Showcase or B team

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Jun 19, 2014
846
43
Raleigh,NC
DD was approached about an opportunity to play with a well established showcase team. Here is the dilemma:
Showcase team benefits:
Get to travel and play in some of the bigger tournaments.
Get seen(many girls get signed to play college from this team).
Already knows the catcher(they played together before and had great chemistry.)
Down fall:
Most likely will be #2 or possibly #3 pitcher on the team.
Have to re establish herself(which is hard for someone who is naturally shy).

B team benefits:
They played against showcase teams and have down remarkably well(losing in close 3-2 games).
DD has stepped outside of her comfort zone and became a leader on and off the field. I think this has been the most noticeable change, especially considering how shy she is normally.

DD feels like her B team has been loyal to her and allows her to make calls on the field. They trust her to make these calls(example: pitch calling or calling time outs to settle the team down after making errors).
She has formed a bond with all the girls on the team.
She don't want to be a team hopper.
Again the biggest benefit that she keeps bringing up:Loyalty...they are just as loyal to her as she is to the team. The reason she keeps bringing this up is due to having a history of being on teams that would bring in guest pitchers to play in tournaments and sit her on the bench while playing maybe 4 complete innings all weekend long and still lose every single game.
They play local tournament only with 1 of them being a showcase on the schedule(about 3 showcases a year). DD is a Junior so she don't have much time left before graduating high school.
 
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osagedr

Canadian Fastpitch Dad
Oct 20, 2016
280
28
The typical tradeoff...better exposure & higher-level ball & competition at the expense of not enjoying it as much (at least initially) and perhaps coming out of the comfort zone (leader on the team and standout player).

Always a tough, tough call. Depends on what her goals are.
 
Dec 6, 2016
70
18
Here's my .02: If your dd's goal is to play D1/D2 college ball, she needs to go where those college coaches will be. It does not matter if her B team can beat/compete with the Showcase team...that doesn't matter at all. After high school, she can wonder why someone from the Showcase team was signed to a scholarship and she was better than them and had no offers. If her goal is to play college, she needs to be in front of coaches any chance she can get. I think it is great for a kid to get out of their comfort zone and try another team. If she will be the number 2, maybe she will have enough drive and become that number 1 pitcher.

That's the advice I have...I'm sure others will differ.
 
Sep 10, 2013
603
0
if DD ends up being #2 or #3 and doesn't get to pitch as much, what's the use of being in a showcase team? she won't be seen if she's on the bench.
OTOH, if she does get to pitch, i'd say go for it, but i'd really be very careful.
my DD's friend has had a teammate move to another team that promised more exposure only to end up with little or no playing time. needless to say, she came back.
 
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Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
I'd be hesitant to move her off a team where she's thriving in the manner you say.

But, what year in school is she? Does she want to play in college?

Also, a true showcase team takes only players that are worth showcasing, and then they showcase them, meaning everybody gets a chance to play in front of interested coaches. Or is it a team that calls itself a showcase team but in reality plays every game to win?
 

sluggers

Super Moderator
Staff member
May 26, 2008
7,132
113
Dallas, Texas
I'm assuming your DD wants to play D1 or D2 ball. If so, then she has to pursue her goal. Go with the showcase team. At her age, the time is now.

1) "I love my teammates and don't want to leave the team" doesn't matter. At some point, softball teams becomes about winning softball games, not making friends. Is it better for a pitcher to be around friends or kids who hit .600? Does a pitcher want a BFF at SS or someone with a rocket launcher for an arm? A pitcher who wants to win softball games wants good players around her--not BFFs. (Of course, your DD needs good friends...good, non-softball friends.)

2) She'll be the 2 or 3 pitcher? Well, give her a kick in the *** and tell her to go to work. Competition is what drives athletes...the quest to be better than everyone else. (It sounds like your DD on the B team doesn't have to work very hard to be the #1 pitcher. And, if she doesn't have to work hard, she won't.)

3) Kids who want to play in college don't play softball to be "happy". They play to compete. They play to find out how good they are.

CAVEAT: Have a heart to heart discussion with showcase team coach about playing time. If she is going to pitch 40% of the games...great. If not, then reconside.
 
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Aug 26, 2011
1,285
0
Houston, Texas
Lots of good points above. The thing is - your DD is a junior - clock is ticking. Plus, she will need to step out of comfort zone sooner than later with senior year and then graduation and then college looming on the horizon. I think the B team is a safety blanket - she has to let it go and step out of her boundaries (which I know is difficult for your DD) but it has to happen sometime. Make these points with your DD - find out what she wants out of softball - does she want to play college ball? If she isn't driven to compete at the next level, then she should stay where she is at. To be a college athlete, you have to be driven to compete at the next level always - you have to be willing to break boundaries and barriers.

Good luck to your DD and you in making this decision.
 

ian

Jun 11, 2015
1,175
48
DD had the same choice to make this season. 16B 18B or 18 showcase.

The 18 showcase coach is very good and really liked DD. DD would have little or 0 circle time but she would have a spot in the outfield and I think she could earn a spot in the line up. 18 showcase would give her bragging rights with her peers and open her eyes to the whole showcase fiasco. She has always risen to the level of competition, so playing up is good for her.

DD played with the 16/18b team last year and really likes the Coach/President. The HC gave DD alot of confidence after a disappointing experience in 14u (coachdaddy ball). DD earned a spot at the top of the line up and got to play infield. The president really wants DD to play 16u with the girls moving up from 14u to help make the team stronger and get a bunch of circle time.

DD chose 16B. While DD may have gotten more street cred playing 18 showcase, the 16/18 Coach and entire organization has been great to DD. When you find a good coach, dont jump teams. If coach aint good, leave before it gets worse.
 
Jun 27, 2011
5,089
0
North Carolina
If she's a junior (2018) and really wants to play in college, then she has no choice but to leave a team that isn't trying to get players recruited, and she needs to be contracting coaches and looking into summer camps ASAP. Assuming that she hasn't already.

We're in the same part of N.C. Send me a PM if you want my thoughts on the teams she's considering.
 

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