with any of our players doing it either. The only thing I ask is that they avoid weekends that we are scheduled to play. But even that can be discussed. Last summer one of our players was being recruited by a D1 school in our area. The coach asked our player if she could travel for a specific tournament and play for another team (the coach was arranging this). There is no way I was going to stand in the way of that even though we had a tournament. But two weeks before that tournament, that coach resigned, so our player didn't go.

My personal opinion is that guest playing is a good experience for the player. It gives them an opportunity to play with different players and receive different coaching. Since I have typically been a coach for the teams DD has played for, I especially liked this. The more she could play for someone else, the more she could grow as a player. Of course there are always exceptions to this. But DDs experiences have always been positive.

If we do not have games, she is allowed to go even if she misses practice. No questions asked, just a have fun.

TB coaches are all over the board on this but you might get injured is a new one to me and laughable.

DD probably has a better chance getting injured working around the house, when I see her sitting around over the weekend, then a softball tournament. Plus I can push all my house work off another weekend too.

Sounds like your DD coach is a bit insecure as injury concern is really not an issue unless she has some pre-existing condition. He should be happy she is playing, gaining experience, and getting better. My DD guests whenever and where ever possible, as long as it doesn't interfere with her current team games/tournaments. Missing a practice for it is OK, but not a game, even a scrimmage. She probably picked up an extra 50 or so ABs for other teams last year, and met a bunch of people she wouldn't have otherwise.

My DDs team insists the players ask their coaches permission before playing. There is the chance they will be removed from the team if they do not ask. The impression I get is girls can be a guest as long as their no conflicts with the team schedule.

Just let us know you are going to guest. That is all we really ask. So when someone says "We saw little Susie playing for XXX" we can say "Yes we know".
We encourage it - more reps, have some fun, work on your game, see what other coaches do, make some friends, etc, etc...

There is a small list of teams we do not let players guest on because despite us letting our players guest on their teams in the past, when we needed a guest player they said 'no'. So sc**w them. But otherwise, go for it.

Dd’s coach encourages it. Her TB team will not be back together again until after the high school season is over, so as long as we tell them where and for who they are fine with it.

I don't encourage it per se but I have no problem with it if we're off and they want to play that weekend. My team (12U this time around) will be playing 4 scrimmages, a friendly and 11 tournaments in the span of 18 weeks. Even with all of this, I have girls on my team that still want to play Rec Ball also. I tell them TB tourneys first, Rec Ball games second, Tb practice third and Rec Ball practice last if that's what they want to do. If they feel the need to play more, God Bless'em.

Of course, Emily, my DD, was one of those that never wanted to take off a weekend. We could play 12 tournaments in 15 weeks and she'd be looking to sub the other 3 weeks we were off.

My husband's DD's HC and he has no problem with our players getting reps on other teams when we're off. The extra practice only benefits us. I think the real reason a lot of coaches don't allow it or discourage it is they're afraid of losing players to other teams. It's a valid worry (boy do we ever know that much) but I don't think whether they pick up or not makes a difference in the grand scheme of whether they leave or not. The injury thing is valid too but at the same time, is it really worth trying to control what people do on the off chance they might get hurt? If anything it makes it more likely you lose players, when they're unhappy with all the rules. JMO.

ETA: yes to full disclosure! Let the coach know in advance, always.

DD's prior team did not allow it, coaches claimed it was because of injury prevention Blah Blah Blah...... There is nothing else that gets under my skin more than a coach saying no to guest playing. So I pay to play on this team so you think that you can tell me what I can do with my free time, I have issues with that...... When my daughter gets paid to be there, then you can have some input on how she spends her free time. The only reason I can understand for coach not wanting one of his players to guest for another team all depends on what sanction the games are being played. I have seen where the other team refused to release the girl guesting from their roster and things got ugly really quickly because that, it doesn't only hurt the original team but also hurts the player. That is the only reason that makes any sense to me as a player, parent or coach everything else is just BS IMO.